The U.S. Women's National Team ends a gold-medal winning year

Some thoughts on recent friendlies for the US Women, and brief takeaways from the journey we've been on

What is it they say about journeys? In retrospect, while observing the uncertain path from last year’s World Cup failure to this year’s gold-medal redemption, I had a rather nice time.

Of course, reducing the 16 months separating that Melbourne-based calamity and this time of writing now, to a perfect polarity between unmitigated failure and blemish-less redemption is simplistic, at best. Ending 2024 with two challenging friendlies against top European teams (who at times had the U.S. on the back foot) is a perfect way to remind us of what’s been true throughout:

1. The path to trophy-laden glory will never be “easy”, if it was ever truly so, again. And, 2. This program remains full of talent that if properly deployed, will always be able to contend.

England 0 - 0 USA

There’s something so dissatisfying about a draw— never mind one with no goals. Though, I suppose there’s still things worth noting and growing from Nov. 30’s 0-0 friendly in London.

Emma Hayes returned to the city of her birth with a gold-medal winning USWNT that already has its eyes on the next World Cup. With more than a two year runway, Hayes has been focused on building toward that future, naming a 24-player roster that includes 10 players with two or fewer USWNT appearances. 14 players had 20 or less by the time they arrived in London.

Seven players in the U.S. Starting XI were with the team for their last friendly at Wembley (which the U.S. lost 2-1 in Oct. 2022). In fact, they were the only seven in this roster also present for that last friendly.

Nine starters won gold in Paris. Thompson and Sears both got starts on the wing in their 12th and 3rd appearance for the U.S. respectively, in front of 78,346 fans at Wembley. Yazmeen Ryan came in at the half to mark her third total appearance for the U.S. (and put on an impressive performance). And 20-year-old Ally Sentnor made her debut in the 87th-minute.

All of that’s to say: Hayes went to Wembley with some serious leadership on the field (Girma was exceptional as ever, and Lavelle made her presence felt in the midfield), but there remained a significant element of experimental youth and inexperience as they focus on building toward Brazil 2027.

Defensively, they were fairly sound. England registered one shot (off target) in the first half, which according to the broadcast was just the third time in the past eight years the Lionesses registered fewer than two shots in the first half of a game. It’s worth noting they were also missing key starters.

The Lionesses gained some steam as the game wore on, and Alyssa Naeher made one save to seal her 10th shutout of the year (the 69th in her career), which is a personal record for the retiring veteran, who’s won two World Cups and multiple Olympic medals as the starting keeper.

Offensively, the U.S. did well to get into the final third, and did produce a few chances. But with a mix of newer players and absent the formidable “triple espresso” (Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith, all of whom weren’t in this camp), they lacked lethality in the final third.

Netherlands 1 - 2 USA

The Netherlands really tested the U.S., especially in the first half. The reigning gold medalists nearly ended their year with a merited defeat.

The Dutch held sway of momentum and outshot the U.S. 14 to 1 in the first half alone, taking a 1-0 lead off a corner in the 15th minute. 18-year-old Dutch defender Veerle Buurman notched the goal but later lent the U.S. a helping hand, sending a beleaguered and experimental USA into the half 1-1 downwind of an own goal.

Hayes started the game with five changes from Wembley. At the half, she sent in two noble veterans (Emily Sonnett and Lynn Williams) to help steady the sway. Three more changes arrived halfway through the half, including 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes, who just recently committed to play for the U.S. over the Dutch.

With the help of those subs, and in large part due to a game-saving performance from Alyssa Naeher, who made six immense saves in her final USWNT performance, the U.S. more or less held on, while being outshot 22-5 by the end of the game.

In the 71st minute, Yazmeen Ryan assisted her Gotham teammate and NWSL’s all-time leading goalscorer, Lynn Williams, for the game-deciding goal.

And so they bent, as they say, but did not break. For the second time with Emma Hayes, the U.S. conceded first but went on to win. Interestingly, the USWNT has conceded the first goal in four of their last six meetings against the Dutch. But they’ve come back to collect a win or a draw (two of each) every time.

It wasn’t always pretty, but they proved resilient in the end.

Thus ends a gold-medal winning year. The USWNT is 20-games unbeaten. Emma Hayes is undefeated in 15 games in charge, including 13 wins and two draws. The team collected their fifth gold medal and in doing so, maintained a remarkable rule: the USWNT has never lost a major international tournament without going on to win the next one. Resilient, indeed.

England and the Netherlands presented challenges and the U.S. were imperfect. But under Hayes, they’re learning, and they’re building toward the future. That’s not a bad way to close an entertaining, enlivened year that reminded fans what’s been true for quite awhile now: USWNT “dominance” won’t look like it did when women’s football was in an era of rebirth. But this program will remain competitors at the top for years to come.