LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a year when much of the focus will be on the U.S. men’s team and this summer’s World Cup, the women’s team is gearing up for its turn in 2027.
The United States wrapped up its January training camp with victories over Paraguay and Chile as the team prepares for qualifying in November for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The team is still going to depend heavily on familiar faces like Trinity Rodman, Naomi Girma and Lindsey Heaps while it looks to add a fifth World Cup title to the collection, but coach Emma Hayes has expanded her player pool.
The emphasis of the camp and the two friendlies was clearly on youth, with all the players coming from the National Women’s Soccer League. Players from Gotham FC who were in London for the semifinals of the first Women’s Champions Cup weren’t able to attend.
European-based U.S. players — like Heaps and Girma — also remained abroad to focus on their club seasons. Forwards Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson are working their way back from maternity leave.
As she did last year, Hayes held a concurrent Futures Camp so the under-23 players could share in an elevated training environment and, if the opportunity arose, play in games. Hayes started the camp for younger players last year, reflecting a holistic approach to developing the whole national team ecosystem.
“I think this has certainly opened up the year with what we’ve identified as the key themes to take us through to qualification,” Hayes said this week. “I think this camp has given us the reference points to be able to say, those are the things we need to add to go to the next level, these are the things that we are looking for.”
Hayes has given 32 players their first caps since she formally took over the team in June 2024, a span of 32 matches. Five players made their national team debuts in the two matches this year.
But it wasn’t just first appearances in a U.S. jersey, it was also first international goals. Reilyn Turner scored her first in a 6-0 victory over Paraguay, while Croix Bethune, Jameese Joseph and Emily Sams contributed theirs in a 5-0 rout of Chile on Tuesday.
The average number of caps for players starting against Paraguay was less than 10, and the number against Chile was just over five — fewest for a starting lineup in 25 years.
“I always approach things like it’s the day before a World Cup final, and every game should be played with that same intention, no matter the starting lineup,” Hayes said. “Yes, we have a much different group than we ordinarily would have, but what a great opportunity for so many of them. Not all of them will be part of the group that will compete to be part of the group that qualifies for 2027, but I’ve said countless times, my job is to prepare players not for just a single tournament, but to line up successive competitive teams.”
Rodman, 23, served as team captain for the match against Paraguay. Rodman was fresh off of signing a new three-year contract last week with the NWSL’s Washington Spirit.
“I think there’s this assumption that I only know how to lead by being funny and dancing and running my butt off, but I do speak, I do have good words to say,” Rodman said. “I was talking about it to somebody else that there was a lot of speeches that I needed to give, which I was a little bit nervous about, but it was good. I think it’s just reassuring, especially the younger players, that this is the same thing you’ve been doing since you were a little kid.”
Camps for subsequent games, including the upcoming SheBelieves Cup in March, will likely include groups of more experienced players. The United States will host Canada, Argentina and Colombia in the round-robin tournament played as double headers in three cities: Nashville, Tennessee; Columbus, Ohio; and Harrison, New Jersey.
The United States will also play Japan in three straight matches in April in San Jose, California, Seattle and Commerce City, Colorado.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Soccer Writer
