USWNT handles Ireland again in friendly as Emma Hayes continues to rotate in new faces

New York Times

a day ago

On a steamy Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati's TQL Stadium, the U.S. women's national team took the field for the 765th time and delivered another emphatic victory, 4-0 against Ireland.
Like their Thursday meeting with Ireland in Commerce City, Colorado, Sunday's match featured four different goal scorers in Lynn Biyendolo (who wore the captain's armband to start the match), Izzy Rodriguez, Yazmeen Ryan, and Alyssa Thompson.
Advertisement
Sunday's victory was a special one as it marked the program's 600th win. It also continued a recent trend of increased offense. Since February, the team has netted 15 goals across eight friendlies. In the June window alone, they cruised past Jamaica 4-0 and defeated China 3-0 before the pair of 4-0 wins against Ireland.
In the 11th minute on Sunday, forward Emma Sears delivered a perfect cross to Biyendolo, who opened the scoring tally with a clean volley to the back of the net. Just before halftime, Kansas City Current defender Izzy Rodriguez, who earned her first cap and first start, pounced on a rebounded ball in the box and hammered home a half volley to double the U.S. lead.
Yazmeen Ryan also netted her first international goal in the 66th minute when she received a pass from Olivia Moultrie and snuck the ball past a crowded penalty area. And Alyssa Thompson, who scored against Ireland in their Thursday night meeting, needed just six minutes after subbing on near the end of the match to find the back of the net again.
40 years of setting the standard.40 years of raising the bar.
That is the U.S. Way. pic.twitter.com/Y7gXl9fRtH
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 29, 2025
'Everybody's meant to be here. If you were not meant to be here, you wouldn't be here,' Biyendolo told TNT's analysts postgame. ' But take a deep breath and just play hard. One thing that is non-negotiable in this team is just effort. So when things are going right, just put in the effort. … Take a deep breath and let's just play and play with joy.'
Biyendolo's words echoed the ethos Hayes is installing leading up to the 2027 World Cup.
Hayes is still molding the team in her image and is not afraid to give new faces a chance. She rolled out a completely different starting XI from Thursday's game. It was the second time in her short tenure with the team that she made wholesale changes between games, something that hadn't happened in nearly a quarter-century before her arrival. The last time the USWNT rotated all 11 players between matches was 2001, according to the U.S. Soccer data. It's now happened twice just this year.
Advertisement
It's a bold approach, and one that speaks to Hayes' long-term vision.
Hayes handed first senior caps to two new faces: midfielder Sam Meza and left back Rodriguez. Meza and Rodriguez become the 281st and 282nd players to represent the USWNT, and notably, the 13th and 14th players of Hispanic descent to do so, a meaningful footnote in a squad long criticized for its lack of Latino representation.
'I feel like everybody is not just trusting the process, but they're carrying out all the things we asked them to do,' Hayes said after the game in Cincinnati. 'I thought Sam Meza was outstanding in the pivot position. I thought Izzy grew into the game, showed her quality deliveries.'
She called defender Jordan Bugg, who just turned 18 and started this match, 'a super football player.'
Also we promise we didn't forget Alyssa Thompson's goal in the 86th minute!!#USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/GaQ9OmyKRH
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) June 29, 2025
Of the rotation, Hayes acknowledged that it's 'not easy to go and change a team to 11 and perform and raise a bar, but the players did that, and I'm extremely proud of them.'
For this busy week, Hayes gave her Euro players a break, except for Naomi Girma, who plays for Chelsea, the only European-based player on the roster. Her intentions to rest players accordingly extended to the pool of camp players as well, especially those easing their way back from; Girma was subbed off during the second half of Thursday's match and didn't play at all on Sunday, while midfielder Rose Lavelle, a Cincinnati native who recently returned to the USWNT after recovering from an ankle injury, was not subbed on until the 85th minute in her hometown game.
'Emma put me in as a cameo at the end, it was always the plan,' said Lavelle postgame. 'It is always great to be back home … We have one more game, but it was a fun camp.'
Advertisement
Sunday's game was the USWNT's second of three that will take place within the span of a week. Next, the team heads to Washington, D.C. where they will face Canada on Wednesday at Audi Field.
(Photo Lynn Biyendolo, left, facing camera, celebrates her goal with teammates on Sunday: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)