What a solid window for the USWNT! The team rounds out this pair of friendlies with a 4-0 win over fellow CONCACAF constituent Jamaica.
I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect in this second game since they weren’t playing the same opponent twice, and sometimes the second game looks a little rougher than the first. Against Brazil it appeared that Hayes chose the preferred lineup for game one and a completely experimental, perhaps the most experimental she’s ever put together, lineup for game two. The game against Jamaica saw five changes which included the return of Emily Fox and a debut for Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello. However, some of the other changes are starting to just look like familiar faces: Ally Sentnor, Claire Hutton, Tara McKeown. These three are still newer to the fold but all three looked much more comfortable on Tuesday than they had previously.
No offense to the Reggae Girlz, but I’m probably going to spend more time going over the big takeaways for the US across both of the window’s games rather than getting too much into the weeds of Tuesday night’s game. Jamaica was missing their prolific goal scorer, Bunny Shaw, due to injury and the Reggae Girlz have been continuously run through the wringer by their federation. It’s difficult to keep any momentum going without support or stability from the governing body.
Thus, Tuesday’s match wasn’t necessarily packed with things to analyze. I don’t remember any particularly dangerous looks on goal from Jamaica. They didn’t necessarily sit low the entire game, but they worked hard to plug the box as much as they could while they were pushed into their penalty area for what felt like the entirety of the game. The four US goals came from a brace apiece by Ally Sentnor in the first half and Lynn Biyendolo in the second half. Across both games, the attack looked dynamic and fun, even with lineup changes, which is really just a joy to see.
I’m going to go through what I feel were my main takeaways from this camp:
The player pool Emma Hayes is looking at for the 2027 World Cup is generally set. I don’t think that means that others can’t break in, players won’t fall out, or that some won’t move between the senior level and U23’s, but it seems like most of the players that Hayes wants in the international environment have had at least a taste by now. Over the course of Hayes’ tenure we’ve seen a lot of first time call ups and first caps, however, as we approach summer, the volume of these have diminished. To me, at least, it feels like the period of sweeping changes may be coming to a close and the players that we’ve seen called up to the senior and U23 teams so far, are the players Hayes will continue to try to focus further development on for the next two years.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce has edged her way into the #1 goalkeeper position. She started two matches in a row. None of the other goalkeepers in the pool have had consecutive starts since Alyssa Naeher’s retirement. She didn’t have a ton to do in these games, but the opportunity for her to continue building chemistry with the backline feels important. It feels like she and McGlynn are definitely in. There’s still a bit of a question for me about what’s going on with Jane Campbell, who has also fallen out of the starting XI at Houston. Is she injured? Is she just out of contention and Claudia Dickey is the new #3 Is Campbell still in the mix?
Naomi Girma’s center back partner, in Tierna Davidson’s absence, is still a mystery. Or is it just Sonnett? That might be my inclination, so does that mean that Tara McKeown and Emily Sams are fighting to be a backup-backup when everyone is healthy? Will Sam Staab, who was in the pool before tearing her Achilles, return to the fold? A bit of a question mark hovers over this spot, especially when players like Sams continue to be called into camp while getting very few game minutes, if any.
Lily Yohannes is the real deal. The young midfielder played two different positions across the window and showed growth in both. In the first, she showed that she can be a stable, organized partner alongside Sam Coffey while maintaining some of her creative flair from a deeper position. In the second, Yohannes’ playmaking was on display higher upfield contributing heavily to the attack. With each camp, Yohannes has looked more comfortable. Sometimes it takes a flash of her braces to remind the viewer that she’s just 17 years old. She plays with a maturity and sophistication that just feels palpable from the screen. I look forward to watching her continue to grow in this squad and undoubtedly become a mainstay.
The attack is alright. USWNT fans have perhaps been a bit restless with Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson out on maternity leave and Trinity Rodman out indefinitely with a back injury. However, it feels like Alyssa Thompson has tightened her grip around the left winger role in Swanson’s time off and feels very much like the “next player up” on that side. Catarina Macario has shown that she can effectively play as a 9 when other players are occupying the 10. The developing relationships between the two of them and Yohannes were on full display in these matches. Besides that, competition for a spot behind Rodman remains tight between Michelle Cooper and Ally Sentnor. The discussion so far has also not included players that were in the U23 camp like Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel who could make their return to the senior level in the future. There’s a lot of options that are starting to look really good, even if Triple Espresso doesn't end up taking the field at the same time again (but obviously, hopefully they will).
Overall, I feel like this was a productive and positive window for the US. Whether the US should beat these two opponents or not, it felt like they were able to exert their dominance over both opponents, execute their game plans, and turn their chances into goals. There have been questions about this team’s ability to score, at times, even against lesser opposition, and now Triple Espresso is out. However, this window felt like a definitive “we’re figuring it out, we’re good” moment.
It’s back to the NWSL for most of these players with a few finally catching a well earned break after all the European club competitions have ended. The group will get back together later this month for a pair of games against the Republic of Ireland and a one-off against Canada.