The USWNT took down Brazil in one Olympic gold medal rematch, but then lost late with a re-tooled starting IX
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The U.S. women's national team split a pair of friendlies with Brazil, winning the first match 2-0 Saturday in Los Angeles before falling 2-1 on Tuesday night in San Jose. Facing Brazil wasn't going to be easy, and that proved to be the case.
The games marked a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal match, so there was a lot on the line despite it being labeled a "friendly." Yet given that the 2027 World Cup is still two years away, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes made it very clear that once again she would be experimenting with players – because she can.
If the World Cup was this summer, perhaps not, but she used this opportunity to see players compete against a world-class team such as like Brazil – the USWNT is ranked No. 1 in the FIFA world rankings, and Brazil is No. 8.
"I don't want to wait another year for me to get a look at these less-experienced players against a top-level opponent," Hayes said after the second match. "I'm glad I made that decision, even if you feel a little bit of short term pain within it."
In the first meeting, the starting IX was generally as expected – a combination of young and new, with California natives Catarina Macario, Alyssa Thompson and Trinity Rodman leading the front line. Down the middle, Hayes had youngster Lily Yohannes holding down the 10, with captain Lindsey Heaps and Sam Coffey as defensive center mids.
The backline had veteran Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox outside, with Tara McKeown and Emily Sonnett as the two center backs. Manchester United's Phallon Tullis-Joyce made her first start for the USWNT in goal, and held it down, admirably.
The lineup proved solid, despite some shaky moments in transition. Tullis-Joyce earned a clean sheet, and proved to be a solid force in net. Up top, Rodman reminded everyone just how much she was missed, and Macario's hold-up game was beyond.
The second game was a completely different story.
Hayes started the youngest lineup in her 20-game tenure, with Avery Patterson and Michelle Cooper earning their first starts. The midfield combined to be just 57 years-old, with Yohannes (17), Claire Hutton (19) and Korbin Albert (21). The backline looked entirely different on the wing as well, with 19-year-old Gisele Thompson on the left and Avery Patterson, earning her first start, on the right.
The two had McKeown and Sonnett in the middle, although just for the first half, before McKeown was subbed out for Alana Cook. Mandy McGlynn started in goal, and earned her third cap in her third start.
While the USWNT got on the board first, and in the first minute at that, the game quickly got away as Brazil dominated possession and capitalized off of their inexperience in big moments – and Hayes lost for just the second time as U.S. coach as a result.
So who stood out? Whose stock rose against Brazil, and whose fell? GOAL takes a look.
ImagnSTOCK UP: Catarina Macario
Catarina Macario is so back. It's been a long haul for Macario, who's still only just making her way back to the international stage after a long battle with injuries. She earned two caps against Brazil, the 22nd and 23rd of her career, and scored the seventh-fastest goal in USWNT history, 34 seconds into Tuesday's game.
What made Macario's performance so solid was her ability to adjust to the role of the nine and hold the ball up exceptionally well for the USWNT. Despite lots of pressure on her back, she was able to control the ball and either lay it off, flick, or turn. As each game went on, her confidence to turn improved.
“I think Cat's been really good this camp, really shown her qualities to hold the ball up and play,” Hayes said after Macario's performance on Tuesday. “In fact, I felt we just didn't get enough support around her. The longer the game went on, and once she went out of the game, it showed. We missed that ability to hold the ball up in the way she does. I think it's been really, really good progress for her.”
Macario reflected on her goal and performance, saying she was just doing her job.
"Personally, I think it just gives me a little bit extra confidence, you know, in knowing that I'm doing something right," she said. "And you know, that was my job, you know, as a nine, to be there and to score goals. And yeah, I think in whatever way that I can help the team, that's that's my job."
Without a clear nine in the rotation, Macario has made a good case for herself as she continues to reach peak health and fitness with this team.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesSTOCK DOWN: Korbin Albert
Korbin Albert earned a start against Brazil in the teams' second meeting and struggled to be the link between the two lines. Albert is natural playmaker, however the pace and pressure of Brazil throughout the middle proved to be a challenge for her to maintain any possession and flow.
While there is an argument to be made that she didn't have much experience around her in the midfield, she was the oldest among Claire Hutton (19) and Lily Yohannes (17).
Albert isn't out of question in rotation for the USWNT, but will have to make a stronger case if she's going to knock players like Lindsey Heaps, Sam Coffey, even Ally Sentnor and Lily Yohannes out of the rotation. Out of all the players on the pitch against Brazil on Tuesday night, Albert was the only one who actually played against Brazil in the gold medal match in Paris.
Getty ImagesSTOCK UP: Alyssa Thompson
Alyssa Thompson combined for two very strong performances against Brazil. Despite not scoring, her impact was worth a nod. Thompson started in both matches and made a profound impact on the wing. She not only took Brazil players on one vs. one, but took the ball centrally creating absolute chaos for the other team.
She was involved in the first goal on Saturday, thanks to a dynamic central run she made and a cheeky slip pass to Rodman, and the second game when she did all of the work to eventually set up Macario for an easy tap in finish in under a minute of play. Thompson, just 20, now has 17 caps with the USWNT.
"I thought Alyssa Thompson, for sure, has taken another step," Hayes said when asked about players that stood out in the games.
Getty ImagesSTOCK DOWN: Tara McKeown
This is a tough one, because Tara McKeown didn't play poorly, but she's also just no Naomi Girma or Tierna Davidson. She does a lot very well; she's strong, disciplined, and smart. Yet, with those players out with injury, what the USWNT backline is really missing is a ball-playing center-back.
They need someone to complement Emily Sonnett's controlled chaos; someone that can posess the ball and make passes out of the backline. While McKeown makes hard tackles and goal-saving plays, she doesn't play to feet very often and tends to look long as opposed to through the six.
McKeown put in a lot of minutes for the USWNT this past week, with the stronger performance certainly on Saturday. Tuesday, she struggled to keep up with the pace of Gio and even Kerolin when she'd make dynamic runs across the box. Hayes won't write McKeown off yet, and is clearly looking for the right pairing as the year goes on, but isn't in any rush to find it.
