The U.S. women’s national team are finally back in action after 113 days. The 2024 Olympic gold medalists will begin their three-match window against Portugal on Thursday at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa. The group will close out October with a final game against New Zealand.
For the squad, it’ll be a chance to reconnect after several months, and for the program, a starting point towards a more serious buildup with the 2027 Women’s World Cup qualification on the horizon. Head coach Emma Hayes initially named a 26-player roster to have flexibility over three games, but winger Trinity Rodman will miss out due to a recent MCL sprain.
Midfielder Sam Meza will also miss out on the upcoming friendlies due to a mild hamstring strain with her club Seattle Reign FC. Kansas City Current midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta has been called up in her place. The veteran spent time with the senior team before the summer break. Hayes will select a player to be named from the U-23 team to replace Rodman.
This will be the 12th all-time meeting between the U.S. and Portugal, with the USWNT unbeaten in all prior matches. A lone draw between the two sides occurred in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage. The national team have outscored Portugal 39-0 all-time. The 39 goals are the second-most the USWNT have scored vs an opponent, behind Haiti (49), without conceding.
Here are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 23 | Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: Subaru Park — Chester, Penn.
- TV: TNT and TruTV | Live stream: HBO Max
- Odds: USWNT -1100; Draw +750; Portugal +1600
Evaluations are still in play
USWNT manager Emma Hayes has been vocal about narrowing the player pool towards the end of the year. Even with that mindset in place, the coach is still adamant about getting more looks around the talent pool. Hayes has coached 25 matches for the USWNT and given 24 players their first senior team caps.
“This is really the build towards qualification for next year. That’s what the start of this cycle actually means. And that’s not to say that this is the pool of players, solely. You know, it was difficult to make roster selections for this camp,” Hayes told the media during her roster call.
“But I think this was the one camp I had to make some really, really hard decisions, and that’s the place that I wanted to be in, but it’s the build for qualification for next year.”
The celebration for a Rodman return was short-lived, as she picked up a recent MCL sprain, but the door has opened for others along the way. That’s often been the case for such a competitive program as the USWNT. Rodman was once an off-the-bench option before fellow attacking line teammate Mallory Swanson ruptured her patella tendon ahead of the 2023 World Cup.
As Hayes prepares to select a player from the U-23 camp that’s running alongside senior team trainings, there could be another opportunity for a new player to earn a senior debut.
Roster experimentation is the new normal
With the U-23 program revamp, there’s been more normalizing of player rotation and experimentation. Where previous generations had constant caps, callups, and were viewed as “locks,” there’s a new feel to the player pool where everyone could have a shot at cracking a senior roster.
During this October window, it’s not just the U-23 team getting involved in training; the U-20 camp will also get an experience alongside the senior team. They’ll join the national team camps when the group takes on New Zealand in Kansas City on Oct. 29.
While it might feel like a strange changing of the guard, it’s been coming. The historic 2023 World Cup elimination set in motion an immediate jolt of change. U.S. Soccer hired Emma Hayes, with a key component of stabilizing the program while ensuring it was sustainable for the future. The first big roster shock came when former USWNT forward Alex Morgan wasn’t selected for the 2024 Olympics.
A gold medal win quickly helped heal hearts, and it’s been more of the same while under Hayes. Honoring the past, while strengthening the future by building through the present, has been a staple of the program over the last year. The match against Portugal on Thursday is set to be a retirement celebration for Morgan, while Sunday’s match will honor goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Between a wider range of new players getting called in while other USWNT legends retire, for some players, it’s the only version of the USWNT program that they know.
“I’ve only experienced the experimental phase, and for me, it’s been pretty amazing getting this opportunity and having the trust that Emma does have in me, and the other younger generation as everyone likes to say, but each camp we’ve gone into, she always shows the footprint of — or the gold print, she likes to call it — of what the next two years are going to look like ” said 19-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton.
“It’s pretty cool just to see and know that we’re taking it one camp at a time. Each game matters, each training matters, because at the end of the day, there’s only a limited amount until the World Cup and until the Olympics. So for me personally, I do feel like, yes, there is a pressure to it, but at the same time, as we’re staying present, we’re staying focused on what we currently have. It keeps it consistent, and it keeps everybody where their feet are at the moment.”
Experience still key
Despite the relaunch of the U-23 program and younger players earning more senior callups and first national team caps than ever, veteran players are still very much part of the equation moving forward, according to Emma Hayes.
“You can’t compete to win without experience. You cannot. Some of that experience is not just in the things you see on the pitch, it’s the sort of things you do not see,” said Hayes.
“I think about Lindsay [Heaps], since I’ve come to this country, what an unbelievable leader she’s been, in terms of driving standards, I would say, alongside Emily Sonnet, alongside our Rose [Lavelle] in different ways, and not just upholding standards, but actually bringing people into it, so people belong, so they feel valued, and also adapt with the changes that come with the differences in generations, to be able to meet them where they’re at. The thing that stands out the most to me is their humility.”
During training camps, Hayes has scheduled individual check-ins with her players. They’re part of the overall camp experience, which also include performance check-ins. Hayes says sometimes the one-on-ones run a little long but they’re her favorite because the conversations are always so varied, especially among her older players.
“What I value in those three in particular is all of the above. There’s a little bit of old school in them, but their humility, their honesty, their generosity, their spirit is such they were joy to be around, and I love their company, as well as their qualities on the field, but I think it is absolutely important to talk about those qualities off the field, because they’re all the things fans and media do not see, and they are first class.”
There’s always a layer of gratitude among the conversations, and throughout the camps, Hayes tries to connect younger players to the veterans, whether it’s Claire Hutton to Heaps, or in this more recent camp, Jordyn Bugg to Sonnett.
“They don’t take it for granted … I always say to our less experienced players, you look up to these people. I said to Jordyn Bugg, spend some time with Emily Sonnett this week. I think it would be really good for your next steps to talk about her journey.”
Game Prediction
Yes, the USWNT will have been apart for four months, but that doesn’t mean players are out of form, and newer players will be eager to perform well. The NWSL regular season is only winding down, and players on European clubs have had plenty of action between club and Champions League. It might not be a blowout, but it’ll be a win. Pick: USA 2, Portugal 0
Add Comment