The US Women's National Team (USWNT) has taken a step in the right direction with its latest string of matches, showcasing a promising young core but also highlighting lingering concerns over chemistry and aerial ability.
While Emma Hayes' decision to play an almost entirely different lineup against Portugal resulted in a 2-1 win for the visitors, the rematch saw a vastly improved performance from the younger players. The team's midfield, which was porous and uncreative in the first match, showed signs of improvement with Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton, and Jaedyn Shaw excelling in the second game.
The green attacking wingers, Michelle Cooper and Emma Sears, were instrumental in the third game against New Zealand, feeding into a 6-0 win that showcased the team's growing depth. However, the defensive performance was a concern, with the US conceding only once despite a somewhat inexperienced backline.
One glaring weakness of the team remains aerial ability, with all three of Portugal's goals coming from high crosses in the first two games. The US responded with a low corner that bounced into the net but ultimately failed to replicate the same level of effectiveness. Hayes has acknowledged the importance of timing over height in this regard and will likely look to strengthen the squad's ability in the air.
Despite these issues, it's clear that the youth is indeed ready now, and Hayes' decision to give more young players a chance has yielded positive results. However, there's no excuse for prolonged periods of poor performance, and the coach must start building her lineups with chemistry and cohesion in mind rather than relying on unproven combinations.
With the 2027 World Cup looming, it's time for Hayes to begin shaping the roster that will take her team to Brazil. This means finding a balance between giving younger players experience while also strengthening key areas of the game. The USWNT has taken a promising step in the right direction, but it's only a matter of time before they reach their full potential.
While Emma Hayes' decision to play an almost entirely different lineup against Portugal resulted in a 2-1 win for the visitors, the rematch saw a vastly improved performance from the younger players. The team's midfield, which was porous and uncreative in the first match, showed signs of improvement with Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton, and Jaedyn Shaw excelling in the second game.
The green attacking wingers, Michelle Cooper and Emma Sears, were instrumental in the third game against New Zealand, feeding into a 6-0 win that showcased the team's growing depth. However, the defensive performance was a concern, with the US conceding only once despite a somewhat inexperienced backline.
One glaring weakness of the team remains aerial ability, with all three of Portugal's goals coming from high crosses in the first two games. The US responded with a low corner that bounced into the net but ultimately failed to replicate the same level of effectiveness. Hayes has acknowledged the importance of timing over height in this regard and will likely look to strengthen the squad's ability in the air.
Despite these issues, it's clear that the youth is indeed ready now, and Hayes' decision to give more young players a chance has yielded positive results. However, there's no excuse for prolonged periods of poor performance, and the coach must start building her lineups with chemistry and cohesion in mind rather than relying on unproven combinations.
With the 2027 World Cup looming, it's time for Hayes to begin shaping the roster that will take her team to Brazil. This means finding a balance between giving younger players experience while also strengthening key areas of the game. The USWNT has taken a promising step in the right direction, but it's only a matter of time before they reach their full potential.
! The coaching staff needs to keep giving those youngbloods more playing time and see what they can do 
. Emma Hayes has made some bold moves, but it's clear she wants the best for her team 
. Aerial ability is still a concern, but I'm sure she'll figure out a way to boost that department 
. The key now is to build some chemistry and cohesion in those lineups - can't have them playing like a bunch of strangers on the pitch 
. With the World Cup just a few years away, I'm hyped to see how this team will come together 
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they're defo getting closer to that world cup win now!! Michelle Cooper & Emma Sears are like total game changers on offense 
and i love how Lily Yohannes & Claire Hutton were able to step up their game in the 2nd match 
it’s not always easy to see what works and what doesn’t, especially when you're dealing with talented but sometimes unpolished players. But at the same time, I do worry about those poor defenders – if they can just find a way to work together better on set pieces, we might be looking at a whole different team. 
she can't just keep switching things up and expecting results, even if it does work in the short term 
the midfield was looking way better in the rematch and those green wingers are on fire 
but we need to see that consistency and cohesion over a full match 
also, i'm still worried about that aerial ability 
still so many issues to work out... like, what even is this with all those high crosses? 
can't we just develop some proper aerial awareness for once? 
and don't even get me started on the midfield... it's like they're trying to make it hard on themselves 
and maybe, just maybe, this youth movement thing is gonna pay off in the end 
ugh just thinking about it is making me frustrated
. But yeah, we can't ignore that aerial ability thing... it's like, the USWNT needs to find a way to time those crosses and headers more accurately 
! The Maximalist 
, she totally owned that midfield game against New Zealand! But for real though, the USWNT needs to work on their aerial game, all those goals from high crosses are super concerning 
between the defenders and midfielders 
. If the defense is good, it should be able to keep up with those long passes 
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and yeah hayes needs to start building those lineups with cohesion in mind not just throwing a bunch of youngsters together and expecting magic 
gotta find that balance between experience and growth 
️. But at the same time, they need to work on their chemistry and cohesion - it's like trying to build a puzzle without all the pieces being in the right place