The U.S. women’s national team came from behind to beat Iceland 3-1 at Nashville’s Geodis Park on Sunday, with head coach Emma Hayes continuing to experiment with her team as her post-Olympics project begins.
Hayes made nine changes from the team that started in Thursday’s 3-1 win over Iceland and oversaw a group that dominated in possession and shots but went down in the first half. The visitors earned a corner kick in the 31st minute and Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir scored an olimpico, forcing the USWNT to play catch-up to extend Hayes’ unbeaten streak as the team’s head coach to 12 games.
The head coach made several substitutions throughout the second half, hoping to add some intensity and accuracy in front of goal as the USWNT searched for an equalizer. It finally came in the 72nd minute coursey of substitute Lynn Williams, with an assist coming from Emma Sears in her first cap. Sears and Williams also played big roles in the go-ahead scored by Lindsey Horan just four minutes later.
The Olympic gold medalists return to action on Wednesday when they close out the October international window with a friendly against Argentina at Louisville’s Lynn Family Stadium.
Sears steals the show
Sears became the first USWNT player to notch a goal and assist in her debut since Christen Press in Feb. 2013, making the most of her 35-minute cameo on Sunday. She entered the pitch at a pivotal moment for the U.S., who were chasing an equalizer and needed some attacking flair to push the game in their direction as they struggled to create quality chances. While Hayes called upon a handful of veterans like Williams and Sophia Smith, Sears did not look out of place as she joined them and left the game with the accomplishments to show for it.
Sears joins Alyssa Thompson as the second player in this international window to score her first international goal, both making the most of their minutes in the USWNT’s era of experimentation. Hayes also used the occasion to give a debut to defender Emily Sams, who impressed in a 90-minute shift, while Yazmeen Ryan and Olivia Moultrie earned starts as well.
Hayes’ tactical shift
In the early days of her USWNT tenure, Hayes has generally opted to stick to the game plan she started with, even if the state of play cries out for a new idea. She often characterizes change as a “disruption,” and described a series of them as a “repeat [of] step one all the time” in pre-match remarks on Saturday. Yet, Hayes has been equally eager to lead the USWNT’s evolution and introduce some new players and concepts to the fold, and she finally got a chance to go bold in Nashville.
As the USWNT engaged in a 40-plus minute search for an equalizer, Hayes threw on attacker after attacker into the game with the hopes that it would work out. It did, offering a mix of something old and something new in the process. The USWNT’s longstanding attacking depth got a refresh as rising talents like Thompson and Sears entered the pitch, but the team’s vintage winning spirit also kicked in, something a younger generation has seemingly inherited after collecting gold in Paris. Sunday’s strategy may not be Hayes’ go-to, nor does it need to be. Her full embrace of experimentation, though, suggests she will use all her options as she aims to update the USWNT for an increasingly competitive women’s soccer landscape.
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