head coach Emma Hayes is casting a large internet to assemble the strongest squad attainable in preparation for the 2027 FIFA Girls’s World Cup.
The 49-year-old Englishwoman launched herself to American audiences by delivering the gold medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics regardless of solely having two months to organize for the event.
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Since then, Hayes has frequently reconfigured the nationwide staff with a gentle stream of recent faces. In her two years as nationwide staff boss, Hayes has handed worldwide debuts to 25 gamers.
Former midfielder Sam Mewis spoke completely to Athlon Sports activities concerning the strategies that Hayes is adopting to create competitiveness for locations and a deep pool of gamers to attract from.
Given her eight years representing america girls’s nationwide staff and her multitude of connections inside the sport, Mewis is ready to supply distinctive perception into the internal workings of the nationwide staff.
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“She’s pondering long-term for the longer term,” Mewis informed Athlon Sports activities. “However we’re additionally seeing loads of the gamers searching for that out of their membership environments and guaranteeing that they’re getting their greatest improvement attainable. We’re enthusiastic about 2027, excited to observe what Emma places collectively. The following first step is these video games towards Italy.”
The USWNT will shut out the 2025 calendar with consecutive friendlies towards Italy. Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando will host the primary match on Nov. 28, adopted by a rematch at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 1.
Hayes Has Invested Closely in Youth Since Taking Over the USWNT
United States head coach Emma Hayes addresses the staff after a global pleasant towards New Zealand at CPKC Stadium on October 29, 2025 in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. (Picture by Brad Smith/ISI Images/USSF/Getty Photos)Brad Smith/ISI Images/USSF/Getty Photos
Ought to ahead Jameese Joseph, goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz and defender Kate Wiesner see motion towards the Italians, Hayes may have given debuts to twenty-eight gamers over her first 30 video games in cost.
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“Emma has an extended runway via 2027,” Mewis stated. “This yr particularly was one the place she was actually younger gamers, gamers who aren’t prepared to start out for the nationwide staff proper now however may very well be in a yr or two. What we’re actually seeing proper now could be that Emma is investing in these sorts of gamers.”
These two matches will function a chance for gamers who had been on the periphery to make their case for future alternatives and for Hayes to tinker with totally different combos and squad rotation.
“Depth of roster is so essential,” Mewis stated. “I do know that this can be a 26-player roster. I believe that Emma did that on objective so as to have the ability to rotate gamers and hopefully give a few of these gamers who simply performed 90 minutes in a championship recreation slightly little bit of a break. So, I’m excited to see the groups that exit to face Italy. I believe it’s a very thrilling matchup, and it positively will be difficult for the gamers who misplaced to return to enterprise with the nationwide staff, which is absolutely the very best stage. It’s positively a problem, however these girls are greater than succesful.”
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Mewis spoke glowingly of the expressiveness that has been demonstrated on the pitch and the optimistic environment across the staff. That’s not stunning given Hayes’ observe document. Beforehand, she led Chelsea Girls to 16 trophies throughout her 12 seasons on the Girls’s Tremendous League membership.
“It sounds to me that Emma has an important relationship with the gamers,” Mewis stated. “They’re typically enjoying for the nationwide staff with loads of freedom and pleasure. It positively doesn’t really feel like there’s this loopy quantity of stress from the highest. Emma has a lot expertise getting the perfect out of her gamers, and I believe that her presence at NWSL video games goes to indicate that she’s watching, which is nice for everyone. However then additionally, I believe that the way in which we’re seeing the nationwide staff play is absolutely inspiring and unimaginable to observe.”
The beginning XI for every pleasant towards Italy may very well be considerably rotated as Hayes seems to experiment and never overload gamers after they churned via congested fixtures within the and overseas. forward of the USWNT’s friendlies towards Italy. Every match will characteristic distinctive 23-player rosters.
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GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 4), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 4), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC; 0)
DEFENDERS (10): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 4/0), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 69/1), Naomi Girma (Chelsea FC, ENG: 48/2), Avery Patterson (Houston Sprint; 8/1), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC; 4/0), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas Metropolis Present; 1/1), Emily Sams (Orlando Pleasure; 6/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 112/2), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave; 1/0), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit; 0/0)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit; 4/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 41/5), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 167/38), Jaelin Howell (Gotham FC; 5/1), Claire Hutton (Kansas Metropolis Present; 9/1), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC; 115/26), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 11/1)
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FORWARDS (6): Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars; 0/0), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 27/13), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 10/4), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville; 11/4), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC; 29/8), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea FC, ENG; 24/3)
Will probably be intriguing to see how Hayes balances every of the Italy matches. The Italians completed UEFA Girls’s Euro 2025 as semifinalists.
Mewis at present serves as editor-in-chief and podcast host of of media community. She made 83 appearances for america girls’s nationwide staff, serving to the People win the 2019 Girls’s World Cup, the 2018 CONCACAF Girls’s Championship and two SheBelieves Cups.
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Take a look at her earlier exclusives with Athlon Sports activities:
This story was initially revealed by on Nov 28, 2025, the place it first appeared within the part. Add Athlon Sports activities as a