A young USWNT will kick off in California on Saturday, as the world No. 2 takes on No. 46 Paraguay in the first of two January friendlies to open the 2027 World Cup qualifying year.
"It's really exciting to see the opportunity presented to a lot of players in this camp," said midfielder Olivia Moultrie prior to Saturday's match, which will pull from a 26-player USWNT January lineup that boasts an average age of just 24.1 years old. "It's players that I've played with on youth teams, and just seeing kind of start coming into the league."
This month's camp falls outside an official FIFA window, leaving the US without both European club players and Gotham FC's squad as the 2025 NWSL champs prepare to contend in the first-ever FIFA Women's Champions Cup in London next week.
"There is no question we will keep — I hope — improving what we're doing," said USWNT manager Emma Hayes. "You don't do that gradually, you don't do that by changing things all of the time."
Additionally, Saturday's match will honor two-time World Cup champion Christen Press with a pregame ceremony, after the star forward announced her pro soccer retirement at the end of last season.
How to watch the USWNT vs. Paraguay on Saturday
The USWNT will take on Paraguay at 5:30 PM ET on Saturday, kicking off live on TNT.
The world No. 2 USWNT opened their year-end friendlies in style on Friday, taking down No. 12 Italy 3-0 behind a second straight brace from leading 2025 scorer Catarina Macario.
The US struck early once again, with Olivia Moultrie finding the back of the net in under 90 seconds — marking the fourth consecutive game in which the USWNT scored within 10 minutes.
Macario added her two goals in the game's second half, while goalkeeper Claudia Dickey ensured the shutout with a pair of saves.
"We've often started fast and conceded just as quickly, so a clean sheet means as much to us this evening as the result and the performance," head coach Emma Hayes said afterwards.
Hayes opted for a veteran group to open the team's final 2025 FIFA break, working center back Naomi Girma back into the fold alongside mainstays like defender Emily Sonnett and midfielders Rose Lavelle and Sam Coffey.
That said, the US did see two international debuts on Friday, as Chicago Stars forward Jameese Joseph and Washington Spirit defender Kate Wiesner earned their first caps.
"I want to give opportunities to players that are not only deserving of it, but they develop the experiences that might be needed," said Hayes.
Friday's match brings the total number of first caps under Hayes's leadership to 27, with 16 of those debuts coming in 2025 — the most in a single year since the 1985 inaugural USWNT campaign.
"It can be tough when you have injuries, and you have a lot of rotation, but at the same time, it allowed us to tap into our depth and allowed a lot of people to get experience in really good, hard games," Lavelle said after Friday's win. "We can close out this year knowing we got all of that and then some."
How to watch the USWNT vs. Italy on Monday
The No. 2 USWNT will close out their 2025 campaign with a final friendly against No. 12 Italy in Fort Lauderdale on Monday.
The match kicks off at 7 PM ET, with live coverage airing on TNT and HBO Max.
The world No. 2 USWNT returned to winning form on Sunday, avenging Thursday's upset loss to No. 23 Portugal by capping the pair's two-game friendly series with a 3-1 victory.
USWNT midfielder Olivia Moultrie led the charge, securing a brace within the opening 10 minutes before second-half sub Sam Coffey flicked in a 77th-minute corner kick to cement the 3-1 scoreline.
"[US head coach] Emma [Hayes] said before the game, 'I don't care what the result is, but no matter what, I want it to feel like we played like us,'" said 20-year-old Moultrie postgame.
Hayes significantly shifted away from Thursday's struggling lineup, replacing eight starters and relying on a starting XI with an average age of 21.7 years old — including teenaged midfielders Lily Yohannes and Claire Hutton.
Defender Emily Sonnett captained the squad, and her 111 senior team caps singlehandedly outranked the other 10 players on the field, whose USWNT appearances combined totaled just 100 matches.
"You can't cut a corner to success, and you can't cut a corner with development," said Hayes, impressed by the young group's growth since falling to both Brazil and Japan earlier this year.
"I think last game was a blip," Hayes continued. "And that, for me, is not something I expect to be happening on a regular basis."
How to watch this week's USWNT friendly
The No. 2 USWNT will close out October's international window with a friendly against No. 33 New Zealand in Kansas City on Wednesday.
The match will kick off at 8 PM ET, live on TNT.
The No. 5 Portland Thorns snagged another result over the weekend, grabbing a point off a 1-1 Saturday draw with the No. 9 North Carolina Courage to further solidify their spot on the NWSL table.
Midfielder Olivia Moultrie opened scoring with a first-half bullet to put Portland up 1-0, before Courage forward Tyler Lussi equalized with a 70th-minute strike.
With her 13th career goal on Saturday, 19-year-old Moultrie became the NWSL's joint-leader in regular-season goals scored by a teenager — sharing the all-time record with North Carolina attacker Jaedyn Shaw.
The Portland Thorns are currently making a case for the league's "best of the rest," after Saturday NWSL action saw the San Diego Wave rocket up the table to No. 2 with a 2-1 win over No. 11 Bay FC while the No. 1 Kansas City Current and now-No. 3 Orlando Pride ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
Despite losing veteran anchors Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Meghan Klingenberg to retirement and USWNT star Sophia Wilson to maternity leave, Portland has figured out how to generate new offensive opportunities via young talent like forwards Reilyn Turner and Pietra Tordin.
More experienced midfielders like Moultrie and Sam Coffey are also contributing, with Coffey scoring her second season goal on August 10th to match her entire 2024 total.
As for North Carolina, the questions continue for the Courage as they struggle to stack results amid the abrupt sacking of head coach Sean Nahas earlier this month.
According to a statement released after the Courage's August 8th loss to the then-No. 12 Houston Dash, Nahas was removed due to "confounding performance issues, culture issues, and a perceived lack of fit that created an environment that club leadership felt was untenable to the point that change was necessary at the head coaching position."
How to watch Monday's NWSL match
In a rare Monday matchup, the NWSL's 16th matchday will wrap with the No. 6 Seattle Reign hosting the No. 13 Chicago Stars — with a Reign win sending Seattle above Portland to No. 5 on the NWSL table.
Live coverage of the 10 PM ET match will air on CBS Sports Network.
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins dives into the individuals who put together standout performances for the USWNT in the team's recent pair of friendlies, from a big update in the goalkeeping race to the squad's multi-layered midfield project.
Watkins also breaks down the missed opportunities amid the USWNT's 3-0 win over China PR and 4-0 victory against Jamaica, as the year of head coach Emma Hayes's great roster experiment crosses the six-month mark.
Diving straight into the players who impressed, Watkins first calls out US captain Lindsey Heaps, applauding her performances while also noting that she "[wishes] maybe [Heaps] was used more situationally than kind of all the time."
"Heaps has so much to give this team, but it is probably against teams like this where they're sitting back a little bit more," explains Watkins. "I don't love her against a press. I don't love her against a super athletic, physical midfield, but in these games, she really shines."
Shifting to the ongoing search to crown retired goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher's replacement, Watkins dubs Manchester United net-minder Phallon Tullis-Joyce — who started both USWNT friendlies — the overall frontrunner.
"Tullis-Joyce honestly reminds me a lot of Alyssa Naeher in her first couple years with the USWNT," says Watkins. "She's calm, she's organized, she's a good shot-stopper. She's a great communicator."
Young talent make strong cases for USWNT roster inclusion
Watkins also sings the praises of several young talents whose performances over the last week will make them hard to drop, including "obvious" choices like forward Alyssa Thompson and attacker Catarina Macario, as well as strike Ally Sentnor and teen midfielder Lily Yohannes.
Callling Yohannes "the freaking truth," Watkins notes that "you're seeing glimpses of what could become truly world-class play against the top teams in the world in a couple of years."
Making a slightly quieter, but no less impactful, case, argues Watkins, is winger Michelle Cooper.
Cooper's consistent refining and improvement have Watkins comparing her progress to star Trinity Rodman's USWNT evolution, saying that top passing is "how [Rodman] worked her way into the team before starting to take more shots. I think Cooper can follow that same game plan."
Missed opportunities leave some players scrambling
Pivoting to the missed opportunities arising from the two friendlies, Watkins calls the center-back pairings "lackluster," celebrating the return of star Naomi Girma and her rock-solid play as well as veteran Emily Sonnett's versatility while critiquing Hayes's decision to not test much depth at the position.
"It just feels like a wasted opportunity with so many other center back injuries," Watkins explains, referencing season-ending injuries to players like Tierna Davidson.
Along with what Watkins calls "rough" set pieces, she notes that less rotation and late subs were a missed opportunity to adequately test fresh faces or build chemistry with other players.
Noting that performances like forward Lynn Biyendolo's Jamaica match, in which she scored a brace off the bench, are "the gold standard," Watkins also questions Hayes's own criticism about the level of play dropping off when athletes aren't given enough minutes to find their feet and make an impact.
Citing talent like defender Emily Sams and midfielders Lo'eau LaBonta and Olivia Moultrie, Watkins posits that the sub patterns "just didn't quite have the focus that I'm sure Hayes was looking for."
"I worry that the players that kind of got dumped into games late never really had a chance, which is this happens at times when they're starting to ramp up," she says.
Overall, Hayes seems to be more obviously honing in on her starting core.
"We're starting to see players get multiple starts.... Those are the players to take seriously as the future of this program," notes Watkins.
"Hayes is being very purposeful with what she wants to see from her starters and what she wants to see from her bench. And there is an increasing gap between those two groups," says Watkins. "So the competition rises next international break."
About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.
Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women's Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
In this week's episode of The Late Sub, host Claire Watkins discusses the importance of the current international window for the USWNT and digs into the players who did and did not make head coach Emma Hayes's latest 24-athlete roster.
Watkins begins with those not invited to this week's senior team camp, with Hayes using the concurrent U23 camp as a "minor league" for athletes who "need a little bit more development or need to be in a different training situation or have different leadership structures."
Watkins specifically digs into the placement of midfielder Korbin Albert and forwards Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel with the U23 squad, as well as the overall omission of goalkeeper Jane Campbell.
Honing in on Albert, Watkins calls her U23 spot a demotion, saying "It's wild to me that someone who started the [2024] Olympic gold-medal match for the USWNT is now playing for the U23s when the senior team is in session."
"I think we're stuck in this question of, 'is she good enough or is she not?'" explains Watkins, noting that "Albert isn't giving [Hayes] those all-around performances that validate that roster spot when there are other players that could be given a look."
In contrast, Watkins backs Hayes's decisions to place the versatile Shaw and Fishel — who's still regaining form from a 2024 ACL tear — with the youth team.
Calling her "the player truly out in the cold here," Watkins worries that 30-year-old Campbell might be facing an "always the bridesmaid, never the bride of the US goalkeeper cycle," with Hayes opting for a largely untested trio of Mandy McGlynn, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and Claudia Dickey as she continues seeking retired star Alyssa Naeher's replacement.
Top NWSL play fuels USWNT roster call-ups
The uncapped Dickey, says Watkins, is one of the players reaping the benefits of Hayes's developmental roster movements.
"She is statistically one of the highest performing goalkeepers in the NWSL this season," notes Watkins about the Seattle Reign starter. "The numbers do not lie. She is one of the best pure shot-stoppers in the league this year, if not the best."
Also snagging a shot at the senior team thanks to stellar NWSL play are Orlando Pride standout and "Swiss Army knife defender" Kerry Abello, Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie, and Kansas City Current captain Lo'eau LaBonta.
LaBonta, who headlined this USWNT roster by earning her first-ever call-up at age 32, is a versatile midfielder with, according to Watkins, a "really, really strong" mentality as well as a "wonderful locker room presence."
Citing Hayes's previous comments about the age of certain players causing her to seek younger athletes, Watkins wonders if LaBonta's call-up isn't simply a long-overdue reward for years of top professional play, and instead, perhaps, a sign that Hayes is "learning that you need a little bit of both [youth and experience]."
"I think [LaBonta's] going to make herself hard to drop," states Watkins. "With 2027 only two years away, I'm not betting against LaBonta. She's going into this camp looking for more call-ups. This is not just a 'job well done' situation for her."
Finally, Watkins mentions that many younger players, like Kansas City's Michelle Cooper and Claire Hutton, and Utah's Ally Sentnor, are back in the mix "because they're playing too well for the U23s. They've been put into senior team camp and they've swam — they have not sunk."
Summer friendlies serve as senior team try-outs
The stakes are high for the 24 athletes in this USWNT camp, with small windows to impress Hayes while facing two tough opponents in the upcoming days: May 31st's clash with China PR and a June 3rd date with Jamaica's Reggae Girlz.
"Who's going to be able to elevate their game even if they don't have a ton of experience?," asks Watkins. "It's up to the senior call-ups to make those players that are in the U23s harder to call back in. And those players in the U23s are going to probably have to show new sides of themselves to get back into the fold."
"This is the Emma Hayes system. And I cannot wait to say who says, 'Nope. This is not just a pat on the back. You're not dropping me.'"
About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on the USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.
Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women's Sports newsletter for more.
Subscribe to The Late Sub to never miss an episode.
The U.S. women’s national team is ending the year with a shift in identity after the team’s disappointing finish at the 2023 World Cup.
Much has been made about the USWNT’s history and the importance of leaning into the culture and mentality that have allowed the team to enjoy dominance on the world stage for decades. But as the team attempts to adjust to a new-look international game, they’re also having to embrace the future.
“I think there’s two things happening,” USWNT interim head coach Twila Kilgore said Monday, before the team’s last friendly of 2023 against China PR on Tuesday. “I talked about this with the group before we went out to the game. It’s showing who we are, but also who we’re becoming. And they’re not mutually exclusive.”
Heading into the Paris Olympics next year, the team is at a crossroads. USWNT legends Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz have retired, and other veterans are coming up on the ends of their careers. In the meantime, young talent has begun to emerge.
Jaedyn Shaw, 19, and Mia Fishel, 22, scored their first international goals within their first two international appearances. And on Saturday, Olivia Moultrie, 18, and Jenna Nighswonger, 23, earned their first USWNT caps. Others like M.A. Vignola, 25, and Korbin Albert, 20, have received their first call-ups.
.@JaedynShaw11 (18 years and 343 days) is the youngest player to score for the #USWNT since Mallory Swanson scored against Colombia at the 2016 Summer Olympics at 18 years and 102 days of age. pic.twitter.com/vgSNHMjrfX
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 29, 2023
It’s a noticeable shift, especially with Crystal Dunn, Alex Morgan and other veterans left off the December roster. New head coach Emma Hayes will also officially take over when the Chelsea club season ends in May 2024.
“We have a very strong history. This is a program that means so much to so many people and has really been an example to the world in some ways about what women’s football or soccer can be,” Kilgore said. “We don’t want to lose any of that. And yet we are layering in new ideas, we are layering in new tactics, we are layering in just a little bit of a shift in mentality.
“I think what we really want is we want everybody locked in, which I think has always been the case, willing and brave to try new things. You see this rotation of new people in, which requires a faster hold on what our culture and identity is within the group — meaning we have to acclimate them quicker and do so maybe with not just a group of veterans, but do so with a group that is new, which is a little bit different.”
Kilgore rotated in many new faces during the USWNT’s 3-0 win over China on Saturday, and she’ll have one more opportunity to do so in 2023 when the U.S. takes the field in Texas on Tuesday night.
“It’s always been that we want to be on the front foot offensively, and defensively we want to be dominant when we can be. We want to get better in possession and we want to show that we believe that we can win under all circumstances.”
The U.S. women’s national team’s final friendlies of the calendar year serve as an opportunity for young players to showcase their talents.
Last month, forwards Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel earned their first caps with the U.S. senior team. Midfielder Olivia Moultrie and midfielder/defender Jenna Nighswonger joined them on Saturday, making their debuts in the USWNT’s 3-0 win over China PR, the first of two friendlies this week.
The post-World Cup games have allowed the USWNT coaching staff to evaluate the depth chart in preparation for the Olympics in Paris next summer. The team has been strategic in how they bring on young players, and on Monday interim head coach Twila Kilgore said she’s been impressed with Moultrie and Nighswonger.
“They’ve each done a really good job of stepping it up in the moments that we’ve asked them to,” she said, noting that Moultrie was “great between the lines” and did well defensively.
“That’s really, really important at this level to be able to do both sides,” Kilgore added.
Nighswonger, a midfielder in college at Florida State, spent her rookie year with Gotham FC at the right back position. The 2023 NWSL Rookie of the Year was listed on the USWNT roster as a midfielder but subbed into the game Saturday as a defender.
“Jenna obviously, we see as a very versatile player that can play very many positions,” Kilgore said. “She played on the left side, and she picked and chose some really good moments to play forward and she did a good job defensively.”
As Moultrie and Nighswonger continue to get more opportunities with the team, Kilgore expects their confidence to grow.
“I think it’s really just about these first moments for them, and just continuing to layer on responsibilities as they come,” Kilgore said. “The key message to everybody is just that they stay ready. And when they’re asked to play, they are ready to do that and step into their role in a very significant way. So we’ve actually already spent time with both of them, reviewing film concepts, and we feel confident in their ability to continue to take another step.”
The USWNT plays China PR again on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (truTV) in Frisco, Texas.
Eighteen-year-old Olivia Moultrie impressed in her debut for the U.S. women’s national team in 3-0 win against China on Dec. 2.
Moultrie came on as a substitute in the 71st minute for Rose Lavelle, becoming the first player born in 2005 to earn a cap. She played the rest of the game in a midfield role behind young forwards Jaedyn Shaw, 19, and Mia Fishel, 22.
“Very, very pleased with Liv,” USWNT interim head coach Twila Kilgore said after the match. “I know I talked to her after the game, she was ecstatic, as you would imagine that she would be, but I think there’ll be greater moments for her to come.”
Moultrie started training with the Portland Thorns at 13 years old, and she officially signed with the NWSL club in 2021 at 15 years old following a legal battle over her right to play. Two years later, she registered one shot on target in her debut for the senior national team.
Kilgore praised Moultrie’s playmaking ability, going so far as to say that she wishes the squad would’ve gotten the ball to her more.
“I think she went in and occupied spaces really well,” Kilgore said. “I felt like we could have found her more and when we did find her I thought she was very good in combination and looking to play forward, tried some things, we asked her to be brave. She was brave. And I thought she was great at looking to regain the ball right away when other people lost the ball.”
And bravery is key when making an appearance for a national team at 18 years old. But as Kilgore said, Moultrie was brave, and she likely has a successful future ahead of her with the USWNT.
“One of the things I was able to get to her right before she went in, she’s obviously already been briefed tactically what we’re looking for, but just reminding her that I would not play her if she wasn’t ready,” Kilgore said. “She’s earned this and she did an incredible job going in and playing on both sides of the ball.”
Grateful! 🙏🏻🙏🏻 https://t.co/y4sVScQQVC
— Olivia Moultrie (@olivia_moultrie) December 3, 2023
Olivia Moultrie and Jenna Nighswonger made their debuts for the U.S. women’s national team in Saturday’s 3-0 win against China.
Moultrie, 18, and Nighswonger, 23, represent a growing youth movement for the USWNT. The roster for the December training camp underlined the changing of the guard, with several veteran stars receiving rest to provide the coaching staff with more chances to evaluate the next generation.
The NWSL Rookie of the Year, Nighswonger entered in the 62nd minute for Emily Fox. She received her first call-up ahead of the December friendlies after helping Gotham FC to the NWSL title.
“I keep repeating this word over and over again, but I’m just so grateful for everything this year, and I just feel so lucky to be surrounded by such great teammates that have helped me get here,” she said after the match.
Moultrie entered in the 71st minute for Rose Lavelle. The Portland Thorns midfielder becomes the second 18-year-old to debut for the USWNT in 2023, which marks the first time since 2005 that two players aged 18 or younger have made their USWNT debuts in the same year.
“I talked to her after the game. She was ecstatic, as you would imagine that she would be, but I think there’ll be no greater moments for her to come,” interim head coach Twila Kilgore said after the win.
The trend toward younger players also came through in the goals scored by the USWNT, with Trinity Rodman, 21, scoring one goal and assisting on two more. Sophia Smith, 23, also scored a goal, and Jaedyn Shaw, 19, assisted on Rodman’s goal.
Debut, x2 🇺🇸 https://t.co/93P5F3SvQR pic.twitter.com/8t9iUNdO5U
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) December 2, 2023