Stock up, stock down: Lily Yohannes flashes potential, Jaedyn Shaw struggles as USWNT finish 2024 with 20-match unbeaten streak

With the USWNT still unbeaten under Emma Hayes, GOAL looks at players on the rise after a draw with England, win over the Netherlands

• Getty Images

  Stock up: Lynn Williams

  The game in London showed why she probably isn't a starter against the very best. The game in the Netherlands showed why she should still have a role when playing those elite teams.

  Off the bench, Williams is a weapon, and that's exactly what she was in The Hague. Brought in to inject life into the team, Williams subbed in and promptly scored what would be the winning goal, providing her 10th career finish off the bench. Since Williams' USWNT debut in 2016, only Alex Morgan, with 11, has scored more goals off the bench.

  It's a key to have a player that can come in and change a game, and that's exactly what Williams is. When you also account for her experience and leadership among a young group, it becomes apparent why Williams can and should stick around. In the 31-year-old winger, Hayes has a perfect, dependable role player.

• Getty Images

  Stock down: Korbin Albert

  Here's the concern for Albert: at this stage of her career, there isn't anything she really does at an elite level. Most teams can find a way to use that, but this isn't most teams. The USWNT demands elite and, when surrounded by some of the world's best at what they do, Albert stands out - or to put it more literally, she doesn't stand out.

  The PSG midfielder struggled to really contribute in the match against the Netherlands, although it must be said that the midfield setup wasn't ideal. Even so, it's been a theme when it comes to Albert: it's still hard to figure out what exactly she can offer the U.S. in big games.

  Is she a more attacking midfielder? If so, she's behind Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle. Is she a defensive midfielder? Stats say no but, if she is, she's nowhere near Sam Coffey. Has she shown more than Hal Hershfelt or Lily Yohannes, two players she is now battling for central midfield spots? Not really and, with the likes of Catarina Macario, Croix Bethune and Olivia Moultrie also in the mix, what will Albert's role be going forward?

  That's the big question Alebrt will have to answer.

• Getty Images

  Stock up: Yazmeen Ryan

  There's still a lot of climbing up the depth chart to do if she wants to really contribute to this attack, but the only way to do that is with standout performances. Ryan had one of those on Tuesday.

  The 25-year-old Gotham FC star came off the bench to prove the assist on Williams' goal, firing a perfect cross straight into the path of her club teammate. The chemistry was there for all to see in that moment, but it was really Ryan's run and cross that made it all come together.

  Spots in the attack are hard to come by in this team, and this group was one without the famous Triple Espresso leading it. Even so, of the newer players, Ryan was the one who had a standout moment, which will only boost her stock as she pushes for more opportunities once that starting three does return in 2025.

• Getty Images

  Stock down: Jaedyn Shaw

  One of the big questions heading into this camp was centered around Jaedyn Shaw. Without the starters in attack, could she be the key player? Could she be the star this team needed to carry a shorthanded group? The answer was no or, more accurately, not quite yet.

  Starting as a striker, admittedly not her best position, Shaw was ineffective in her 45 minutes, struggling to really do much of anything against the Netherlands. That came after a brief cameo against England but, realistically, this Netherlands game was should have been Shaw's night to dominate.

  Instead, it was a reminder Shaw is still very young and very new to all of this. She's done so many good things that it's easy to forget that she still has so much to learn. Just 20, she can't yet carry the attack on her shoulders, and that's OK. Give it a few years time.

  Right now, though, Shaw is a piece, not the piece. That will likely change soon but, at the moment, there are still some lessons to learn before she's an unquestioned starter in this attack.

• Getty Images

  Stock up: Lily Yohannes

  It was just a glimpse but sometimes that's all it really takes.

  Brought in to replace Horan, the team's usual captain, Yohannes was really thrown into the fire in the second half against the Netherlands. There she was facing the country that, just a few weeks ago, was courting her to play for their program. There were boos when she got on the ball and, despite that, she was asked to play a big role for her new team to see out a game.

  From the moment she entered, Yohannes was calm and cool. She was unfazed by the atmosphere or the occasion. More than what she did with her feet, what was most impressive was how she kept her head. And, using that head, she won a battle that ultimately led to the USWNT's game-winning goal.

  Yoahnnes didn't play much this camp, and that's OK. The 17-yeard-old still being integrated into the team. This was a step forward, though, one that showed that, despite her age, the mentality is there for her to be a USWNT contributor sooner rather than later.

• Getty Images

  Stock down: Jenna Nighswonger

  Rough games happen to everyone. When you're a defender, though, they stand out even more, and that's never what you want as a player.

  Nighswonger stood out on Tuesday for the wrong reasons as she struggled to cope with the Netherlands attack. It was so clear that she was benched at halftime as Hayes sought more stability in that left-back position.

  Now, don't write Nighswonger off. She's still a hell of a player, one that has shown plenty of times how good she can be at the USWNT level. It just wasn't her night.

  Even so, given Casey Krueger's performance against England and a potential return for Crystal Dunn down the line, it's fair to wonder if Nighswonger is the true starter right now. The spot is there for the taking, but has she really taken it?

  It's up for debate, which wouldn't have been the case really with a lockdown performance this camp.