U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes once again embraced a spirit of experimentation on Sunday, rotating through her options and trialing out some new tactical ideas in a 2-0 win over Argentina to open the SheBelieves Cup.
Captain Lindsey Heaps and Jaedyn Shaw scored to ensure the USWNT extended their winning streak to seven games but the hosts survived an uneven performance with highs and lows. Fringe players like Emma Sears and Jameese Joseph had their moments, while midfielder Claire Hutton’s stock continues to grow even after a substitute appearance.
The USWNT’s win, though, was marked by injuries to Trinity Rodman and Lily Reale in the second half. Rodman was kneed in the back in stoppage time and watching the dying minutes of the match from the touchline. Reale, a second half substitute, came off after playing roughly 10 minutes following a hard tackle that left her with discomfort in her ankle and limping.
Hayes’ side resume play in the SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday at Columbus’ ScottsMiracle-Gro Field against Canada, who beat Colombia 4-1 on Sunday.
Here are takeaways from the U.S.’ win.
No updates on Trinity Rodman
What felt like a relatively straightforward outing for the USWNT ended with a moment of worry for the hosts as Rodman went down after an Argentina player kneed her in the back, sending the 23-year-old to the ground. She was audibly emotional and received treatment on the field for several minutes before coming to her feet and watching the match from the touchline, the U.S. out of substitutes at that point.
Rodman’s fitness will linger over the USWNT as they resume play in the SheBelieves Cup, while any potential concerns could impact the Washington Spirit as the NWSL season nears its start later this month. Hayes, though, said post-match she did not have an update on the player’s condition.
“Haven’t seen her,” Hayes said in a press conference. “Haven’t seen her. She’s come off the field. She’s in the locker room. I don’t generally see the team until they’ve had their debrief about an hour and a half after the game so I can’t give you one. Don’t know it.”
The concern is reasonable – Rodman has dealt with back injuries since her rookie season with the Spirit in 2021 and spent a large chunk of last year out because of those issues, at one point consulting a specialist in London to assist in her recovery.
Emma Sears keeps making her case
It is easy to pick out a handful of presumed locks for the World Cup roster in 2027 and before that, November’s World Cup qualifiers, but Hayes gave chances to a group of players who are on the fringes of the team against the lowest-ranked team they will face in the SheBelieves Cup. The highlight of that group may have been Emma Sears, who has been fervent in her pursuit of cracking into the team since making her international debut in October 2024.
Sears earned her 15th cap on Sunday, again showcasing a natural skillset that makes her a standout when she plays for the national team. The forward is effortlessly quick so it’s easy to spot her in and around the penalty area, chasing every chance like it is of the utmost importance. It took her little time to turn all of that into a goal contribution, notching the assist on Lindsey Heaps’ 19th minute goal, this time making a run into the box from the right flank and then smartly pinging the ball towards Heaps at the base of the area.
It felt like a continuation of her performances during the USWNT’s January camp and more particularly, her ever-present outing in a 5-0 win against Chile. For Sears, every moment – and goal contribution – matters. She has a lot of reps under Hayes but a spot on a qualification or World Cup roster is no sure thing considering how stacked the U.S. remains in attack but she continues to do well with her opportunities. That includes a shift further out wide in the second half, a tactical change that did not dim her qualities.
Hayes skips No. 6 – briefly
In line with Hayes’ embrace of experimentation, she tinkered with her team’s shape slightly against Argentina, most notably in midfield – she opted to go without a No. 6, going with Heaps, Lily Yohannes and Oliva Moultrie in the center of the park instead. The choice was a fascinating but understandable one in a game where the U.S. would hold the ball, prioritizing chance creation to make their lopsided possession statistics worth their while. Results, again, were mixed.
Heaps had a productive outing with a goal and an assist, her decision-making to send the ball to Jaedyn Shaw in the 56th minute rather than take the shot herself an astute one for the U.S.’ second goal. There was a disjointed feeling, though, that perhaps stemmed from the players behind them. A backline made up of Gisele Thompson, Tara Rudd (formerly McKeown), Kennedy Wesley and first-time starter Maddie Dahlien – players with few reps together – appeared disconnected and were not cohesive building out of the back, Argentina’s positioning higher up the field creating problems. It loomed large over the midfield’s subtle performance in midfield and the low shot tally in attack – the U.S. took just six shots, the lowest figure since their SheBelieves Cup victory over Australia a year ago.
Hutton’s second half introduction, though, brought more balance to the USWNT’s operation, which comes as little surprise at this point. The 20-year-old has quickly become one of the U.S.’ most important players and already feels like the midfield anchor not only of the future but of the present. Hutton just might be the face of the USWNT’s youthful evolution at this point and sooner rather than later, she – alongside fellow young talents Yohannes and Moultrie – will push the more senior players for starting roles in the major matches that likely await Hayes’ side.
