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Jeff Kassoff
multiple authors
United States of America women’s national team 1-0 victory over Canada Wednesday wasn’t as impressive a performance as eight months ago, when the Americans swept their northern neighbors out of the field in Washington, D.C. However, it was an equally important benchmark for the Americans as they head toward 2027. women’s world cup.
Experimentation and inexperience have been the operative words for the USWNT last year as coach Emma Hayes wheeled out new players – giving 32 debuts in their first 32 games at this tournament. But Wednesday, and this SheBelieves Cuphave been about refinement – about depth and maturity developing before the eyes of the world.
“That was one of my favorite performances since they’ve been growing up,” Hayes said of his team after Wednesday’s win.
Ahead ally centner Taking advantage of her debut in the open battle for the USWNT’s No. 9 role, Wednesday scored the game’s only goal 10 minutes into the second half. He now has three goals in four games this calendar year.
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Santner was one of the USWNT’s biggest debutants on Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, as Hayes aims to figure out who she can trust as the 2027 World Cup approaches. After the game he earned Hayes’ praise for his sensible performance.
Santner scored almost identically to his goal on a corner kick setup in the first half. She also led the USWNT’s successful high-pressing waves that forced Canada into mistakes, and that pressure led to Santner creating a one-on-one opportunity before halftime.
She missed that shot at the near post, but Hayes noted the forward’s determination to forget the mistake and bury her goal shortly after halftime.
Gisele Thompson She also started as a fullback for the USWNT and was frequently asked to join the attack in another major cap early in the 20-year-old’s career. Thompson went the full 90 minutes for the second time in four days, which Hayes said was intentional as she told Thompson she needed to be more durable to play regularly for the USWNT.
Thompson and Santner were two of four changes to the U.S. lineup that beat Canada 3-0 last July. Wednesday’s USWNT was imperfect, particularly in the first half when the Americans looked isolated in the final third and failed to take advantage of the pressure they successfully applied high up the field. There were a few mistakes early on that helped Canada build confidence for a short period of time.
However, there was a sign of maturity in the USWNT’s win on Wednesday. Canada’s struggles to create opportunities aside, the USWNT had the impression of a team that was on a journey from open tryouts to a more established group that is finding the best version of itself in a tournament setting.
Hayes offered a glimpse of this scene the day before the game as he explained the progress of the game emma sears.
Sears was a second-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft racing louisville fc Joe wasn’t on many radars to become a breakout professional, let alone an international one.
It was around the Canada game last year when Hayes talked about the progress she wanted to see from Sears. Ahead of Wednesday’s rematch against Canada, Hayes said she told Sears this week that if the World Cup started today she would be one of the first players off the bench.
Sears entered Wednesday’s match in the 69th minute and almost immediately passed the ball from the penalty box to the penalty box to earn a corner kick. For Sears and several teammates, the question now is less about whether they’ll make the roster and more about how much they’ll play and in what scenarios.
For example, Sears now has 16 caps for the USWNT; Santner has 17 caps.
They, along with the likes of budding midfielder Claire Hutton – who again started on Wednesday, as he did against Canada in July – blended in well with established players such as the midfielder Sam’s Coffee And Rose Lavelle and protector Naomi Girma. alyssa thompsonOne of the center backs who isn’t new but isn’t experienced either, remained dynamic and dangerous on the wing.
Like last July, Lavelle was electric in the middle of the park on Wednesday. He was such a dangerous force that Canada coach Casey Stoney admitted that Lavelle was the reason Canada needed to change their shape to accommodate two holding midfielders.
Lavelle, whose international breakout came at the SheBelieves Cup almost a decade ago, is now a 30-year-old veteran in the team. He’s had his best (and healthiest) year in recent memory since returning from ankle surgery last spring.
“Everyone respects Rose for a lot of reasons, and I love that she’s leaning toward [leader] “If you think about the players from Ellie Santner to Gisele – even Alyssa, Claire Hutton – they’re really progressing, their maturity is developing because players like Rose have made sure they feel the high challenge of the environment, but most importantly the high challenge of experienced leadership.”
Hayes may have fielded his best available lineup on Wednesday, give or take a player. It was a mix of budding veterans and young players who are now mostly trying to prove that they can handle this kind of game – a football tournament on short rest against a solid opponent.
The Americans won comfortably 1–0 and showed no signs of nervousness or fatigue. That resolve, as much as the win or any set-piece success, will have Hayes smiling in New Jersey for Saturday’s SheBelieves Cup final. Colombia. It will bring them one step closer to what next year’s World Cup team could look like.
