USWNT exposed by ruthless Spain as early goals settle heavyweight friendly

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. Spain, holders of the top spot in Fifa’s rankings for the past 60 weeks, are the reigning champions; the second-ranked US won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This month’s pair of friendlies between the two sides are taking place with caveats. Both sides are missing several of their most important players to injuries. The opening match in Brazil is 258 days away. 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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Even without full-strength rosters, a meeting between these two teams is a compelling bill. 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.

“You can’t afford to go 2-0 down against the best team in the world, especially the way we conceded those goals,” US coach Emma Hayes said. “That’s the learning.”

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. After trailing by two goals for the first time under Hayes, the Americans played a much-improved second half, but failures to convert chances and a stopped penalty kept them scoreless.

In many ways, Saturday’s game and the rematch on Tuesday in Chester, Pennsylvania, are more stress tests than clashes of titans – or causes for alarm bells. Hayes has intentionally crafted this year’s calendar to pit the US against elite competition. The Americans played Japan three times in April, winning twice and losing once, and split a pair of away friendlies against Brazil in June. Saturday was the first time the US ever played the world No 1 in Fifa’s rankings on home soil.

“There’s going to be games like that, and I’m happy it’s not the World Cup right now,” forward Trinity Rodman said. “You take what you can from this game and go into the next game.”

A matchup with both sides closer to full strength 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. Center-back Naomi Girma and midfielder Sam Coffey, the two players most vital to the US defensive spine, are out with injuries. Spain are missing two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, Vicky Lopez, Mariona Caldentey and Cata Coll with injuries; Clàudia Pina and Mapi León withdrew from camp on Friday.

If the lengthy list of absentees affected Spain, it didn’t show. They went ahead in the third minute on a 20-yard screamer by Patri Guijarro. The US struggled to assemble their shape after a turnover and left the Barcelona midfielder with significant space.

The second goal came just 11 minutes later, the result of another defensive 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. All 11 US players huddled above the box for several minutes after conceding.

The US’s connections looked off throughout the first half, from giveaways to overhit clearances. 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. Wilson’s best attempts of the half hit the post and rolled wide. The issues in the midfield – for the first 65 minutes, Lavelle, Lily Yohannes and Lindsey Heaps – that predate the Hayes era were evident again.

The Americans looked improved and composed in the second half after adjusting their high press. Spain did not produce a shot on target in the second half, and the US outshot them 13-6 on the day. Wilson thought she had scored the US’s first goal in the 53rd minute, but it was waved for offside after video review.

The US earned a penalty in the 67th minute after Wilson drew a foul by Natalia Ramos in the box. The taker was Yohannes – a surprise choice, given the 19-year-old has never attempted a penalty in four seasons at Ajax and OL Lyonnes. Wilson, a regular taker for the Portland Thorns, is a perfect 11 for 11 on penalties in the NWSL. (Yohannes told reporters after the game she was second on the US’s list of takers, behind Heaps.) Adriana Nanclares saved Yohannes’s stutter-step attempt and the Americans remained off the board.

Forward Mallory Swanson and midfielder Ashley Sanchez were among the second-half substitutes. Swanson, who was out for all of 2025 on maternity leave, made her first game appearance in 710 days. Sanchez was recalled to the national team amid a strong NWSL season with the North Carolina Courage and earned her first US minutes since October 2024. She nearly scored off a cross in the 88th minute but slid as her foot connected with the ball.

Spain increased the physicality for the final quarter-hour. They committed 12 fouls to the US’s four and went down to 10 players in stoppage time after Athenea del Castillo saw red for a hair pull.

The US will have a chance to remedy their finishing issues in Tuesday’s rematch in Pennsylvania. They have not gone consecutive games without scoring since the 2023 World Cup.