The United States Women’s National Soccer Team will head into their clash against Team Canada with a near flawless international friendly record (for 2025). Needless to say, after recent victories against China PR, Jamaica, and the Republic of Ireland, head coach Emma Hayes would love to keep the win streak going. Yet, the world won’t know what roster she’ll field until the players start coming out of the tunnel at Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
However, a reporter noted how experimentation has become “the key” in Team USA’s most recent successes. “In fact, we saw 100% rotation in Sunday’s squad,” said the reporter about the match where Hayes’ girls beat the Republic of Ireland 4-0. After beating 4-0 in the first game, USWNT did it again to reach the historic 600th win mark. Yet, Hayes isn’t ready to take Canada lightly just because her team scored eight goals in two games.
After making the room laugh with a nonchalant “no” when asked if she could reveal any details about the roster, Emma Hayes kept the jokes aside. “What I will say is that I look at the Brazil games; I look at the Japan games, for example. Tier 1 opponents… I think Canada are in that category,” confessed the Olympic-winning soccer coach. The 48-year-old is keen to see how much ground her girls have made up.
That’s because Team USA’s recent clashes with other soccer powerhouses have been a mixed bag. “I am curious how much we have learnt from playing a Tier 1 opponent,” Emma Hayes said in the pre-game presser. The Ballon d’Or-winning coach explained that losing the SheBelieves Cup against Japan and the second international friendly against Brazil taught the USWNT some valuable lessons.
Credits: X/US Soccer
And that’s exactly what the former Chelsea coach harped about after their loss against Brazil. “This camp was always about expanding and experimenting with the player pool. I really feel like that is becoming so clear to me: which players I think are really ready for us right now and which ones are not,” the head coach said. Then again, the coach does have a master plan for the team.
How Emma Hayes is shaping future stars with the help of today’s veteran
We don’t know if the veteran soccer coach will stick to experimentation or take a more measured approach. However, one thing is for sure: Emma Hayes is building a team that doesn’t just win games now but continues to carry the USWNT legacy as the champions of the future. In fact, her experimentation has already shown the coach which players are ready for the big stage.
“Some might, as I’ve said before, go back to the 23s, and need to develop their game and prove themselves at that level first before they make progress here,” Emma Hayes said after Brazil came back from their Game 1 loss to beat the Olympic champions in Game 2. Yet, the 48-year-old said that the young talent needs the experienced players to hone them.
Credits: X/USWNT
“Sometimes we get so overexcited about the less experienced players, but the more experienced ones that do it again and again and again and again,” explained Coach Hayes while discussing the team’s success. So, as much as she’s keen on giving young players a chance to shine, it’s during high-stakes matches like these when the veteran truly reveals their worth.
“It’s not as simple as just you’re with a group of players, a good group of players, you put on the crest, you go out and perform. You have to deliver a tactical performance…” the national team coach said ahead of their match with Canada. And when it comes to such performances, Hayes believes the senior players must support their more inexperienced yet talented teammates. Now the question is: Which version of the USWNT will walk out of that tunnel to face Canada?
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