If there was any doubt as to how far the most recent U.S. women’s national team roster has strayed from its historical standards of consistency, the starting lineup for Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Argentina provided proof of that.
USWNT coach Emma Hayes made good on her promise of player rotations, making 10 changes to the XI that beat Iceland 3-1 three days ago and handing out three players as starters in their first senior international matches. The USWNT hasn’t seen three players debut as starters since fielding an inexperienced team in 2001 during the preseason of the now-defunct WUSA.
In three games last week, seven players made their USWNT debuts, something that hasn’t happened in eight years. The USWNT’s rare list of accomplishments continued throughout the week, including forward Emma Sears recording a goal and an assist in her debut. This hasn’t happened in 10 years.
Last week was clearly the start of a new era for the USWNT. This message was repeated in this triumphant tour for the 2024 Olympic champions, reinforced by every action on the field against a disciplined Icelandic team and a beleaguered Argentine team. Nothing was given. To borrow a common refrain from players and coaches alike this week, everyone was there for a reason.
Hayes has never been afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and experiment as Chelsea’s manager for the past 12 years, and her innovative thinking is why US Soccer chose her to be the new head coach of the USWNT. Change was needed after the USWNT’s historic collapse in the round of 16 of the 2023 World Cup.
The federation immediately won its fifth Olympic gold medal in August, while Hayes won his first Ballon d’Or Coach of the Year award earlier this week.
This international window was like a delayed honeymoon for the USWNT’s Hayes era. She took on high stakes under a seemingly impossible schedule, coaching her first USWNT game on June 1, less than two months before the Olympics. Hayes wasn’t able to test players and tactical concepts as thoroughly as he could with a longer lead time.
But picking up Olympic gold in late October was a rare moment for the prestigious USWNT program. It was a celebration of another trophy, but it was also the start of a very public and potentially drastic rebuilding process from the ground up. Regardless of his role in the recent Olympics or his role with the USWNT historically, nothing is guaranteed going forward.
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USA vs. Argentina Game Recap
Go behind the scenes of the USWNT’s convincing 3-0 win over Argentina.
And as many coaches make it seem so easy to say, Hayes has already shown she will follow through. She left legendary forward Alex Morgan at home for the Olympics. She favored a different tactical approach, benching creative midfielder Rose Lavelle in the Olympic gold medal match. This month, Hayes gave players who had never even been to a youth national team camp their first appearance. This adds to the sense that your resume is not important.
Over the course of the USWNT’s three games, Hayes was able to get a look at just about everything. There was a low block from Argentina, which a much less experienced USWNT lineup handled much better on Wednesday than the team that held a disappointing, scoreless draw against Costa Rica in July’s Olympic send-off game. It was a subtle development. The Americans even fell behind for the first time under Hayes in the first half of their rematch with Iceland. It was a moment that Hayes was happy about, and once the team switched to an aggressive 3-5-2 in the second half, the team produced an impressive 45 minutes.
The three-game tour began with 19-year-old Alyssa Thompson scoring the first goal in a 3-1 win over Iceland. It was her first international goal in her first game against the USWNT in nearly a year. Defender Naomi Girma scored her first two international goals on Wednesday and played a key role in the USWNT’s third goal (an own goal), continuing the celebratory mood all week. As Girma said after the game, the USWNT got “everything we could have hoped for during this period.”
Now, in a month’s time, Americans will turn their attention to a much more difficult task. That means away games against England and the Netherlands, the last two European champions. Hayes said again on Wednesday that he would bring a more experienced squad to that game. But the experiment will continue in January when the USWNT resumes traditional training camps in Southern California, with identification camps for young players running concurrently. Senior Camp.
By early spring, when the annual SheBelieves Cup is held, Hayes expects to have identified the core of a team that will be developed over two years ahead of the next World Cup.
“We fully recognize that the challenges ahead will not be simple,” Hayes said. “But I absolutely want to develop a bigger playing pool. We have started to build that picture by using 26 players over three games, many debutants and less experienced players. And we will continue to do that. .”
Everything Hayes and her staff do now is aimed at the 2027 World Cup. Hayes answered nearly every big-picture question throughout the week, referencing his 2027-28 strategy. She said the strategy was still being finalized and would be released internally in January. How will the USWNT’s style of play evolve? What can we improve to stay ahead of the rest of the world? Check back in January. That was Hayes’ response every time.
Last week was a chance to see some of the new and returning players up close, and some were very impressive. Thompson scored in the opening match and impressed in a wing-back role in the rematch against Iceland. Sears, who had never been called up to the youth team, had a “surreal” debut. Even Jaedyn Shaw, who missed the Olympics due to injury, reminded the world why she could be a long-term answer as a No. 9 or No. 10.
Realistically, not everyone will be able to hold out for the 2027 World Cup, and probably not even for the January camp. There are many historical examples of players who have scored historic debut goals but have only played once or twice. There is no room for everyone. The USWNT’s talent pool is arguably the deepest in the world, and Hayes still wants more.
Broadening the player pool with a wider variety of players will allow for greater tactical diversity, Hayes said last week. Her goal is to provide a short-term roadmap to win the 2027 World Cup, which would be the United States’ historic fifth title, as well as a long-term plan to future-proof and transform the program’s tactical style and player development methodology.
“My aim is to tie it all together,” Hayes said, speaking about his desire to bridge the gap between U20 and senior levels. She said it was too big a leap. She plans to host more U23 programs to alleviate these concerns.
Hayes is clear about her expectations for her players, including the desire for better decision-making in the final third and better execution from set-pieces. She got it on Wednesday. Even though it came from an unexpected source: Girma. Hayes elaborates on the tactical explanation, such as why she likes to play Lavelle in a deeper No. 8 role, as she did during this international break, but Hayes is keen to avoid showing her hand to future opponents. We are equally cautious about it.
“I still don’t believe we are generating as much xG (expected goals) as we think we can,” Hayes said after Wednesday’s 3-0 win. “There are still limitations, but I think it will take some time. The team knows the gap I want to fill, and I think we are doing that by scoring a number of goals. I am looking forward to playing more games.”
Given the circumstances, no one should read too much into the performance of the team or individual players over the last three games. The rotation was tight due to the NWSL’s upcoming playoffs, and while Iceland was organized and relatively dangerous in transition, Argentina had few opportunities to advance and struggled defensively.
Nonetheless, last week gave us a glimpse into the future of the USWNT and who will be joining us on that journey.
