No triple espresso, no problem: How USWNT absences allow Alyssa Thompson, Catarina Macario, more to shine

From the moment that Emma Hayes took over head coaching responsibilities for the national team from the American women, a period of experiments was essentially a guarantee. Hayes hired the team to renew the world cup of Women’s Wereldcup ever after their earliest exit, and spent the months after the Olympic gold medal-winning run of the team to expand the player pool, wisely making use of the two-plus year journog to explore its options. However, the fact that she did this without the triple espresso of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson in the mix was an unexpected part of his era of experiments.

Since the Gold Medal Game in Paris in August in August, Hayes has not been able to work with that trio, Rodman currently has to deal with a persistent back injury and Swanson and Wilson about maternity leave. Their absence would always be remarkable his trio has long been considered the new stewards of the attack identity of the USWNT, with which he realizes the invoicing by scoring 10 of the 13 goals of the team at the Olympic Games.

In the months since they played together for the team, however, Hayes was able to give a wide range of players a chance to crack the attacking contingent of the US, who really embraced the spirit of experiments that she promised shortly after winning gold in Paris. Since the Olympic Games, Hayes has worked with 11 attackers who were not with the team last summer, of whom there are 25 years old or younger. In that piece, the USWNT scored 22 goals in 11 games, which in the meantime only admitted eight, with early signs that the attacking depth card is as deep as ever for the team.

The attacking capacity of the USWNT was completely visible in Saturday’s 3-0 win over China, a match in which the side of Hayes 3.01 generated expected goals from 18 shots against the high line of the opponent who was sometimes easy to unlock. Hayes started Alyssa Thompson, Catarina Macario and Michelle Cooper and picked the rewards for her decisions, each of whom played important roles in all three goals. Macario in particular had a striking outing with a goal and an assist, while Cooper also registered an assist. Sometimes there was an effortless feeling about their performance, something that Hayes said that her entire team was an honor for their months of hard work during this period of experiments.

“If you try to put together as many new players as a coach, you want to make sure that every time you are with them, you make fewer and fewer tactical corrections and this week we made less than we ever had to make,” Hayes said after the game. “Because Avery Patterson knows where to be [on] Both sides of the ball, that also applies to Lily [Yohannes]That also applies to Michelle Cooper, so that means that the entire group can rise a higher level in exchange because they are getting better in their understanding. That’s the first. “

Macario and Thompson are technically two of the more experienced members of the new attacking group, the former who made her national debut in 2021 and only miss the team due to injury, while the last member of the World Cup team of 2023. Combined with impressive versions for their clubs’ Player Project. This is especially true for Macario, who has representatives as an attacking midfielder for the national team, but in recent trips as a no. 9.

“Kat, she’s tough for herself,” said Hayes. “She got a goal, her all-round game, she wanted it at a higher level and that is okay. She can strive for that, but she is a great football player and we are blessed to have her, so we are happy with her.”

In the meantime, Cooper has settled neatly in her third year as a professional and now has one goal and one assist in five international performances. She played well in a broad role on Saturday against China and although there is room for improvement, she undoubtedly starts to make a place for herself in the attacking depth card of the USWNT.

“She’s a blast,” said Hayes. “That is really them. I didn’t think her touch was the best today and I told her that … I think Michelle is someone, whether she is starting or from the couch, she is such a threat behind. She has a target threat, not only in terms of creation, but also able to choose it and she is so good and she is very much for the shirt. [will] Get stuck. “

Ally Sentnor and Emma Sears complete the group of inexperienced attackers who are currently on the Roster, both also impress in the early days of their time with the senior national team. Sentnor was the outbreak of the February Shebelieves Cup and has so far has two goals in eight performances, while Sears has one goal in five caps. The couple could earn a new chance to impress on Tuesday, when the USSWNT concludes the international break with a friendly against Jamaica.

Hayes admitted on Saturday that her work with this group was far from complete, which is understandable for a group of young players who gain international experiences for the first time in their career. However, it is difficult not to claim that the US will make important steps during this transition period, refreshing the Uber-competitive nature of the national team that could make selection decisions for Hayes very difficult in two years.

“We wanted to be a little more dynamic in our rotations, so the timing of our rotations to pull out their broad players,” said Hayes. “I thought we really did that, very well in the first half. What we didn’t do as well as we wanted [that] We have tried to find the spaces in between when the space was actually behind, so sometimes we are just over. They want to give us some areas, we take them areas, but I ask them to deliver a performance with a level of patience, so I will not criticize them for that. I feel that we have gone a different level tactically. I really feel that way. I feel that there are so many more players who have so much more control, who could do more and I was satisfied with the performance. “