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USWNT 1-1GOAL

'Part of the plan' - Why the USWNT see Spain's harsh lessons as a necessary step on the road to the 2027 World Cup

The USWNT were 'disappointed' but 'not deterred' after first match against Spain.

Celia Balf

  • WASHINGTON -- Emma Hayes pushed to get Spain on the schedule to measure the U.S. women’s national team against the world’s best. On Saturday, the reigning World Cup champions needed just 14 minutes to expose some of the work still ahead.

    Spain scored twice early and held off an improved U.S. performance to win 2-0 before a sellout crowd of 19,220 at Audi Field. The first of two friendlies offered Hayes the test she wanted less than a year before the 2027 World Cup, along with a frustrating reminder of how costly small mistakes can be.

    The Americans entered their first match in four months with injuries disrupting their backline and late withdrawals further limiting Hayes’ options. Her commitment to developing a deeper player pool also continued to shape the roster. Hayes has repeatedly emphasized that she can only select the players available to her, and she has yet to consistently field her strongest group.

    Still, there were problems that went beyond who was missing.

    Patri Guijarro beat Claudia Dickey with a long-range strike in the third minute. Eleven minutes later, Eva Navarro finished at the far post to double Spain’s lead, punishing a defensive breakdown that left the Americans chasing the game.

    The U.S. responded, generating 13 shots, including 10 on target, but could not turn those opportunities into goals. Spain’s early efficiency proved decisive.

    “You can't afford to go two-nil down against the best team in the world, especially the way we conceded those goals,” Hayes said afterward.

    “Did we do enough to score more than one? Absolutely. We just didn't necessarily make the right decision and execute with the quality I know us to do.”

    Despite the frustration, Hayes maintained that her team was closer to Spain’s level than it had been three years ago.

    “We got some really, really good players, and we're a really good team regardless of the result today,” she said.

    That leaves the question of how quickly the U.S. can close the remaining gap. Hayes believes in her group. Trinity Rodman and other players see the lessons from Saturday as part of the larger plan. The challenge is turning those lessons into the sharper decisions and execution that were missing against Spain.

  • Do we trust the plan?

    Emma Hayes, USWNT
    Getty

    Emma Hayes speaks to the USWNT after notable frustration after conceding two goals.

    The USWNT’s postgame message centered on trust: in each other, in Hayes and in the process. Players acknowledged their shortcomings against Spain while emphasizing the value of a test that exposed them.

    “It's part of the process, part of the plan,” defender Emily Fox said of facing Spain. “I think for us, again, we're disappointed in the 2-0 loss, but I do think it was really close in some areas, and the details matter.”

    Trinity Rodman, who played the full match in front of her NWSL home crowd, was direct about where the Americans fell short. She also took responsibility for her own performance.

    “This was a big challenge for us, which we knew coming in,” Rodman said. “I think we struggled a lot with just their close connections and how quick they move the ball. I think we were just a step too late defensively, and on top of that, we weren't clinical at all in the final third. I also take accountability for that. I think my touches were not good enough in front of goals.”

    For Rodman, the next step is addressing those shortcomings without allowing one result to overshadow the team’s broader progress.

    “I think not dwelling on certain things or being like almost too detailed and kind of seeing it as a big picture. And we still have a year almost, so just taking advantage of the little time that we have, and I think we're doing a really good job.”

  • Where to from here?

    United States v Spain - Women's International Friendly
    Getty Images Sport

    Trinity Rodman acknowledged her struggles against Spain but remains confident in the USWNT’s progress toward the 2027 World Cup.

    Luckily for the USWNT, this wasn’t a knockout game. They get another shot at Spain on Tuesday, with a chance to put Saturday’s lessons into practice.

    For Hayes, that is the value of scheduling opponents such as Japan, Brazil and Spain. She wants her players to experience these challenges now, before a place in the next round of a World Cup is on the line.

    As Hayes said ahead of the first meeting with Spain, “the last thing you want is to go into a World Cup and see these teams for the first time.”

    Rodman was happy with the timing, too.

    “I mean, there's going to be games like that, and I'm happy it's not the World Cup right now. I think again, similar to Brazil, you take what you can from this game and go into the next game with an even better mindset and so much to be able to work off of.”

    Mallory Swanson, who made her first USWNT appearance in nearly two years, offered a similar perspective. The veteran forward knows the demands of major tournaments and saw Saturday’s test as valuable preparation for what comes next.

    “You take a lot away. I think that it's a good learning experience for us. It's just a good experience in general for us leading into World Cup qualifying,” Swanson said.

  • 'Big challenge for us'

    Spain midfield

    Spain’s early goals exposed the challenges facing a USWNT back four starting together for the first time.

    The USWNT knew the challenge that came with facing the world’s top-ranked team. Spain needed only a few minutes to show how little room there was for error.

    The Americans started with a new defensive combination: Emily Fox and Avery Patterson at fullback, with Kennedy Wesley and Tierna Davidson in the middle. It was the first time those four had started together. Behind them was Claudia Dickey, still establishing herself at the international level.

    That group had to find its rhythm quickly against a Spain team whose quick passing and movement left little time to adjust.

    “Playing a team like Spain, the best in the world, was such a huge test for us,” Fox said afterward.

    She pointed to Spain’s efficiency and the details the U.S. needed to get right in the opening 15 minutes.

    “They were very efficient in their attack, and they only needed two chances to really score two goals,” she said.

    Rodman saw a stronger response after halftime, particularly from the players who came off the bench.

    “I think the first half we were second guessing ourselves a little bit, but we were on the front foot for sure. The second half, I think our subs did an amazing job.”

    She singled out Michelle Cooper, who replaced Fox at right back despite playing as a forward for her club.

    “I think Michelle did a great job at right back, being a forward in club to be able to come for country and do right back. I think she shut it down and then drew a red card!”