In anticipation of the women’s national team friendly against Chile on Tuesday, U.S. women’s national team coach Emma Hayes has announced that there will be considerable adjustments to the lineup. This announcement comes on the heels of a commanding 6-0 victory over Paraguay last Saturday.
Hayes emphasized the importance of varied experiences in the upcoming match, stating, “There’ll be changes to the team, as I mentioned at the beginning. So I’m putting together a whole new lineup, which itself will bring another set of challenges, whether that be first caps, whether that will be inexperience, collectively playing together.” The game will take place at Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium, noted to be the USWNT’s first full international match at this venue.
With aspirations for a sixth consecutive win, the team is gearing up not only for the immediate friendly but also for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup in March, as well as future qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup. Hayes highlighted the significance of January’s training camp as a platform to assess the team’s new and young talent. “This window is about identifying which players we think will be key to that group, or that core group,” she stated. There is a clear focus on nurturing talent for both the 2028 and 2031 cycles, demonstrating a long-term strategy for development.
“The team will be shaped with an eye on future competitions,” Hayes noted, expressing confidence in the skill pool available for selection. Following Tuesday’s friendly, the coach will prepare her squad for encounters this spring against Argentina, Canada, and Colombia as part of the SheBelieves Cup.
The upcoming match against Chile presents an opportunity not only for the team to showcase its depth but also for coaches and fans to gauge the evolution of the squad as they aim for continued success on the international stage.