If there was any doubt about how much the most recent United States women’s national team roster deviated from the historical norm of consistency, the starting lineup for Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over Argentina provided confirmation.
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes followed through on her promises of player rotation and handing out first caps by making 10 changes to the XI that beat Iceland 3-1 three days earlier and starting three players in their first senior international game. Three players had not debuted as starters since the USWNT fielded an inexperienced squad in 2001 during preseason of the now defunct WUSA.
Seven players made their USWNT debuts over the three games in the past week, which hadn’t happened in eight years. The list of rare feats went on throughout the week for the USWNT, including forward Emma Sears tallying a goal and an assist in her debut, which hadn’t happened in 10 years.
The past week was unequivocally the start of a new era for the USWNT. The message was reiterated coming into this victory tour for the 2024 Olympic champions and it was reinforced by every action on the field against a disciplined Iceland team and a beleaguered Argentina squad. Nothing was a given and — to recite a common refrain from players and coaches alike during the week — everyone was there for a reason.
Hayes was never afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and experiment as head coach of Chelsea over the past 12 years, and her innovative thinking is why U.S. Soccer chased her to become the USWNT’s new head coach. Change was needed after the USWNT’s historic collapse at the 2023 World Cup in the Round of 16.
The federation was immediately rewarded with a fifth Olympic gold medal in August, and Hayes with the first Ballon d’Or Coach of the Year award earlier this week.
This international window was like a delayed honeymoon for the USWNT’s Hayes era. She was thrust into high stakes under a seemingly impossible timeline when she coached her first USWNT game on June 1, less than two months before the Olympics. Hayes could not fully test players and tactical concepts the way she might have with more lead time.
With an Olympic gold medal in hand, however, the end of October was a rare moment for a prestigious USWNT program. It was a celebration of another trophy, but was also the start of a very public and potentially drastic rebuilding process from the ground up. Nothing and nobody, no matter their role at the recent Olympics or historically with the USWNT, is guaranteed anything going forward.