It was never supposed to be easy or comfortable for the U.S. women’s national team in Brazil. That was the point.
Against their Olympic rivals, in front of a rowdy crowd of more than 31,000 fans in Sao Paulo, the USWNT got the kind of test Emma Hayes wanted from this June trip. It just came with a result her side did not. Sophia Wilson gave the Americans a dream start, scoring in the second minute to become the ninth mother to score for the USWNT, but Brazil responded almost immediately. Goals in the 11th and 14th minutes gave the hosts a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish, sealing their second straight win over the U.S. and fifth all-time.
For the USWNT, there were positives. The early pressure was encouraging, Wilson looked sharp in her first international appearance since returning from maternity leave, and Trinity Rodman also started as Hayes continued to work key attacking pieces back into the group. But there were also clear issues. The midfield looked disjointed, and a backline of Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, Emily Fox and Gisele Thompson struggled to deal with Brazil’s relentless front line.
The full “Triple Espresso” reunion will have to wait, too. While Wilson and Rodman started, Mallory Swanson did not play as Hayes continues to manage her return after maternity leave. Swanson was called into camp after not appearing for the USWNT since the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Hayes said before the trip that the staff had been working closely with both Swanson and the Chicago Stars on her return-to-play plan.
There is also uncertainty around Rodman, who exited shortly after going down with an injury following a yellow card. Hayes did not offer a detailed update, and when asked what changes could come in Tuesday’s second match, she kept things broad.
“I’m not going to speak to the changes for tomorrow, but what I will say is that it doesn’t matter how much you prepare for certain things, you just don’t know until you’re in it,” Hayes said.
The field conditions added another challenge, with players slipping throughout the match, though Hayes refused to use that as an excuse.
“I don’t want to focus on things I cannot control,” Hayes said. “Did I see a lot of players slipping? Yeah I did, but for me I’m not going to focus on that because I cannot control that.”
Instead, Hayes framed the matchup as a lesson.
“I think when you play Brazil, you have to accept that it’s a game of jewels,” Hayes said. “I think Brazil took their chances really well and in the early part they made it very difficult for us, and that’s a great learning for my team and this is why we’re here, to experience that.”
Now comes the response. The two sides meet again Tuesday at Neo Química Arena in São Paulo, where Hayes could turn to a different center back pairing, reshape the midfield or use a new goalkeeper in net. The bigger question is whether the USWNT can better handle Brazil’s pressure the second time around – and whether Swanson’s return could finally bring the famed Triple Espresso trio back together on the field.
GOAL presents five keys to Tuesday’s second test against Brazil…
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