Photo Credit: Bailey Holiver for Imagn Images
In a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal match, the United States women’s national team downed Brazil by a 2-0 scoreline on Saturday. Though the opponent – and the outcome – were the same, the United States looked very different than they did last summer.
Without players like Alyssa Naeher in goal, Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson in the backline, and Rose Lavelle, Sophia Wilson, and Mallory Swanson in the attack, head coach Emma Hayes stressed that there would be “experimentation” in the personnel in this set of friendlies.
As a result, the United States ran out with a brand-new goalkeeper in Phallon Tullis-Joyce holding it down between the sticks, leading a backline of Emily Fox, Tara McKeown, Emily Sonnett, and Crystal Dunn. Sam Coffey anchored the midfield at the No. 6 position, with Lindsey Heaps and Ally Sentnor as the No. 8 and No. 10, respectively. Catarina Macario lined up as a false No. 9, and Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson occupied the wide flanks to round out the United States’ attack.
Hayes cautioned that the “connections on the field might not be as strong” ahead of this match, and she was partially correct in that, as there were a handful of highlight and lowlight performances that came out of this game.
First, the highlights.
Rodman and Thompson shined
Rodman and Thompson were the engines to the United States’ attack on every play. That was on display early, when the two combined for the lone run-of-play goal scored in this match. In the fifth minute, Thompson received the ball, faced up, and progressed the ball forward on the dribble.
Thompson played a slotted ball through the Brazilian backline into the path of Rodman, who ultimately finished into the side netting with the outside of her right foot. This combination – with Thompson driving forward on the dribble and Rodman cutting through the Brazilian defense – worked all game, even if there was only one goal to show for it.
Though great in tandem, Rodman and Thompson were also the best players on the field individually in this one.
Rodman played endline-to-endline, on both sides of the ball, for the entire hour she was on the pitch. She was tracking back to make defensive plays in the United States box when Fox, who lined up at right full back, was beaten. A split second later, Rodman would be racing up the field, getting involved in the attack, and finding the space in behind the defense. This is impressive at baseline, but even more so when one remembers that Rodman is working back from the sideline as she recovers from a chronic back injury.
Thompson, who also played a solid role defensively, shined on the ball. Her go-to in this match was to occupy the wide spaces, cut in, and use a quick change of pace to beat defenders. This strategy makes a ton of sense against a team that plays with three center-backs, as it leaves loads of space in the wide channels. And because there were few players better in a 1-v1 situation than Thompson in this match, she shined in those spaces.
Now, onto the low lights.
Fox and Coffey struggled
In direct juxtaposition to the lights-out performances of Rodman and Thompson, Fox and Coffey had subpar performances.
In Fox’s case, she was bailed out by Rodman’s defensive efforts more than once. She was often caught in an inverted position when the United States was defending and then would be beaten when Brazil came forward on the attack. On the attacking end, she had difficulty finding the final pass and turned the ball over more than once.
During one attacking sequence midway through the second half, Fox combined with the United States midfield before making a streaking run toward the left-hand side of the field. She received the ball and played a weak-footed cross into the path of a Brazilian defender, who had no trouble making a clearance. This sequence ultimately left the United States outnumbered on the right side of the pitch as Brazil attacked in transition and did not generate much in terms of attacking value. Overall, this performance was shocking from a player who is 18 games into their season in England and has logged nearly 1,500 minutes so far this season.
The player who had the roughest performance in this one, though, was Coffey. She struggled to win duels in the midfield, was often getting beaten 1-v-1, and had trouble staying on her feet. Her lack of pace was also a glaring issue against a quick Brazilian midfield that overloaded the midfield in their attacking progression. Unlike Fox, though, this performance from Coffey was less surprising. Coffey has been struggling in the Portland Thorns midfield, though, in that case, the Thorns team at large has been underperforming.
Looking toward the second of this set of two friendlies against Brazil, it will be interesting to see who Hayes and Co. tap in. Will Rodman and Thompson be asked for a curtain call, since they were so effective in this round against Brazil? And will Fox and Coffey be relieved in favor of new faces after their struggles? Because of her commitment to mixing in new players and testing new combinations, it is likely that Hayes’ starting XI will be shaken up regardless of these highs and lows.
