CHESTER, Pa. - International soccer can be a puzzle. Players fly in from various clubs, you get a limited amount of time together, and then there's the expectation to go out and defeat some of the best teams in the world. That's the kind of puzzle that Emma Hayes has been brought in to solve, which she has done by pushing the United States women's national team to win the Olympics in 2024. Now she's once again looking to set her side up to defeat reigning world champions Spain.
These are the kind of matches that Hayes wants, as she invited the pressure in her pre-match press conference, saying, "If I'm here to merely protect a win's record, then I'll pick a lesser opponent."
How to watch USWNT vs. Spain, odds
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 13 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Subaru Park -- Chester, Pa.
TV: TNT | Live stream: HBO Max
Odds: USWNT +165; Draw +230; Spain +140
It's a match that feels like a tournament scenario, with only one day of training in between, but the team did have time to review video to make the adjustments needed after Saturday's 2-0 loss to Spain. From passing when players should shoot to a lack of cohesion in attack, the time apart showed for a squad that was last together in June to face Brazil. Hayes wants to ensure her players are ready for the demands of national team soccer, which has a different flavor from club soccer.
"This window I always think's quite tricky when you've been apart for five months as well. Cause it's, they come in with habits from their club, and then, oh we've got to break them habits in two sessions," Hayes said. "And so if you're in your club, for example, largely player-for-player, and here we're largely zonal, that's really hard for players. Cause even the new players say, you know what, it's really difficult. I'm so used to marking a player in every situation. And at the international level you, neither play zonal and as well as player to player. So sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get into that. It's far from ideal when you've had four or five months apart."
Hayes then went on to discuss some of those differences, including how they impact Ashley Sanchez. While this is the first time that Hayes has called in Sanchez during her tenure, the North Carolina Courage winger has been thriving in the NWSL, where she has 20 goals this season. In club play, Sanchez doesn't have to track back much, but with the national team, that's something Hayes wants to see, and Sanchez has been working on it.
The need for a second finisher alongside Sophia Wilson was clear in the first match against Spain, and while Sanchez, off the bench, got a chance that she wasn't able to convert, she's someone who, if club form translates to the national team, will make this team a well-oiled machine. So far, the signs are good, as Hayes is happy with what she's seeing.
"I've been impressed with her all week," Hayes said. "I've been impressed with her character and, um, how easily she settled into the group and I'm happy for her because I do think we need these experienced players to step up where there's a big gap between our real senior and real less experienced players. I think the team really needs an Ashley Sanchez to step forward and provide a little more competition."
Considering that Sanchez has generally played as a No. 9 or No. 10 during her career, this quick progression is impressive in itself. There's a balance to be struck in national team camp. Some of what players do as the stars of their club teams still applies, but they also need a level of trust in their teammates to take their own chances, as Wilson notes. Following the first Spain match, Hayes noted that she wanted to see more hold-up play from Wilson to get teammates into the mix.
"It's trusting the players around you, knowing that everyone's doing their job," Wilson said. "And I think for me, it's the relationships. Obviously, there are different players that I'm playing with here and at club, and it's knowing your teammates and knowing what they're going to do at any given moment and their tendencies, and vice versa, and I'm understanding what I'm gonna do, and I think just figuring that out quickly is what you have to do with this team and in the time that we have."
This is where the work-in-progress nature of the team begins to show. Not only is Hayes without players who have been regulars in the team, but players are still figuring out those relationships alongside each other while playing tough matches. These are reps that will pay off, though. Few teams in the world can give the United States the level of challenge that Spain have, and they'll be better for experiencing it.
These issues will also get ironed out with time and a proper camp in tournament play. While there were four months between the last camp and this one, there will only be about a month between this camp coming to a close and facing El Salvador in the Concacaf W Championship in November. That will be a time to continue laying the foundation for a team that will be a serious contender for a World Cup crown. Hayes emphasizes doing the little things to be a cohesive unit and has also been building up the depth of the squad in order to have multiple avenues to success.
Seeing the changes from game one against Spain to game two will be one test, but so will seeing what these players retain in November as more players come back consistently. As long as health holds, it will be the third consecutive camp for Wilson. Mallory Swanson, will also be back in the fold for more time, and Sanchez, should she stay with the team will be aware of the expectations of a Hayes camp. It isn't always pretty looking at the guts of a squad as Hayes tinkers, but when it all comes together, her teams win, and this is a team learning to win under its coach.
