HOUSTON —The United States girls’s nationwide staff is off to a robust begin. In its first match of 2025, the Individuals opened the SheBelieves Cup with a 2-0 win over Colombia due to high quality targets from Catarina Macario and Ally Sentnor.
Japan beat Australia 4-0 within the first match earlier Thursday night.
With no main match till the 2027 World Cup, USWNT coach Emma Hayes has made it clear that not less than the primary half of this yr shall be targeted on experimenting with new and younger expertise and broadening the participant pool. She defined earlier this week that there is all the time danger concerned when creating gamers and that “it will not look polished in its entirety.” Whereas the squad Hayes rolled out, together with the substitutions made, was under no circumstances a completed product, the group appeared sturdy, assured, technical and confirmed promise.
Tara McKeown made her senior staff debut as a beginning middle again alongside Emily Sonnett, who was honored for reaching her one centesimal cap earlier than the sport. Gisele Thompson and Michelle Cooper additionally earned their respective first caps, whereas Sentnor and 17-year-old Lily Yohannes made their first begins.
Count on to see extra rotation all through this match, particularly provided that these gamers are all in numerous elements of their coaching. Whereas European-based gamers are mid-season, American-based gamers haven’t performed a sport for some time, given the NWSL season doesn’t start till subsequent month.
Listed here are takeaways from the match:
Play of the sport
This banger of a aim from Sentnor. Within the sixtieth minute, the younger ahead discovered a niche in the midst of the sphere after which fired off a shot from exterior the field that Colombian goalkeeper Katherine Tapia had no likelihood of saving.
It was her first-ever USWNT aim in her first-ever USWNT begin in simply her third look for the senior staff. Sentnor practically scored a minute later, however that one went large.
The 21-year-old has been constructing off a robust rookie NWSL season with the Utah Royals. She was the No. 1 total choose in 2024 and was voted U.S. Soccer’s Younger Feminine Participant of the Yr and ended the yr making her debut for the senior staff at Wembley Stadium vs. England in entrance of 78,346 followers. Sentnor has been an impactful participant within the U.S. youth system for years, and likewise captained the U-20 staff to a third-place end on the 2024 World Cup in Colombia.
Turning level
Within the thirty fourth minute, Yohannes collected the ball close to midfield and located Yazmeen Ryan from deep. Ryan took a contact simply inside the suitable nook of the 18-yard field, then slotted a top quality cross to Macario, who was making a run near-post and one-touched the ball into the again of the web to provide the U.S. a 1-0 lead. It was Macario’s first aim for the nationwide staff in three years.
Macario’s story has been an emotional journey because the Chelsea star has undergone a slew of accidents which have derailed her profession. She made her valiant return to the USWNT final April after an extended layoff because of a number of ACL accidents. She seemed to be match and in kind main as much as the Paris Olympics final summer season, however then a knee irritation bumped her from the small 18-player roster on the final minute. It was heartbreaking for the staff and for a participant who has been working laborious to solidify her place within the nationwide staff. Thursday marked simply her twentieth cap and ninth aim.
Because the Olympics, the 25-year-old ahead has been working her means again with Chelsea and getting into the SheBelieves Cup, has performed in 13 matches for her membership with 5 begins and has scored 5 targets with two assists. This was her first USWNT match in eight months.
The USWNT has struggled to attain when the “Triple Espresso” entrance line of Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson and Trinity Rodman aren’t on the sphere. With out the creativity of that trio on this camp, it was essential for the Individuals to capitalize within the closing third and having a wholesome Macario within the combine clearly makes a distinction.
Key stat
Extra on Sentnor, who scored her first however undoubtedly not final aim for the U.S. on Thursday evening:
What’s subsequent for the USWNT?
The SheBelieves Cup is all the time a fast turnaround, given the groups play three matches in seven days. The USWNT will journey to Glendale, Ariz. to face Australia on Feb. 23 after which go to San Diego to play Japan on Feb. 26.
The winner of this match shall be decided by complete factors (three for a win, one for a tie) with the primary tiebreaker being total aim distinction, adopted by most targets scored, then head-to-head.
The USWNT has received seven complete SheBelieves Cup titles, together with the final 5 in a row.
Laken Litman covers school soccer, school basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA As we speak and The Indianapolis Star. She is the writer of “Sturdy Like a Girl,” revealed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Observe her at @LakenLitman.
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