It was a mediocre send-off, but USWNT boss Emma Hayes will have learned plenty as the real games inch closer
With the final whistle on Monday night, playtime officially ended. The time for adjusting or experimenting is now over. The Olympics have effectively arrived, and the U.S. women's national team is marching right on towards them.
Well, maybe not marching. It could be argued that they're limping a bit after two tough games: a cagey 1-0 win over Mexico and a frustrating 0-0 draw with Costa Rica. In an ideal world, these would be games where the USWNT would love to build confidence by running up the score. Not this time.
Instead, new coach Emma Hayes got some good insight and information. She changed things around a little bit while continuing to get this team adjusted to her style of management. Despite the looming tournament, this USWNT is still very much a work in progress. The Hayes era has only just gotten started.
It's clear that there are some kinks to work out, and the question is now this: can they get worked out over the next few weeks? This is still an imperfect, but supremely talented, USWNT group; can it be one that goes for gold?
We'll find out in a few weeks, but these send-off matches showed that there's still so much work to do. There isn't much time left to do it, though. France is calling, and the USWNT will be there soon enough.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the USWNT's friendlies…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Sophia Smith
She got the only goal of the weekend, so that's enough to put Smith on the winner list.
The attacker's second-half finish against Mexico was fantastic, an example of what she can do with confidence. Against Costa Rica, she had her moments, too, although it felt like the ball was always just a yard away from where she needed it to be.
Her chemistry with her attacking teammates is easy to see, even if the goals are a bit dry for that unit now. Even so, Smith should feel pretty good heading to France with this lone goal in her back pocket as she'll look to bag plenty more at the Olympics this summer.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Rose Lavelle
Tough to see Rose Lavelle sitting out this close to the Olympics. Lavelle was a last-minute pull from the starting XI on Tuesday night, with what the USWNT called "leg tightness."
Lavelle was limited on minutes at the 2023 Women's World Cup, and the midfield missed her creativity and vision. In the USWNT's final friendly before the Paris Olympics, it was clear the midfield was missing Lavelle's involvement once again. With Lavelle, the USWNT have more chances, and, although Korbin Albert got pulled into the action, there were little to no chances to show for it.
The hope is that the leg tightness is managed, and Lavelle will be in good form for the USWNT's first group stage match.
GettyWINNER: Jaedyn Shaw
In some ways, she's both a winner and a loser here. Shaw didn't play nearly as much as many would have wanted her to, but her absence will only further cries for her to play a big role this summer.
Shaw was a substitute in both matches, with Hayes opting to use her as a bench option for the time being. That could very well change, particularly if the U.S. continues to struggle scoring goals. That's because Shaw, at her core, is a difference-maker, and it's easy to see.
The youngster brings life to this U.S. team whenever she's on the field. She's been doing it since her debut and, even in her cameos this week, you saw flashes of that fact. Will the U.S. use her as a supersub in France? Can they afford to? Ultimately, the answer might be no as this team looks better with Shaw on the field.
Patrick McDermottLOSER: Audi Field
As if the humidity wasn't enough to be felt from all over, the field also didn't appear to be doing any favors either.
Although USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said the temperatures were "perfect conditions" ahead of the Olympics, the turf appeared beat up and patchy.
This field is familiar to USWNT star forward Trinity Rodman, who's NWSL team the Washington Spirit play at Audi Field for all home games. The ball carried throughout the game with decent pace, despite the sticky and humid weather. Audi Field first opened its doors in 2018, and we think it's safe to say it doesn't hold 100+ degree weather too well.