USA vs Spain: USWNT chases payback in second friendly
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Spain beat the USWNT 2-0 in the first friendly on Oct 10 in Washington, DC
- The teams met again on Oct 13 at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.
- US coach Emma Hayes made four changes to her starting lineup for the rematch.
Spain beat the USWNT 2-0 on Oct 10. The two teams met again on Oct 13 in Chester, Pennsylvania. The US wanted payback after the first loss.
The first match was a fast lesson. Spain scored twice in the first 15 minutes. The US made chances all night.
The US just did not score them. The rematch was a chance to fix that fast.
What happened in the first match
Spain struck fast in Washington, DC The world champions scored twice in the first 15 minutes. The US never caught up.
Patri Guijarro opened the scoring in the third minute. She hit a long-range shot past US goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. Eva Navarro doubled the lead in the 14th minute.
Salma Paralluelo set her up with a cross.
The US pushed back after halftime. Sophia Wilson had a goal ruled out for offside. The US then won a penalty in the 67th minute.
Wilson was brought down in the box. Lily Yohannes, 19, took the spot kick. Spain goalkeeper Adriana Nanclares saved it.
Spain finished the match with 10 players. Athenea del Castillo was sent off in the 90th minute. She pulled Michelle Cooper's hair soon after she came on.
The final score stayed 2-0 to Spain.
The shot count told a strange story. The US had 10 shots on target. Spain had only three.
Spain still won the game. Coach Emma Hayes pointed to finishing as the gap.
"We create the most chances in world football. But finishing, we do not do that in world football," Hayes told reporters.
The loss was the third defeat in 11 matches for the US this year. The US fell to Japan at home in April. The US lost at Brazil in June.
The US won the rematch in each case just days later. Spain gave the US the same kind of test.
Spain, for their part, were back in action for the first time since June. They had sealed a World Cup place with a 6-1 rout of Iceland. They looked sharp from the first whistle.
The rematch in Chester
The second friendly kicked off at 7 pm ET on Tuesday, Oct 13. The venue was Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. The ground is home to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.
Kickoff was 4 pm PT and 11 pm UTC.
Fans in the US could watch on TNT, HBO Max, Universo, or Peacock. USA Today listed those options for the match.
At the time this article was written, the rematch had just kicked off. No final score was confirmed in the sources we checked. This article covers what we know so far.
It covers the first match, the lineups, and what comes next.
Hayes made four changes to her starting team. Phallon Tullis-Joyce started in goal. Ashley Sanchez started up front.
Claire Hutton started in midfield. Gisele Thompson started at left back.
Four players dropped out. Claudia Dickey, Lily Yohannes, Alyssa Thompson, and Avery Patterson left the starting team. The full US lineup was Tullis-Joyce in goal.
The back four were Gisele Thompson, Kennedy Wesley, Tierna Davidson, and Emily Fox. The midfield three were Lindsey Heaps, Claire Hutton, and Rose Lavelle. The front three were Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson, and Ashley Sanchez.
It was a new back four. Fox, Davidson, Wesley, and Gisele Thompson had never started together before. They faced a hard test against the world's top-ranked side.
Two key players missed the match. Midfielder Sam Coffey sat out with an ankle injury. She picked it up while playing with Manchester City.
Star defender Naomi Girma also missed the match with injury. Gotham FC midfielder Jaelin Howell joined the squad to replace Coffey.
What to watch in the rematch
Watch the goalkeeper spot. Tullis-Joyce took over from Dickey. A clean sheet would build trust fast.
A shaky start would raise more questions.
Watch the new back four. They had never started together. Spain attacks fast and moves the ball well.
The first 15 minutes would show if the new unit held firm.
Watch Ashley Sanchez. She started up front in this match. She can link play between midfield and attack.
Her touch in tight spots could open space for Rodman and Wilson.
Watch the first 15 minutes. Spain scored twice early on Saturday. The US must start sharp this time.
A slow start can end a game before it starts.
Watch the bench too. Mallory Swanson was back in camp this month. She can change a game late.
Her return gave Hayes one more strong option.
Why it matters
Spain are the reigning Women's World Cup champions. They sit No 1 in the FIFA Women's World Rankings. The US sit No 2.
A match between the top two teams is a rare test.
Spain had won the past two meetings. They beat the US in 2022. They beat the US again on Oct 10.
The US wanted to show the gap had closed.
Hayes said her team was close. She said the US was much closer to Spain than three years ago. The first match backed part of that claim.
The US made chances. The US just did not score them.
Hayes joined the US after her time at Chelsea. Her team then won gold at the Paris Olympics. That run built belief in her plan.
The Spain games test that plan at the highest level.
These friendlies are more than practice games. They are a check before the games that count. The US wants to peak for World Cup qualifying.
A strong show against Spain builds trust in the plan.
What happens next
The US now turns to the Concacaf W Championship. The next big match is a quarterfinal against El Salvador on Nov 27. A win there would send the US to the 2027 World Cup.
That tournament takes place in Brazil.
The Spain games give Hayes clear lessons. The attack must turn chances into goals. The defense must start sharp.
Two early goals decided the first match. A slow start can end a knockout game.
Spain, meanwhile, stays the team to beat. They won without some star names. Athlon Sports listed Aitana Bonmatí among Spain's absences for the rematch.
Depth like that is why Spain sit at No 1.
Soccer fans have a busy week. The Champions League schedule keeps club soccer moving. Barcelona beat Galatasaray in one big club result.
Club Brugge stunned Inter 4-3 in another. In Mexico, Cruz Azul faced Pumas in the Clasico Capitalino.
For the USWNT, the path is simple. Fix the finishing. Start sharp.
Then beat El Salvador and book a World Cup spot.
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