A pair of friendly matches against world No. 1 and reigning World Cup champions Spain is in the books for the U.S. women's national team, and there is no better time to evaluate which players are ready for the 2027 World Cup. The Americans lost 2-0 in the first match, a game in which they felt like the better team and the data supported it. They then drew 2-2 in the second, rallying late after being the inferior side. For U.S. head coach Emma Hayes, the games offered the best possible simulation of a World Cup knockout game.
Hayes's task until next summer is figuring out which players can stand up to such tests, especially as she continues to juggle major absences. If the World Cup started today, she would be without Naomi Girma, her most reliable defender, and defensive midfielder Sam Coffey, both of whom pulled out of training camp due to injuries. Catarina Macario has not played in nearly a year due to heel and knee injuries. Emily Sonnett and Olivia Moultrie are sidelined with long-term knee injuries.
ESPN's USWNT Big Board names a hypothetical 26-player roster using only players who are available for selection. Players are sorted into four tiers: locks, those in the squad, players on the bubble, and those outside looking in. Each tier is listed alphabetically.
In goal, the picture is the least certain in the 40-year history of the USWNT. Claudia Dickey and Phallon Tullis-Joyce continue to compete for the No. 1 spot, with neither yet having the long-standing team history that Alyssa Naeher had when she took over the role before the 2019 World Cup.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing