The world No. 2 USWNT had an inauspicious start to their October friendlies on Thursday, falling 2-1 to No. 23 Portugal. It's the first-ever lost to Portugal in US program history.
"Ultimately, tonight was just not acceptable, it was not our standard," USWNT midfielder Sam Coffey told broadcaster TNT after the game — the team's first match in almost four months. "I think we were really individual."
Though US star midfielder Rose Lavelle gave the hosts the early lead by finding the back of the net just 33 seconds into play, Portugal's Diana Gomes equalized before halftime before her fellow defender Fátima Pinto put the Europeans on top in the 73rd minute. Both Portuguese goals came off of corner kicks.
The loss marked only the third time that the USWNT has lost to an opponent outside the Top 20 FIFA rankings, as US players struggled to find each other on the pitch when faced with Portugal's physicality and formation.
"Sometimes as a coach in this position, it feels like Whack-a-Mole," said US manager Emma Hayes afterwards. "You try and put one thing out, and then there's another one popping up."
"We've played many teams that surprised us with formation changes, but our response to it just took so long," she continued. "Then when we get into good areas, we just would make poor decisions."
Though Hayes addressed all aspects of her team's disappointing Thursday play, she also specifically honed in on their defensive missteps, saying "from front to back, we just mistimed everything."
In response, Hayes is already beefing up her options on the backline, calling up Eva Gaetino from the concurrent USWNT U-23 training camp on Friday, with the PSG defender joining the senior team's roster through this window's remaining two friendlies.
How to watch the USWNT vs. Portugal on Sunday
While Hayes tempered Thursday's loss by reminding everyone that "it's a game of football, no one died," the USWNT will still have vengeance on the mind during Sunday's rematch against Portugal.
"We've got to be better, and I promise you, we will be better," said Hayes. "We better be."
The clash will kick off at 4 PM ET, with live coverage airing on TNT.
The USWNT kicks off the first of their three October friendlies on Thursday night, facing Portugal as the team takes the pitch for the first time in nearly four months.
The matchup marks the first meeting between the two nations since the tense 0-0 group-stage finale at the 2023 World Cup that saw the USWNT narrowly advance to the knockouts.
"[Portugal] is a very good team," US midfielder Lindsey Heaps said earlier this week. "Many times that we've played them before, we get a tough game and a tough matchup."
The game also provides a glimpse of an evolving USWNT roster, bringing together NWSL standouts and European club stars ahead of next fall's World Cup qualifiers.
"That's the key right now — we need to finalize [the roster] in the next two years, and obviously leading up to qualification," continued Heaps. "That's an exciting process right now."
"It's just getting everyone together, everyone on the same page and know what the standards and levels are," she added. "What it takes to qualify for a World Cup."
How to watch the USWNT vs. Portugal on Thursday
The world No. 2 USWNT will kick off a trio of friendlies with a match against No. 23 Portugal at 7 PM ET on Thursday.
The clash will air live across TNT, Peacock, and HBO Max.
The USWNT is changing things up this month, announcing key roster shifts as injuries shake up the player pool ahead of the October window's three-friendly slate.
Seattle Reign midfielder Sam Meza has withdrawn from camp due to a mild hamstring strain, with USWNT head coach Emma Hayes tapping Kansas City Current midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta for her second senior national team call-up to replace Meza.
The 32-year-old earned her first USWNT cap earlier this year, taking the field against China PR on May 31st.
As expected, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman is officially out after spraining her MCL last week, though there will not be a replacement for Rodman on the October USWNT roster, with injuries now putting the player pool at 25 — rather than the original 26 — athletes.
With the addition of LaBonta, the NWSL-leading Current's US roster count rises to four athletes, with midfielder Claire Hutton and forwards Ally Sentnor and Michelle Cooper rounding out the Kansas City reps on the list.
"Every player on [the Current] has a case to be on our team," Hayes told media last week.
How to watch the October USWNT friendlies
The world No. 2 USWNT will first take on No. 23 Portugal at 7 PM ET on Thursday and again at 4 PM ET on Sunday, before closing out the international window against No. 33 New Zealand at 8 PM ET on Wednesday, October 29th.
All three friendlies will air live on TNT.
USWNT and Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman has been sidelined, with the forward set to miss the rest of the 2025 NWSL season after exiting her club's 4-0 2025/26 Concacaf W Champions Cup win over Monterrey with a knee injury on Wednesday — hours after earning her first national team call-up since April.
The Athletic reported on Thursday that Rodman will be off the pitch for at least three weeks — encompassing the final NWSL regular-season matches as well as October's USWNT friendlies — though Thursday's scans showed she avoided long-term injury and could return to compete in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs.
Washington head coach Adrián González further clarified Rodman's status on Friday, confirming that the Spirit winger has a low-grade MCL sprain — a result the manager called "the best scenario."
Rodman's knock interrupts a strong run of play for the 23-year-old, who registered five goals and two assists since recovering from a lingering back injury in August.
Sitting second in the NWSL standings, the Spirit already secured home field advantage for the upcoming playoffs, but the 2024 runners-up will see a potential postseason preview against a resurgent Orlando Pride this weekend.
The reigning NWSL champions earned two wins in their last three matches, rising to No. 3 on the league table after going winless through nine straight NWSL games.
"I think home field advantage is massive," Pride head coach Seb Hines said last week. "We experienced that last year. So if we can finish as high as possible, we can play here in front of our own fans."
How to watch the Washington Spirit vs. Orlando Pride this weekend
The No. 2 Spirit will host the No. 3 Pride at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on CBS.
The USWNT is getting the band back together this October, as manager Emma Hayes tapped a number of veteran faces in a 26-player roster for the team's upcoming three international friendlies on Wednesday morning.
The team's European-based players are stepping back into the spotlight, after Hayes chose to rest stars Lindsey Heaps, Lily Yohannes, Emily Fox, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and Catarina Macario during the summer.
However, sidelined Chelsea defender Naomi Girma will sit this one out as she continues to recover from a calf injury.
The roster also highlights the return of favorites Trinity Rodman, Rose Lavelle, and Jaedyn Shaw, as Hayes also calls up 24-year-old San Diego Wave defender Kennedy Wesley for the first time.
As next fall's qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup quickly approach, Hayes is narrowing the field from her previous developmentally focused roster-building strategy.
"I think this was the one camp I had to make some really hard decisions, and that's the place I wanted to be in," Hayes told reporters on Wednesday morning. "It's the build for [World Cup] qualification for next year."
With an average age of 24.6, the latest squad reflects the US's youth movement, though Lavelle's return helps boost the average international experience from 18.4 caps in this summer's USWNT roster to 27.3 appearances on Hayes's October lineup.
The October 2025 USWNT roster
- Goalkeepers: Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
- Defenders: Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Lilly Reale (Gotham), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave)
- Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Rose Lavelle (Gotham), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes)
- Forwards: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Catarina Macario (Chelsea), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea)
How to watch the October USWNT friendlies
The world No. 2 USWNT will first take on No. 23 Portugal at 7 PM ET on October 23rd and at 4 PM ET on the 26th, before closing out the international window against No. 33 New Zealand at 8 PM ET on October 29th.
All three friendlies will air live on TNT.
The USWNT announced their 2025 season finale on Monday, setting a pair of friendlies against Italy at Orlando's Inter & Co Stadium on November 28th and Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on December 1st.
Facing the now-world No. 2 US for the first time in 15 years, Italy's recent run to the 2025 Euro semifinals shot them to No. 12 in the FIFA rankings.
"As we prepare for World Cup qualifying at the end of 2026, we want to play teams from all parts of the world with different styles and different strengths, so getting to play Italy, one of Europe's up-and-coming teams, will be a great way to end the year," said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes in a statement announcing the friendlies.
After an extended break following a series of early July matchups, the US now has five matches left on the books, with the year-ending Italy matches rounding out three already-announced October friendlies.
The USWNT kicks off next month's lineup with two matches against Euro 2025 participant No. 23 Portugal, followed by a third friendly against No. 33 New Zealand.
As Hayes's year of roster evaluation comes to a close, expect stakes to rise as the 2027 World Cup comes into sharper view.
How to purchase tickets to the final 2025 USWNT friendlies
Though a myriad of presale opportunities are available throughout this week, tickets to both the November 28th match in Orlando and the December 1st friendly in Fort Lauderdale will go on sale to the general public on Friday.
Tickets will drop at 10 AM ET online.
The USWNT laid out its fall plans on Monday, announcing a series of three October friendlies — including nods to recently retired stars Alyssa Naeher and Alex Morgan — in the world No. 1 team's first return to the pitch since early July.
The US will face 2025 Euro participant No. 22 Portugal in the first two matches, opening the series at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, on October 23rd before meeting again at Hartford, Connecticut's Rentschler Field in a split doubleheader with the US Men's Deaf National Team on the 26th.
The slate's third game will take place at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City on October 29th, against a still-unannounced opponent.
"Portugal is a growing team that will be highly motivated for these matches, but as always, these three games are more opportunities to work on us," USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said in Monday's release.
"I'm very impressed with the progress we've made since the Olympics and I want to give a lot of credit to the players for embracing our culture and ideas, but our staff and the players know we still have much work to do before World Cup qualifying next year."
In addition to building chemistry as the USWNT pushes toward 2026's World Cup Qualifiers, the first two October friendlies will also see the team celebrating past legends Morgan and Naeher.
The Pennsylvania friendly will honor retired USWNT forward Alex Morgan inside the stadium where she scored her first-ever senior team goal.
Hartford's match pays tribute to Connecticut product and decorated goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who hung up her international boots last December.
How to get tickets to the October USWNT friendlies
While various presale opportunities will drop throughout this week, general public tickets for all three matches will go on sale at 10 AM local venue time on Friday.
The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.
Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.
Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.
Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.
Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.
"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."
With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.
The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.
"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."
The world No. 1 USWNT will close out their summer international break against a familiar foe on Wednesday night, facing North American rival No. 8 Canada for the first time this year.
"It's never friendly, you know? It's always like a final," US midfielder Sam Coffey told media earlier this week. "We all know each other super well."
"I'm really excited to be a part of it again for our younger, newer players," she continued. "I think it's going to be a huge learning opportunity on what representing this crest means."
The Northern neighbors are the USWNT's most frequent opponent, with the US entering the pair's 67th meeting with a 53-4-9 all-time record against Canada.
Wednesday's matchup will also mark Canada's first US clash under new head coach Casey Stoney, who joined the team in January following her abrupt June 2024 dismissal by the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.
As for US boss Emma Hayes, she'll be looking for yet another refreshed set of starters on Wednesday after swapping out all 11 players between the team's two friendlies against Ireland last week.
"It's a testament to players and staff alike that we can rotate to different groups like we did last game, and everybody's understanding [the tactics] to varying degrees," Hayes said on Tuesday.
With months to go before the next USWNT camp in October, Wednesday's showdown serves as the last chance for bubble players to prove their worth, all while the team aims to cap the summer window with a big win over their longtime rivals.
How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday
The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against Canada at 7:30 PM ET in Washington, DC.
Live coverage of the clash will air on TNT.
The world No. 1 USWNT earned another lopsided result against No. 25 Ireland on Sunday, handing the Girls in Green a second straight 4-0 loss despite extensive lineup changes on both sides.
Veteran forward Lynn Biyendolo opened the scoring in her first match as USWNT captain, followed by first-ever senior team goals from both debutant defender Izzy Rodriguez and attacker Yazmeen Ryan.
Second-half USWNT sub Alyssa Thompson found the back of the net in the 86th minute to finish padding the 4-0 scoreline over Ireland.
With one more friendly against No. 8 Canada set for Wednesday, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes rotated all 11 starters on Sunday, trusting bubble players to overcome inexperience to produce a result.
"The level has been set to be relentless in the pursuit of performing and progressing," Hayes said after the game. "It's not about understanding everything in our playbook, but developing the confidence and bravery to deliver."
The victory also marked the USWNT's 600th program win, with midfielder Sam Meza joining Rodriguez in picking up the 23rd and 24th first caps of the Emma Hayes era.
"I feel like everyone is not only trusting the process, but carrying out all the things we ask them to do," said Hayes of her new additions. "Everybody showed themselves so well."
Though the US keeps stretching its depth and coming out on top, the need to develop strong connections on the pitch could force tough roster decisions in the future.
How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday
The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against rivals Canada on Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET.
Live coverage of the clash in Washington, DC, will air on TNT.