The USWNT is coming out of its trio of October friendlies on a decidedly positive note after wins against Portugal and New Zealand. That in itself is reassuring after dropping the first match to Portugal.
Losing to a decent but far from threatening team from Europe did nothing to lower the volume of the alarms that have been sounding about Europe and the rest of the world catching up to the USA. Those alarm bells may still be going off, but the Stars and Stripes showed they are capable of facing them. Leading that charge is a group of young players that showed they are ready to step up and play at an international level.
Emma Hayes went with the most experienced players at her disposal in the opening game. While there were players who hadn’t played many minutes together, the game was lost due to the team playing as individuals and Portugal taking advantage of mistakes and preventing the USA from getting back into the game.
Contrast that performance with the wins in the following games and Hayes made adjustments that have the team looking to the future, rather than asking about what happened in the past. The manager had called in a young roster and entrusted them to turn the friendly window around. The results speak for themselves. 20 year-old Olivia Moultrie notched two goals, giving her four in 10 USWNT caps, while Emma Sears delivered a hat-trick. Meanwhile, Cat Macario had a fantastic window and looks to be past the injuries that have held her back in recent years.
Impressively, the game against New Zealand featured an American attack that was able to break down an opponent determined to pack the box and make it as difficult as possible to play soccer. The USA created 34 shots in the game and for the first time in a while looked like a team that could effortlessly dominate a game. It’s the kind of performance that the USWNT has been lacking. The team looked totally different than it did against Portugal in the opening match because it was a very different team.
The game also featured the most inexperienced lineup the team has fielded in 25 years, averaging just over 17 caps across the starting XI. For a team that has brought veterans who may have been past their prime and had it cost them, the infusion of youth is coming at the perfect time. World Cup qualifying next year will give the younger players experience in competitive games and gives Hayes time to find the talent that rises to the top.
This year has been one where the USWNT has experimented with different lineups, tactics, and personnel. An impressive win against New Zealand is the result of that process. Of course, the team will need to show it can keep producing results like this. The next international window with two games against UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 semi-finalists Italy will be a challenging test for a promising USWNT side.
