Emma Hayes’ USWNT built World Cup momentum with SheBelieves title: Three takeaways | USA women’s football team

TThe United States women’s national team won the SheBelieves Cup on Saturday, closing out the three-game friendly tournament with a 1-0 victory over Colombia. Alyssa Thompson finally broke the deadlock in a match largely dominated by the hosts.

The Chelsea winger sent a perfect shot into the top corner in the 81st minute to score his fourth international goal.

The result gave the United States an eighth SheBelieves Cup title, reclaiming the trophy after Japan won last year’s edition. The United States has not conceded a goal in three matches, including last weekend’s victory over Argentina and a midweek victory over Canada. In total, Emma Hayes’ side have not conceded a goal for 804 minutes – a dominant stretch in which her side have been able to control games with increasing comfort.

Depth is here to stay

Beyond just winning these friendlies, the latest 270-minute sample provided further proof that this team looks ready to challenge for the title they Really I want: a fifth World Cup next summer in Brazil. And unlike the 2019 USWNT who won a second straight World Cup with a clear starting lineup, this year’s group has plenty of options in several key areas.

Unlike games against Argentina and Canada earlier in the tournament, Colombia’s defense worked to prevent the USWNT from getting comfortable with a lead. After the game, Hayes paid tribute to her bench, a testament to the talent and depth she cultivated and trusted during more than a year of closely evaluating her player pool.

“Sometimes you win a game in the first 60 minutes,” Hayes said. “Tonight we won from our bench. We wanted to continue to develop talent, that’s something I’ve been saying since I’ve been here.”

Months spent experimenting with formations and forging new combinations led to the creation of several notable areas on the field. Emily Fox and Trinity Rodman form a seamless partnership down the right side up and down the flank. Naomi Girma and defensive midfielder Sam Coffey put together more reps to help establish stability and structure at the base of the spine. Although the pool is deep in most roles, Hayes has found plenty of forwards she trusts to unlock low-blocking defenses, with Alyssa Thompson most often starting at left wing and Jaedyn Shaw, Ally Sentnor and Emma Sears now becoming regular members of U.S. teams.

Thanks to these advantages, sorting the remaining areas is a little less of a headache. There’s still open competition to pair Girma at fullback, with Emily Sonnett (part of SheBelieves’ eight winning teams for the US) and Tara Rudd getting the longest outings in this window. Avery Patterson provides a valuable option at both fullback positions, while Lilly Reale, Maddie Dahlien and Gisele Thompson have all seen minutes at left back.

Goalkeeping also remains an open competition, with Claudia Dickey starting the first match and Phallon Tullis-Joyce managing the second and third matches. They haven’t been tested often during this window: Dickey has faced just one shot on target, while Tullis-Joyce has had just two in 180 minutes.

Cohesion in midfield

Perhaps the most encouraging development this window has been greater cohesion in central midfield. Since Hayes took charge, the engine room hasn’t really hit the rhythm, with the team forced to advance in wide areas more often than not, but looking more dangerous when playing in the central third.

Hayes made a big call to leave captain Lindsey Heaps on the bench against Canada and Colombia, their two toughest tests of the tournament. Claire Hutton forged a steady double pivot with Coffey against Canada, and Lily Yohannes provided a more creative complement to Coffey on Saturday.

The final semester also saw the longest consecutive absence of a healthy Rose Lavelle playing in her best position as a No. 10 since Jill Ellis left the program. Few players in the world can break down a defense like Gotham’s midfielder, who remains the program’s best set-piece deliveryman. Lavelle and Yohannes pulled off some silky interplay in the half-spaces against Colombia, providing Hayes with a pair of central playmakers to help the team create more high-quality chances. This is a dangerous development from any adversary’s perspective.

Open questions at the top

Apparently only the final product remains. The United States has scored just four goals in its three wins, and long-standing concerns about the lack of depth in the forward pool remain.

A solution could be imminent. Last week, Sophia Wilson returned to action with the Portland Thorns after missing 2025 on maternity leave. If the three-time NWSL Best

The forward line could see even more returning headliners. Mallory Swanson has been spotted at Chicago Stars practice in recent weeks following her own maternity leave, while Catarina Macario could take up a spot in Hayes’ core if she finds more minutes upon leaving Chelsea.

There is no guarantee that any of these three dynamic forwards will be ready for the April window, which sees the USWNT and Japan play three friendlies across the United States. These will be severe tests. Although the United States beat Japan in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Olympics, Nadeshiko Japan are one of only three teams – along with Brazil and Portugal – to defeat Hayes’ USWNT. They are well organized under the leadership of Nils Nielsen and are among the favorites to win the ongoing AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Netflix is ​​no doubt hoping that its first Women’s World Cup as rights holder ends in a box office clash between the United States and England or Spain, but Japan is just as likely to contest.

Midway through the second half Saturday, with his team still mired in a goalless draw, Hayes urged his team to “push the game.” The labored possession sequences that characterized the team’s unsuccessful run to the 2023 World Cup are increasingly rare. If the goals start to arrive at a pace suited to the team’s impressive preparation, they should be more than ready for next summer’s close encounter in Brazil.