Following an illuminating pair of matches against Spain, the USWNT is squarely focused on World Cup qualifying. The recent friendlies showed that the team is capable of hanging with a team like the current world champs, but has some areas to improve upon in order to add another star above the crest. Particularly, the backline lacked organization and shipped four goals across the two matches. A major factor in that was the absence of center back Naomi Girma and recent news suggests the team will continue
looking for answers for how to bolster the defense as she is now doubtful for qualifying.
The USWNT just needs to reach the quarter-finals to qualify for the tournament, but the games will also serve as an additional test for Emma Hayes to decide how to address the issues that have been following the team for over a year now. Given the injury issues that Girma has experienced, finding a backline setup that works without her will be even more crucial if she isn’t able for the team.
