Jeff Caschell
US women’s national team coach Emma Hayes led her squad to a convincing 4-0 victory against Ireland at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, marking a significant moment by giving two more players their first international caps. With this match, Hayes has now overseen 24 new debuts in her 24 games in charge.
Defender Izzy Rodriguez and midfielder Sam Meza made their international debuts under Hayes, joining the ranks of the USWNT for the first time.
Rodriguez expressed her emotions during halftime, stating, “It feels surreal. This team has been everything to me, and they welcomed me so warmly that it made me quite emotional on the field.”
Forward Lindro, Yazmeen Ryan, and Alyssa Thompson contributed to the scoreline with goals. Lindro opened the scoring just 11 minutes into the match with a well-placed volley following a cross from Emma Sears. Ryan netted her first international goal in the 66th minute, while Thompson scored her fourth goal for the USWNT in the 87th minute, marking her second consecutive game on the scoresheet.
Since taking over the USWNT a year ago, Hayes has not only led the team to Olympic gold in her 10th match but also focused on expanding the player pool ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
In a strategic move, Hayes made an entirely new starting lineup from the team that had previously beaten Ireland just three days before, marking the second occurrence this year of such lineup changes.
The starting eleven featured many players with fewer than ten caps, except for veteran forward Lindro, who captained for the first time in this match. According to US Soccer, Meza and Rodriguez made history as the 13th and 14th Hispanic players to represent the USWNT, with Rodriguez playing as a standout fullback for Kansas City Current, while Meza plays for Seattle’s Reign FC.
Rodriguez played the full match, and Meza was substituted in the 87th minute for Rose Lovell. The crowd in her hometown cheered her on.
This victory marked the 600th win in the USWNT’s 40-year history, according to US Soccer. The team is set to face their rivals, Canada, in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, closing out the international window. Hayes plans to narrow down the roster in the next international window in October.
Fan Take: This victory not only highlights the development of new talent in the US women’s soccer scene but also emphasizes the team’s dedication to expanding its diversity. As fans, we should celebrate this growth, as it bodes well for the future of the sport and the USWNT’s competition on the world stage.
