It is less than a year before the World Cup kicks off for the United States. The USWNT will look to rebound from being bounced from the round of 16 in 2023. However, they had a chance to make a statement on Saturday against the defending world champions in Spain and failed to do so. They lost 2-0 and looked like they were the inferior opponent in the matchup between the last two World Cup champions.
It was only Spain's second victory against the United States, but an important one. After a two-goal lead, they held off the likes of Sophia Wilson and Lindsey Heaps to keep the shutout. The two teams will square off on Oct. 13, and the United States needs to show more to give them a small edge over Spain. The main issue is that the talent pool for the women hasn't begun to shrink, but several players need to be the keys to advancing.
💠It's margins, it's details pic.twitter.com/XbviGjLQlg
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 11, 2026
The two veteran mainstays are Lindsey Heaps and Rose Lavelle. These two were part of the 2019 World Cup victory but now may need to take a back seat for the team to go far next summer. Carli Lloyd was a captain on the 2019 squad but was not a primary starter. The team still was able to use her experience as an advantage. A role for Heaps, Lavelle, and Tierna Davidson may be more valuable off the bench as opposed to a starter.
Lindsey Heaps and Rose Lavelle are aiming to be on their World Cup roster.
In 2023, one issue was the loss of Mallory Swanson before the tournament. She suffered an injury beforehand and missed the entire tournament. On Saturday, she was subbed into the game and returned to the national roster for the first time in over a year. Swanson has had so many moments of power and fluidity as a forward, especially in the 2024 Olympics. She is returning after entering motherhood.
After 710 days, Mal Swanson is back on the field in the red, white and blue! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/r8hy1GCZ82
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 10, 2026
Now, 2027 needs to be her moment. She has the ability to be compared to Mia Hamm in 1999, Lloyd in 2015, and Alex Morgan in 2019, all of whom made their mark at the World Cup.
The list of goalies who have a chance on the World Cup roster is long. That shows the depth, but it also highlights that no one has emerged. Claudia Dickey may be one of the top contenders, but she needs to shine now in friendlies to really pull away as the unquestioned starter.
Based on Spain's early 2-0 lead and comfortable win, it's clear that the United States has work to do. They have time, but now is the time when the true leaders and contenders need to emerge.
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