5 Things we learned from USWNT’s two friendlies against Spain

Earlier this month, the USMNT wrapped up a perfect international window, winning all four of its games. Unfortunately, and perhaps surprisingly, Emma Hayes and the USWNT couldn’t do the same. A late rally in Tuesday’s game with Spain salvaged what could have been a disastrous window. Nevertheless, a 2-0 loss and a 2-2 draw to Spain weren’t the results Hayes wanted to see. The silver lining is that some of the USWNT shortcomings can be considered a learning experience. Here are five things we learned.

The USWNT won’t be World Cup favorites 

As the reigning Olympic champs and winners of two of the last three World Cups, the USWNT should be considered the favorite to win the 2027 World Cup next summer. But after this window, that’s not going to be the case. Spain is clearly going to be the team to beat. While that was always likely to be the case, this window showed that there is a gap between the teams that the U.S. needs to close. Granted, the USWNT wasn’t at full strength, but the same can be said for Spain. The good news is that Hayes and company know where the bar is that they have to reach by next summer.

Goalkeeper remains unsettled

As expected, both Claudia Dickey and Phallon Tullis-Joyce started a game during this window. The problem is that neither did much to state their case to be the starter. Even with one or two nice saves, with a mistake playing out of the back that directly led to a Spain goal, Tullis-Joyce may have done more harm than good. But that probably isn’t enough to make Dickey the starter by default. Hayes will head into the World Cup qualifying tournament in November with a big decision to make because it’s still not clear who should be the starting goalie.

The defense is shaky without Naomi Girma and Sam Coffey

Depth is supposed to be a strength of the USWNT, but that didn’t seem to be the case defensively. Self-inflicted errors plagued the backline in Tuesday’s draw, making the absence of Girma and Coffey evident. Both players are usually trusted to avoid such mistakes, while also being able to clean up any errors made in the defensive third of the field. One of the biggest takeaways of this window should be just how essential Girma and Coffey are to the USWNT’s success. Both should be back to full health sooner rather than later, which is one thing that will elevate the U.S. in a possible rematch with Spain next summer.

Mallory Swanson is back

Admittedly, that’s a bit of a stretch; Swanson isn’t all the way back following her maternity leave. After all, she has just two goals in the NWSL this season, so she hasn’t come back quite as strong as fellow new mom Sophia Wilson. But the 86th-minute goal Swanson scored Tuesday to give the USWNT a 2-2 draw was a high-level strike, resembling the Swanson from a few years ago. While she’s not yet back to the level she was at before her maternity leave, that goal is evidence that Swanson is on the way back and on pace to be in a position to make an impact next summer.

This team has grit

Playing from behind has been a rare occurrence for the USWNT under Hayes, so trailing 2-0 in both games was a good learning experience. In both cases, the USWNT didn’t look stunned or daunted by the deficit. Instead, they showed grit and belief that they could erase Spain’s lead. A missed penalty by Lily Yohannes spoiled any chance of a comeback on Saturday. But the late rally to earn a draw on Tuesday night was a positive takeaway for Hayes. It’s a sign that if the USWNT get themselves into trouble next summer, they are capable of pulling themselves out of the fire.

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