U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes selected a rostered that mixed old with new for the October window, celebrating the Olympic gold medal team while also allowing younger players to state their case.
In the final minute of Sunday’s second match against Iceland, Emma Sears did just that, recording an assist and scoring a goal in her debut.
The Racing Louisville forward came into the game in the 55th minute for another first-time USWNT call-up, Yazmeen Ryan. Sears, who was selected in the second round of the 2024 NWSL Draft by Racing after a successful college career with Ohio State, had an instant impact. She assisted Lynn Williams’ equalizer in the 72nd minute after the U.S. spent 20 minutes trailing their opponent and added the final goal of the 3-1 win three minutes into stoppage time. She’s the fourth player to record both in her U.S. debut.
The 23rd player in USWNT history to score in her first cap: Emma Sears!!!#USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/OTfoM3xWv9
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 27, 2024
Hayes made seven changes to her starting lineup from the team’s first game against Iceland last week, opting to rotate heavily in defense and midfield while also giving Gotham FC forward Ryan her first start and Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams her first cap. Mallory Swanson wore the captain’s armband and was honored before the game for her 100th cap, which she earned at the Olympics during the gold medal match against Brazil.
“There will be changes, and a number of changes, in this game,” Hayes said the day before the game in Nashville, “So with that comes disruption, and you almost feel like you’re having to repeat step one all of the time, particularly considering that we’ve got players that have now been with me since last May, and then a group of new players are having to absorb a lot and never actually had any minutes yet.”
Sams sat at a unique intersection of those two groups of players. She was an alternate on the Olympic roster but earned a gold medal with the team despite not playing during the tournament. She played left center back next to Emily Sonnett although the two interchanged as necessary while sitting on Iceland’s No. 9, Sveindís Jónsdóttir, while Sonnett occasionally pushed higher into defensive midfield.
Hayes also said that while she thought the team’s passing volume and entries into Iceland’s box had been exceptional on Thursday, she still wanted to see improvement in terms of duels, as well as sharpening execution in possession and the types of runs the players were making.
Korbin Albert took on a box-to-box midfield role in front of Sam Coffey, foreshadowed by Hayes, who said she wanted to see more players in that area, having already played Rose Lavelle there in the first game against Iceland. However, Albert’s defensive presence in the first half didn’t match the expectation Hayes set for improvement on duels.
The United States conceded first in the 31st minute on a set piece as Iceland’s Karólína Vilhjálmsdóttir served it in, bouncing it off the far post. Murphy rose for the ball but let it slip through her grasp.
The second half began with three substitutions as Emily Fox, Lindsey Horan, and Alyssa Thompson came in for Jenna Nighswonger, Coffey, and Oliva Moultrie. In the 55th minute, Hayes also sent in Williams and Sears for Ryan and Jaedyn Shaw, marking Sears’ first cap alongside Sams. Hayes has given four first caps in two games, with Hal Hershfelt and Ryan debuting in the game before.
LEG SLEEVE LYNN WILLIAMS DOES NOT MISS ‼️pic.twitter.com/hYntmswO8I
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 27, 2024
The sixth and final substitution was in the 66th minute as Sophia Smith came on for Casey Krueger, shifting the team into a three-back with Thompson sitting slightly deeper on the left wing.
The United States equalized in the 72nd minute as a short dish from Sears fell to Williams directly in front of goal and Williams finished quickly. The lead doubled shortly thereafter as Horan finished off a short cross in front of goal in the 75th minute, making it 2-1 for the final scoreline before Sears sealed the score at 3-1.
Sears will get a chance to play in front of a particularly friendly crowd on Wednesday when the U.S. faces Argentina at 7 p.m. ET at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.
(Top photo: Brad Smith / Getty Images)
