CHESTER, Pa. — The cadence of international soccer means national teams usually have plenty of time to fine-tune their approach -- the U.S. women are no exception. Rare are the opportunities to prove a point quickly but as the USWNT gear up for a second friendly against Spain in four days, that is exactly what awaits them. With the Women's World Cup now just eight months away, the USWNT are very obviously in the pursuit of proving they can win their fifth title next summer.
The point, though, is much more layered than that. Head coach Emma Hayes has spent the last two years arguing there are no shortcuts to the podium, every step along the way meaningful in some shape, manner or form and against Spain in particular, the point is even more complex. Despite a 2-0 loss on Saturday where early defensive errors were costly, the U.S. team actually rebounded strongly and put together a convincing display that showcased their ability to go toe-to-toe with the world's top-ranked team.
Tuesday's rematch offers a chance to make that last point much more concisely. "We have to tighten up on those things because actually, they didn't create a lot of chances and I think if we defend those moments better, it at least puts us into a stronger position," Hayes said Monday, "but I think once you go 2-0 down against them, then you are faced with chasing the game and I think probably the first 30 to 45 minutes, I think we lost our structure. I think the second half, it was all about us but you also have to score to win games." Date: Tuesday, Oct. 13 | Time: 7 p.m.
ETLocation: Subaru Park -- Chester, Pa.TV: TNT | Live stream: HBO MaxOdds: USWNT +165; Draw +230; Spain +140 Execution was a refrain Hayes used frequently in her post-match assessments on Saturday and again on Monday, in large part because the USWNT's game plan started to click as the game wore on. Some tactical tweaks were required at halftime but the U.S. team's impressive shot creation abilities were hard to miss, even if the ball did not end up in the back of the net. Sophia Wilson's case as the USWNT's No. 9 is as strong as it has ever been, her striker's instinct an asset on the day despite the result and likely to be a strength again on Tuesday.
"As forwards, you have to have a little selfishness," Wilson said. "If no one shoots up top, I don't know who else is going to shoot so we do need a little bit more of that. At the same time, balancing that with combining with each other.
I think we have great players. Obviously the downside of this team is we don't have a lot of time together so those relationships take a bit of time to build but I think with the players that we have here, we have enough of it to be able to combine and create chances and it's just about finishing those chances. We didn't lack chances last game." Hayes' serious demeanor only masks her optimism so much, not only because of her players' natural talent but because of their determination to fix their problems.
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