America Girls’s Nationwide Group made essentially the most of a transitional yr freed from main tournaments or their respective qualifying competitions, bringing a number of new gamers into the fold and constructing chemistry. Nevertheless, there are nonetheless two gadgets left on the calendar to cap off 2025, with Emma Hayes main her group right into a pair of friendlies towards Italy. The European program is slowly rising into a much bigger participant and in search of to take the subsequent step after reaching two consecutive World Cups and impressing over the summer time. Orlando, Florida’s Inter&Co Stadium – a 25,000-seat -specific stadium a Latitude 36® Bermudagrass floor – hosts the primary match; the fixture is about for Chase Stadium, a 21,550-seat venue with Latitude 36® Bermudagrass, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
These are the sixteenth and seventeenth all-time conferences between the 2 groups, with the USWNT holding a 10-4-1 benefit and claiming essentially the most conferences, an combination victory in a 2011 World Cup qualification playoff (2-0 [1-0, 1-0]). Ranked twelfth by FIFA, Italy narrowly missed out on a spot within the UEFA Nations League Finals however went on an inspiring semifinal run at Euro 2025, taking down Norway (2-1) within the quarterfinal earlier than falling to eventual champions England in further time (2-1). Latest friendlies resulted in a draw with Japan (1-1) and a defeat to Brazil (0-1).
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Andrea Soncin was because the supervisor in September 2023, changing Milena Bertolini after the failure to advance from the group on the 2023 World Cup. The 47-year-old former striker from Vigevano beforehand labored with the Venezia and twice led the membership’s senior squad in an interim function. He has obtained reward for “a particularly vital human worth” and “adapting in a extremely particular manner, with a humility that’s onerous to search out in an [unfamiliar] surroundings.”
Soncin a 28-player roster for the pair of friendlies. The home Serie A is house to 24 of the call-ups, whereas two figures function in different European competitions and two skills are on the books at Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League golf equipment. Notable absences embrace Emma Severini and Barbara Bonansea.
***GOALKEEPERS (3): Rachele Baldi (Roma), Francesca Durante (Lazio), Laura Giuliani (Milan)DEFENDERS (10): Valentina Bergamaschi (Roma), Lisa Boattin (Houston Sprint), Federica D’Auria (Lazio), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Roma), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (London Metropolis Lionesses), Beatrice Merlo (Inter), Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio), Julie Piga (Milan), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus)MIDFIELDERS (8): Arianna Caruso (Bayern Munich), Giulia Dragoni (Roma), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Eleonora Goldoni (Lazio), Giada Greggi (Roma), Nadine Nischler (Como), Matilde Pavan (Como), Eva Schatzer (Juventus)FORWARDS (7): Chiara Beccari (Juventus), Agnese Bonfantini (Fiorentina), Michela Cambiaghi (Juventus), Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit), Alice Corelli (Roma), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Martina Piemonte (Lazio)***Whereas tactically versatile, Soncin upon a “very properly structured” 3-5-2 formation “with nice compactness” and locations a precedence on profitable again the ball by sustaining “relationship distances” between the traces. Italy is a “gritty” aspect using a “direct type” that “finds that vertical outlet with a protracted ball,” with “wing-backs pushed excessive to assist attacking play.” The “collective defensive method” could be by overloads on the wings, as England took full benefit of the empty house throughout the Euros.
Laura Giuliani handed 100 caps for Italy over the and may proceed so as to add to that quantity because the unchallenged starter with “expertise and management.” The 32-year-old AC Milan goalkeeper takes an lively function within the build-up with a excessive stage of accuracy on long-range passes and is to enterprise far off her line to snag crosses or contest the opponent. At 5 ft, 9 inches tall, she has sufficient dimension to comfortably cowl the body with minimal effort, displaying a extra deliberate type when stretching and attending to floor for saves. Her and tempo are glorious, whereas most of her stops are of a safer and unspectacular selection, hardly ever forcing a catch and fulfilling the baseline duty of maintaining the ball out of the web.
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Cecilia Salvai is “sturdy and dependable,” a “mixture of bodily power, sport studying, and pure management” that her to assert headers and rack up interceptions and clearances. The 31-year-old Juventus centre-back put in a giant efficiency on the Euros and can the occasional aim, having displayed “nice pure expertise and intelligence” whereas additionally overcoming a sequence of “critical accidents.” Martina Lenzini has the flexibility to deploy on the and the skin of the road, a want to advance play and the velocity to chase down opposing attackers who’re breaking on aim. is a “massive presence for the Le Azzurre (The Blues)” and has been a favourite of the as a result of her “physicality, nice studying of the sport, and knack for well timed interventions.” London Metropolis Lionesses’ Elena Linari was to the Group of the Match on the Euros as a result of shutting down taking a number one function within the build-up, and “combining old style values with intelligence.” The “fashionable” is “good within the air and robust within the sort out” with a eager “learn of the sport,” exhibiting bodily dominance and the occasional breakdown of the field from a deeper space. Julie Piga of AC Milan brings “an actual technical class in possession,” out of the again with a excessive stage of accuracy and variety of makes an attempt whereas additionally registering interesting statistics towards the ball. The previous France youth worldwide tends to play the sport and could be very comfy making solo carries to be able to advance up the sector, with the approach to hit the occasional cross into the field.
A comparatively current to this system, Elisabetta Oliviero introduced her arrival with the opener within the 3-1 loss to Spain on the Euros, sliding ahead and pouncing on a unfastened ball within the field. “Tenacious and targeted,” the 28-year-old Lazio is lively within the sort out and always seems to make progress up the wing with solo runs, displaying a fearless and rugged nature. Roma’s Lucia Di Guglielmo is front-foot attacker who takes the sport to the with fixed makes an attempt off the dribble, thriving as a two-way expertise with “lightning velocity.” She will drift broad into the and supply service or dart towards the middle of the world to be able to latch onto the top of a cross on the again publish, all whereas monitoring again for mandatory interventions. Lisa Boattin of the Houston Sprint has up just a few current begins, receiving passes “in inside channels” and serving as a facilitator or creator with “technical capacity.” The “set-piece specialist” has a “good left-footed supply” with the occasional immediately from the nook, pairing together with her lively nature and fast reactions throughout the run of play.
The “dominant” Arianna Caruso a “stunner” Belgium on the Euros, together with her full ability set together with scoring, ball recoveries, tackles, and transitions from one section to the subsequent. The “versatile” 26-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder can function in a task and end in quite a lot of methods, from drilling long-range pictures to working behind the opponent’s traces or claiming crosses. Manuela Giugliano of Roma is a technical maven with supreme subject imaginative and prescient and a willingness to try essentially the most audacious of passes and finishes in any respect distances, dictating the from deep. The Athletic notes her capacity to function as a trequartista or a regista, exercising “exceptional management” of and being “notably expert at shaping as if to play sq. balls” earlier than lengthy distribution. The diminutive Giada Greggi her finest work within the attacking zones and at all times seems to advance with a excessive variety of ahead and progressive carries, counting on “impeccable steadiness, agility, and imaginative and prescient.” A continuing supply of complications to the opponents, she possesses a deadly left foot and prowls across the prime of the field, ready for her second to discover a teammate or unleash an correct shot. Juventus’ Eva Schatzer is without doubt one of the prime of the subsequent era, the Italian Golden Lady and boasting a “calm authority and spectacular approach” belying her youth. With an “innate tactical sense,” describe a capability to “give geometries and order” with a “presence you may really feel,” making a defensive affect and enjoying “sophisticated balls” with “the imaginative and prescient of a veteran.”
As Cristiana Girelli goes, so goes Italy, together with her star on the largest levels and fixed manufacturing steering this system to larger and larger heights. The 35-year-old Juventus striker unlocks house within the field with the proper path onto the top of crosses, can grind out ugly poaching alternatives, and has simply sufficient quickness to get behind the opponent’s traces. The primary Italian in NWSL historical past, Sofia Cantore opened her Washington Spirit with 4 targets in 15 appearances, displaying her “assorted skillset” that inventive and ending duties. She is sensible and composed within the last third with a willingness to float to the wings to be able to facilitate however is at her finest when driving at defenders and letting unfastened quite a lot of completely positioned makes an attempt. Seemingly the inheritor obvious to guide the squad, Lazio’s Martina Piemonte went on a tear final season in Serie A, always advancing together with her dribbling and claiming a bevy of headers. With a mode and the athleticism to match, Whole Soccer Evaluation highlights her “passing expertise, imaginative and prescient, and steady backwards actions” in addition to the to “escape from marking.”
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The USWNT is closing out what must be thought-about a profitable yr, having added a number of new faces and equipped for the upcoming qualifying run. Italy supplies a last check in 2025, using a excessive after impressing with a powerful efficiency on the European Championship. The hosts have a transparent expertise benefit, however experimentation over two friendlies may result in stunning outcomes.
The primary is scheduled for Friday, November twenty eighth at 7:00 p.m. Jap, 4:00 p.m. Pacific. Viewing choices embrace TNT, Universo, HBO Max, Peacock, and FuboTV ().
The second is scheduled for Monday, December 1st at 7:00 p.m. Jap, 4:00 p.m. Pacific. Viewing choices embrace TNT, HBO Max, Peacock, and FuboTV ().