It was only fitting that Mallory Swanson would score the goal that would give the U.S. Women’s Soccer team their first Gold Medal in 12 years.

After all, just a year ago, the U.S. Women had been upset in the Round of 16 in the Women’s World Cup, Swanson was sidelined with a torn patellar tendon and the Olympic Gold Medal — with Swanson leading the team — seemed like a pipe dream.

But Swanson battled back through a grueling rehab, worked her way back into the National Team picture and formed a deadly attacking trio with Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman. And she delivered, scoring the game-winning goal in the U.S. Women National Team’s 1-0 win over Brazil in Saturday’s Gold Medal match in the Paris Olympics.

“I mean, the amount of time she’s pretty much made me cry over the last like two weeks watching her is pretty ridiculous,” Mallory’s husband, Dansby, said after their semifinal win earlier this week. “Just so proud of her. The journey, obviously, that she’s been on. Ever since we got here together — I mean it’s like it’s pretty hard to put into words.”

In the 57th minute, Korbin Albert played an inch perfect pass through the Brazil backline and Swanson raced through and latched onto the ball, just in front of Smith, who had been in an offside position.

[WATCH: Dansby Swanson filled with joy for Mallory Swanson in Olympic journey]

Swanson took a pair of touches, then placed a perfect shot past Brazilian goalie Lorena to give the U.S. the lead. It gave Swanson her 4th goal of the tournament, tied for 2nd-most behind France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto.

Swanson’s Chicago Red Stars teammate Alyssa Naeher came through late in the game, making a one-handed save on Brazil’s Adriana in the 90th minute to preserve the 1-0 win.

It’s the first major title for the U.S. since winning the World Cup in 2019 and the first Gold Medal since 2012. They had won Gold Medals in 3 straight games — 2004, 2008 and 2012. They won the bronze medal in 2021 and lost in the quarterfinals in 2016.