The USWNT hit the ground running on Thursday, taking down Colombia 2-0 to kick off the 2025 SheBelieves Cup with a bang.

Catarina Macario opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with her first international goal in almost three years, before 21-year-old Ally Sentnor put the game out of reach at the 60-minute mark with her first-ever international tally.

"Everybody is super happy, super proud, and I'm sure everybody back at Chelsea is too," US head coach Emma Hayes said of Macario’s strike, as the forward continues her long return from injury.

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USWNT rookies show out

Hayes’s decision to feature less experienced players in the match paid off, with the winning side bolstered by numerous first caps, starts, and a screamer of a goal for the world No. 1 team.

In just her third cap and first start for the senior national team, Sentnor's efforts earned her praise from Hayes, who called the young attacker's performance "tenacious on both sides of the wall."

Also excelling in her first USWNT start was 17-year-old Lily Yohannes, who lofted the ball forward in pursuit of Macario’s opening goal and stood out as the most creative passer within a US midfield that completed over 500 passes.

"She's really switched on and someone who understands the importance of doing everything for the team and for that I really admire her," Hayes said after the match.

Hayes also continued her efforts to mint new USWNT players with a trio of first caps in Thursday's match. While forward Michelle Cooper and defender Gisele Thompson snagged their first USWNT minutes as late substitutes, center-back Tara McKeown grabbed a starting spot, then capitalized on the opportunity by registering an assist to set up Sentnor's jaw-dropping goal.

Hayes has emphasized the need for the USWNT to develop its future, but Thursday’s performance showed that the future might be closer than originally expected — especially considering the big names missing from this window’s USWNT roster.

USWNT defender Emily Sonnett is honored for her 100 caps during a pre-match ceremony on Thursday.
Sonnett is the only USWNT athlete to play in all 10 SheBelieves Cups. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

Sonnett celebrates 100th USWNT cap

Alongside all the noteworthy firsts, the USWNT also had the chance to celebrate its veteran leadership on Thursday.

Prior to the match, the team honored Emily Sonnett for her 100th cap before the versatile defender captained the squad as a starting center-back on the night.

Notably, Sonnett's USWNT tenure includes competing in all 10 iterations of the SheBelieves Cup — more than any other player.

Australia's Alanna Kennedy reacts to losing the final 2024 Olympics group stage match to the USWNT.
he USWNT last faced Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Brad Smith/ISI/Getty Images).

USWNT to face Australia in second SheBelieves match

Now sitting in second in the SheBelieves Cup standings, the USWNT trails only Japan due to goal differential after the Nadeshiko toppled Australia 4-0 on Thursday afternoon.

The struggling Matildas, who failed to register a single shot on goal against Japan, must now face the seven-time SheBelieves champion USWNT in Arizona on Sunday — a team Australia has only defeated once in the pair's 35 all-time meetings.

The last time the teams met, the US defeated the Matildas 2-1 in the final group stage match of the 2024 Olympics to advance to the quarterfinals.

This time out, expect heavy roster rotation from Hayes's squad as players look to stay healthy for their club seasons, with some still ramping up to full fitness before the 2025 NWSL season.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Australia in the SheBelieves Cup

The USWNT kicks off against Australia in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup at 5 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage on TBS, Max, and Peacock.

The 2025 SheBelieves Cup kicks off on Thursday, when head coach Emma Hayes’s refreshed USWNT roster will take on No. 21 Colombia at Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium.

The match is the first of three international friendlies that the world No. 1 USWNT will play during the annual tournament's 10th edition, with games against No. 15 Australia and No. 8 Japan set for Sunday and Wednesday, respectively.

USWNT goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn saves a ball during a training session.
The USWNT will test new goalkeepers to replace retired star Alyssa Naeher. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

SheBelieves to test young USWNT players

With a number of big-name veterans missing from the February roster and the road to the 2027 World Cup just beginning, Hayes is using the 2025 SheBelieves Cup to try out less experienced USWNT players against some of the world’s best contenders.

"The reality is we have top ability, that's clear, but we want to develop a combination of things: their personal resilience, which we do, and their learning mindset," Hayes told reporters earlier this week.

"We give them the opportunity, and that opportunity will either tell us that they're ready now, or they're ready later."

One guaranteed area of focus throughout the tournament will be goalkeeping, as the USWNT seeks a replacement for previous mainstay Alyssa Naeher, who hung up her boots at the end of 2024.

With Naeher and her 115 career appearances behind them, Hayes confirmed that both Jane Campbell and Mandy McGlynn are expected to earn starts during this window.

Campbell, the net-minder for the NWSL's Houston Dash, has eight caps with the USWNT, while Utah Royals keeper McGlynn earned her first and only appearance in the team's 3-0 win over Argentina last October.

"[Campbell and McGlynn] have to demonstrate they can make the important decisions under pressure — both sides of the ball," Hayes noted.

With Hayes firmly past the "must win" mode with which she began her USWNT tenure, her next challenge is to properly test this new next-gen roster’s resilience, as the slow and steady ramp-up to the Brazil-hosted 2027 World Cup outweighs immediate results.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Colombia in the SheBelieves Cup

The USWNT will kick off against Colombia at 8 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage across TBS, Max, and Peacock.

The U.S. women’s national soccer team will take the pitch Tuesday for the second of two June friendlies against Colombia.

The match marks the final time on the pitch for the USWNT before the team heads to July’s Concacaf W Championship in Mexico. That tournament will determine four automatic berths to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as well as one berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

How to watch

When: Tuesday, June 28 @ 10 p.m. ET on ESPN

Where: Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah

The USWNT is coming off a 3-0 victory in which Sophia Smith scored a second-half brace and Taylor Kornieck scored in her international debut. But there were questions about the team’s form heading into next month’s tournament, as Colombia challenged an often high-scoring USWNT offense.

Both Andi Sullivan and Kelley O’Hara will not start in Tuesday’s game, with coach Vlatko Andonovski saying in Monday’s media availability that their minutes will continue to be limited as they continue their respective journeys back from injury.

Andonovski also said that one of the team’s three extra players, who will not join the team for the W Championship will start Tuesday. He did not reveal whether it will be Sam Coffey, Jaelin Howell or Carson Pickett.

The U.S. women’s national soccer team rallied after a lackluster first half to take down Colombia 3-0 Saturday in the first of two friendlies between the sides.

Colorado native Sophia Smith led the way, scoring the first two goals of the game in front of her home crowd at DSG Park in Commerce City.

With Colombia set up in a low block and a sweeper, the USWNT struggled to break down their opponent’s backline. Despite holding 71 percent of possession, the USWNT only put three of their 12 shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes, failing to execute in the final third.

The team was awarded a penalty kick in the final seconds of the first half and a breakthrough goal before the break seemed imminent, but Colombia keeper Catalina Perez denied Lindsey Horan from the spot to keep the match deadlocked.

The second 45 minutes were a different story for the USWNT, with Sophia Smith notching the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute, finishing off a perfectly placed ball from Rose Lavelle.

Smith doubled the USWNT’s lead in the 60th minute, again getting on the end of a long ball out of the midfield from Lavelle.

Taylor Kornieck put the icing on the cake for the United States, nodding in a set-piece from Megan Rapinoe in stoppage time for her first USWNT goal in her national team debut.

Three takeaways from Saturday’s win

Sophia Smith shines in her home state

Colorado native Smith put on a show, notching a brace in front of the Commerce City crowd. The attacker played a full 90 minutes and made magic with Lavelle throughout the match, with the duo linking up in both of Smith’s goals.

Smith is tied for the USWNT’s scoring lead with five goals on the year. Heading into the June camp, coach Vlatko Andonovski said it would be “extremely difficult” for a player to take Smith or Mallory Pugh’s starting spot, with Smith’s Saturday night performance further solidifying her place on the front line.

Ashley Sanchez shifts the tempo

Ashley Sanchez and Alex Morgan were subbed on at the half, relieving Horan and Ashley Hatch. The duo immediately made an impact, jump-starting an out-of-sync USWNT offense while upping the game’s tempo.

Sanchez unlocked space, drawing defenders with her skills on the dribble, showing off her creative flair and courage one-on-one. Not only is Sanchez exciting to watch, but she is also effective, especially in breaking down a low block and pulling defenses apart with her dynamic movement on and off the ball.

The star midfielder nearly put Morgan on the board, dishing out a well-executed ball to the forward in the box before she was fouled, drawing a penalty. Lavelle, however, missed from the spot, with Perez once again denying the USWNT.

Sanchez and Morgan marked a handful of second-half substitutions from Andonovski, including Sofia Huerta for Kelley O’Hara, Kristie Mewis for Andi Sullivan, Kornieck for Lavelle and Rapinoe for Pugh.

Taylor Kornieck scores in USWNT debut

Kornieck had a night to remember, with the University of Colorado alum scoring in her first appearance with the USWNT. The San Diego Wave midfielder subbed on in the 73rd minute before heading in a set piece from Rapinoe, putting the score at 3-0 in the final minutes of stoppage time. With her late-game goal, Kornieck became the 22nd player in USWNT history to score in her first appearance.

The U.S. women’s national soccer team is taking the pitch for the first time since April on Saturday for the first of two June friendlies against Colombia.

The matchup is a precursor to July’s Concacaf W Championship, which will serve as a qualifying tournament for the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics.

How to Watch:

When: Saturday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Where: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

How to Watch: Tune in to FS1 at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday to watch the USWNT take on Colombia.

Matchup history: Saturday’s game will mark the ninth meeting between the USWNT and Colombia, with the United States holding a 7-0-1 record. The only draw between the two sides came in the 2016 Olympics in the tournament’s group stage.

Most recently, the teams played in a series of friendlies in 2021 in Orlando, with the USWNT downing the visitors 4-0 in the first match and 6-0 in the second, with Catarina Macario logging her first intentional appearance and first USWNT goal in the later contest.

The U.S. women’s national team announced Thursday that it has two games scheduled against Colombia for the June international friendly window.

The first game will take place in Commerce City, Colorado, on June 25, followed by a game in Sandy, Utah, on June 28.

The June window marks the final slate of games before the Concacaf W Championship in July. The USWNT drew Mexico, Jamaica and Haiti in Group A.

Colombia is ranked 26th in the world and second in South America behind Brazil. They will compete in the 2022 Copa América Femenina in July, with three teams qualifying for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

These two matches will be the USWNT’s ninth and 10th all-time against the South American team. Currently, they are undefeated against Las Cafeteras, having gone 7-0-1.

“Colombia has a good chance to make it to the World Cup and both teams will be in our final preparations for our qualifying tournaments, so I expect some highly competitive matches between players who are competing to represent their countries in some really important games,” U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski said in a statement.

“When we get to Colorado, we’ll be coming off a stretch of more than two months that the players have been with their clubs and away from the National Team environment, so we’ll be looking to get maximum value out of our last days and games together before we go to Mexico for qualifying.”