Halfway to the 2027 World Cup, here's where the USWNT stands
Why wait for 'Wicked' part two when you can tune into the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland to watch Germany's goalkeeper defy gravity and the odds? I'm Emily Olsen here with the whole crew — *Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba riff* welcome to Full Time! (And especially if you're new here!)
Coming up:
Two years to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil
A goalkeeper bending the space-time continuum
Summer's soccerpalooza recap
Halfway to the World Cup
Exactly two years ago today, around the time that we launched this newsletter, the U.S. women's national team beat Vietnam 3-0 to open the 2023 World Cup. Sophia Wilson (then Smith) scored twice, followed by Lindsey Heaps (then Horan). It was the last time they'd capture a victory in the competition, before crashing out in the next round.
It's not just the players' last names that have changed since. Here's where we stand two years from the next one in Brazil:
What's happened since?
If you haven't paid attention to the USWNT since the last World Cup, brace yourself for some vertigo; very few aspects of this program will look like you last remembered.
Since Sweden forward Lina Hurtig scored the penalty kick that goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (who is now retired) will always swear never crossed the line, Vlatko Andonovski resigned from his position as head coach, and then-assistant coach Twila Kilgore stepped into the interim role while U.S. Soccer scouted for a permanent replacement.
Then, in November 2023, the Emma Hayes era began. The former Chelsea manager started her job as USWNT head coach in May 2024, two months before the Summer Olympics in France. That's where 'Triple Espresso' — the attacking trio of Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson and Trinity Rodman — entered the women's soccer lexicon and powered the USWNT to a gold medal.
How much has changed since then?
The starting XI from that gold medal match against Brazil in Paris has not played together since.
Two shots of Triple Espresso, Swanson and Wilson, are pregnant. And Rodman has been resting and rehabilitating her back.
But perhaps most profoundly, Hayes (21-2-2 with the U.S.) has enacted one of the most radical transformations to the U.S. youth and women's national team talent development pipelines the program has ever seen.
What's ahead?
Despite being the competition's most successful competitor, with four World Cup titles, the U.S. isn't guaranteed a spot in the field.
Over 30 Concacaf teams will contend for four guaranteed places at the 2027 Women's World Cup, with the U.S. and Canada as heavy favorites.
These places will be earned at the 2026 Concacaf W Championship, an eight-team bracket which will be held in November 2026. (While there is a qualifying period for the W Championship, the U.S. is expected to bypass that gantlet as one of the region's two highest-ranked nations.)
Last year, after the U.S. and Mexico withdrew their late joint bid to host the 2027 tournament, FIFA members threw their support behind Brazil, selecting it over a European proposal. The decision marked a historic milestone: For the first time, the biggest event in women's soccer will be staged in South America.
The 1950 and 2014 men's World Cups drew millions to Brazil's white sand beaches and samba-charged streets, turning the country into a global soccer festival. The question now: Will the world return with the same passion for the women's game, 13 years later?
Meg's Corner: USWNT triage is over — but urgency persists
Two years ago, I wrote that the U.S. looked toothless and lost during the group stage of the World Cup, but that everything going wrong in New Zealand was actually a symptom of the USWNT's larger problem, not the illness itself.
Helpfully, Hayes came in from day one calling herself a 'heart surgeon in the middle of emergency surgery' as she tried to prepare the team for the 2024 Olympics. Speaking as someone on the ground for the last World Cup and the Olympics, the difference in mood around the team couldn't have been more stark. The pressure was still on, but the next generation was ready for it.
Now, the days of emergency surgery are behind the team, but the federation, the program and Hayes are still working on fixing all of those underlying issues. They've found investment via Michele Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit, among other clubs, who has invested millions to address pipelines for players, coaches and referees in the women's game.
Hayes told me shortly after taking the USWNT job that if the team had won the 2023 tournament, she wouldn't have been interested. It was the project of taking over a team at one of its lowest points, and building again — building something new — that interested her. Gold medals in Paris can never be overlooked, but this project has always been about 2027.
Hi, My Name Is: Germany's flying goalkeeper
Call her Elphaba, because she defied gravity. Call her Ice because that's what's in her veins. Call her 'OMG DID YOU SEE THAT?!'
Or you could just call her German goalie Ann-Katrin Berger, because that's now synonymous with putting up stone-cold performances in big moments.
Down a player and a goal in the first 15 minutes versus France on Saturday, hurting their already depleted backline, Germany could have easily been counted out. And yet they went into halftime tied, held on through extra time and sealed the deal in a penalty-kick shootout. And it was due in large part to Berger, the Gotham FC goalkeeper whose resume speaks for itself.
The 34-year-old won 10 trophies in five seasons with Chelsea and earned NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in her first season with Gotham in 2024.
Berger notoriously 'loves' facing penalty kicks (and isn't bad at taking them, either). In 2023, she denied Lindsey Heaps in Chelsea's Champions League quarterfinal penalty shootout against Lyon, and at the 2024 Olympics she turned away former Ballon D'Or winner Alexia Putellas' ninth-minute penalty to help Germany reach a bronze-medal finish.
Berger has also twice overcome thyroid cancer, including a recurrence during the 2022 Euro run where she was the backup keeper.
🎧 Listen to the latest 'Full Time Euros' podcast to relive the wild shootout.
What to Watch: Soccerpalooza races toward a finale
📺 Euros: SemifinalsEngland vs. Italy tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET (Fox)Germany vs. Spain on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cristiana Girelli's brace in stoppage time pushed Italy through to the semifinals for the first time since 1997, where they will face defending champions England. The Lionesses will be entering the fixture in protest in support of defender Jess Carter, who said she has been subject to racial abuse all tournament long. The second semi is a must-watch as Gotham FC teammates Esther Gonzalez (Spain) and Berger (Germany) go head-to-head.
📺 WAFCON: SemifinalsNigeria vs. South Africa at noon ET tomorrow (beIN Sports)Morocco vs. Ghana at noon ET tomorrow (beIN Sports)The Nigeria and South Africa fixture is a repeat of the 2018 championship match, with this semifinal clash further cementing the two sides' budding rivalry. The Super Falcons have a record nine championships, with Banyana Banyana eager to defend their 2022 crown. Then there's host nation Morocco, which will look to top Ghana in hopes of securing their return to the finals stage for a second year in a row.
📺 Copa America Femenina: Group stageVarious times, watch on VIX and FS1Thankfully, we still have two more weeks of South American football. As a growing number of players have called on their federations and Conmebol for better working conditions, they've managed to juggle protesting off the pitch with beautiful football on it. Watch Mayra Ramirez's banger for Colombia or Linda Caicedo's brace against Paraguay, as Las Cafeteras begin to settle in the competition after a rocky start.
Full Time First Looks
With the match schedule quite heavy, we thought it'd be nice to revisit some of our deeper reads.
Twinning: Ever want to switch places with your sibling? These identical twins in England's top division have bamboozled rivals and their coaches alike with their similar skills and matching features.
Teen sensations: Before, playing in college was one of the few paths to the pros for women. Now, more players are getting started before they even graduate high school, including 14-year-old star Mak Whitham.
Just a feeling: NWSL partnered with podcaster Alex Cooper's Unwell brand earlier this year, but is the relationship an 'incredible platform' to grow the game or an existential risk?
Broken-foot goals and building worlds: We still aren't over having to say goodbye to former USWNT star Tobin Heath's playing career, so you can find us reading Meg's recent interview with her again … and again.
📫 Love Full Time? These stories can also be found on Yahoo's women's sports hub, in partnership with The Athletic. Also, check out our other newsletters.
(Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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