In less than a year’s time, the United States and Spain will almost certainly arrive in Brazil as the top two contenders to win the Women’s World Cup.
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States → arrive → Cup
Spain, holders of the top spot in Fifa’s rankings for the past 60 weeks, are the defending champions; the second-ranked US won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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US → defend → Olympics
This month’s pair of friendlies between the two sides are taking place with caveats.
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pair → take → caveats
Both sides are missing several of their most important players to injuries.
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sides → miss → injuries
Spain have booked their place, but the US still have to actually qualify for the World Cup, through a regional tournament that begins next month.
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that → book → tournament
And in their first of two friendlies, on Saturday in Washington DC, Spain had the upper hand, scoring twice in the first 14 minutes of a 2-0 win.
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Spain → have → win
In just the fifth meeting between the two sides and the first since 11 October 2022 – before Spain broke through to win the 2023 World Cup – the reigning champions took advantage of defensive lapses and the US midfield’s struggles.
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champions → break → lapses
After trailing by two goals for the first time under Emma Hayes, the Americans played an improved second half, but miscues at the margins and a stopped penalty kept them scoreless.
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them → trail → margins
Emma Hayes has been intentional this year in crafting a calendar that pits the US against as much elite competition as possible.
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that → craft → competition
The Americans played Japan three times in March, winning two and losing one, and split a pair of away friendlies against Brazil in June.
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Americans → play → June
Saturday was the first time the US ever played the world No 1 in Fifa’s rankings on home soil.
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US → play → soil
would have perhaps been more instructive as a preview of a potential World Cup meeting, but such a clash had been ruled out this week.
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clash → rule → meeting
Spain are missing two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, midfielder Vicky Lopez, forward Mariona Caldentey and goalkeeper Cata Coll are out injured; striker Clàudia Pina and center-back Mapi León withdrew from camp on Friday.
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Pina → miss → Friday
If the lengthy list of absentees affected Spain, it didn’t show.
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it → affect → Spain
They went ahead in the third minute on a 20-yard screamer by Patri Guijarro.
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They → go → Guijarro
The US struggled to assemble their shape after a turnover and left the Barcelona midfielder with significant space.
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US → struggle → space
The second goal came just 11 minutes later, the result of another defensive breakdown.
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goal → come → breakdown
Salma Paralluelo isolated Tierna Davidson on the left side and sent a cross to a wide-open Eva Navarro, who fired it for a one-touch finish on the run.
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who → isolate → run
All 11 US players huddled above the box for several minutes after conceding.
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players → huddle → minutes
The US’s connections looked off throughout the first half, from giveaways and overhit clearances.
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connections → look → giveaways
Rose Lavelle attempted to lay off a forward pass with Sophia Wilson and Alyssa Thompson on the break, but both players mistimed their runs and the ball rolled out of bounds to a groan from the Audi Field crowd.
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ball → attempt → crowd
Wilson’s best attempts of the half hit the post and rolled wide.
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attempts → hit → post
The issues in the midfield balance – for the first 65 minutes, Lavelle, Lily Yohannes and Lindsey Heaps – that predate the Hayes era were evident again.
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that → predate → era
The Americans looked improved and collected in the second half after making adjustments to their high press.
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Americans → look → press
Spain did not produce a shot on target in the second half.
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Spain → produce → half
Wilson thought she had scored the US’s first goal in the 53rd minute, but it was waved for offside after video review.
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it → think → review
Trinity Rodman’s attempted tap-in on a cross from Thompson in the 58th minute was saved.
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in → attempt → minute
The US earned a penalty in the 67th minute after Wilson drew a foul by Natalia Ramos in the box.
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Wilson → earn → box
The taker was Yohannes – a surprise choice, given the 17-year-old has never attempted a penalty in four seasons at Ajax and OL Lyonnes.
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old → give → Ajax
Nanclares saved Yohannes’s stutter-step attempt and the US remained off the board.
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US → save → board
Forward Mallory Swanson and midfielder Ashley Sanchez were among the second-half substitutes, both returning to the field after lengthy absences.
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both → return → absences
Swanson made her first game appearance in 710 days after taking time away when she gave birth, while Sanchez was recalled back to the national team amid a strong NWSL season with the North Carolina Courage and played for the US for the first time since October 2023.
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Sanchez → make → October
She nearly scored off a cross in the 88th minute but slid as her foot connected with the ball.
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foot → score → ball
Spain went down to 10 players in stoppage time after a red card for a hair pull was awarded to Athenea de Castillo.
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card → go → Castillo
Entering this window, Hayes said that development and improvement were more important than wins or losses.
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development → enter → wins
She and the US staff will be the ones to rate where this match falls on that scale.
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match → rate → scale
Tuesday’s rematch will offer a chance for the result.
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rematch → offer → result
The Aporia
