United States (Women's Football)

The United States women's national team will try to win its eighth SheBelieves Cup title on Wednesday against Japan.

The Americans typically played well in the annual four-team tournament on home soil. The 2025 edition has featured a similar level of control from the USWNT.

Emma Hayes' side picked up two wins in the first two games over Colombia and Australia, as did Japan.

Wednesday's winner will come away with the tournament crown. The Americans have to win because Japan takes the event title with a draw due to a superior goal difference.

USWNT vs. Japan

Date: Wednesday, February 26

Start Time: 10:30 p.m. ET

TV: TBS

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines to Watch

Japan looked like the better team through two games at the SheBelieves Cup.

The Asian side posted four goals on both Colombia and Australia. Mina Tanaka scored a pair of goals each victory.

The USWNT only posted two goals in each of its victories over the last week, and that means it must win to come away with the tournament crown.

Japan enters Wednesday with a +7 goal differential, which is four better than the Americans' number. Goal differential is the first tiebreaker to determine the champion.

The Americans won the last five SheBelieves Cup titles. Japan participated in three of those five tournaments and had a second-place finish in 2023.

The level of competition varies from year to year in the event, but it was clear from the start that Japan was the USWNT's toughest competition. Japan is the second-best team in the field according to the FIFA women's world rankings.

Japan's squad, like the one the USWNT brought to the tournament, carries a mixture of experienced players and young stars looking to break through on the international level .

Mina Tanaka falls into the former category. She has 39 goals in 86 international appearances and will likely finish as the tournament's leading scorer.

The USWNT defense needs to slow down the Utah Royals forward in order to keep a clean sheet and let its young attack win the game for it.

Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Heaps, Catarina Macario and Jenna Nighswonger all were rested in the USWNT's win over Australia. They should all start on Wednesday.

Heaps will be tasked with controlling the midfield, as always, to slow down the Japanese attacking flow. Nighswonger and Sonnett are part of a defensive unit that is the most experienced part of the USWNT squad.

Macario should have a heavy influence in attack. She has been directly involved in nine goals over her last six USWNT starts, per Opta.

Macario could be the USWNT's most important player on Wednesday because she can be the link between Heaps and a young attack that possesses four players with under 10 international appearances.

A win on home soil is always expected for the Americans, but this one will be tougher to produce given how well Japan's attack performed so far in the tournament.

Prediction

United States 2, Japan 1

The United States women's national team's second leg of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup takes place on Sunday against Australia.

Emma Hayes' side continued its strong defensive form from 2024 in the tournament opener with a 2-0 win over Colombia.

The USWNT now take on Australia, who lost its opening match by four goals to Japan.

USWNT vs. Australia Info

Date: Sunday, February 23

Start Time: 5 p.m. ET

TV: TBS

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines and Preview

The USWNT started 2025 much like it played in 2024 with a multi-goal victory and a clean sheet.

The key difference between Thursday's win and the triumphs of a year ago was the influx of new players into the lineup, especially in midfield and at forward.

Ally Sentnor of the NWSL's Utah Royals scored in her first international goal in her third appearance. Catarina Macario netted the other tally.

Lily Yohannes and Yazmeen Ryan, who have eight caps between them, also received starts in the win over Colombia.

One of Hayes' goals for the SheBelieves Cup was to integrate some younger talent into the first team. So far, that goal has been accomplished with a ton of success.

The back line is where the majority of the experience lies. Jenna Nighswonger, Emily Sonnett and Emily Fox all started against Colombia.

The Americans did not allow any of Colombia's seven shots to reach the net occupied by Jane Campbell. That was a massive positive for the Americans, who are inexperienced in goal at the international level after Alyssa Naeher's retirement.

The USWNT really didn't stray far from the foundation it built in Hayes' first year in charge, and that should be the case again for Sunday's clash with Australia in Glendale, Arizona.

Australia is coming off a 4-0 thumping against Japan. The Aussies entered the tournament with the third-best FIFA world ranking of the four participants. Colombia and Japan will meet on Sunday as part of the round-robin format.

Despite the big loss, Australia can still be a threat to the American defense with Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso and Emily van Egmond, among others, on the tournament roster.

After all, this is a similar Australia team that pushed the USWNT in a 2-1 loss at the group stage of the Paris Olympics.

The USWNT will be challenged at points, but it is expected to win because of how strong the defense has looked for close to a year now.

Prediction

USWNT 2, Australia 0

Alyssa Naeher didn't get a shutout in her final game as the goalkeeper for the United States women's team. But thanks to Lynn Williams, she did secure one final victory before her retirement from international play.

Despite the absence of the Triple Espresso trio of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, the USWNT bested a tough Netherlands team on Tuesday, 2-1.

Williams scored the game-winner in the 71st minute, while the Americans were also aided by Veerle Buurman's own-goal in the first half.

9/10 for the slide, but 10/10 for the finish!#USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/5rhgbLaB4Q

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) December 3, 2024

This time Buurman finds the back of the wrong net, as her own goal levels it for USA 🙃

Watch the match live on TNT, truTV and Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/SVDr2oCmGq

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 3, 2024

Buurman also opened the friendly's scoring, notching the Dutch's lone goal in the 15th minute.

18-year-old Veerle Buurman gives Netherlands the lead over USA 🇳🇱

Watch the match live on TNT, truTV and Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/3sPNCeHmxV

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 3, 2024

But Naeher was the story, and not only because it was her final match for the USWNT. She also made a number of key saves in the contest (six in total), stifling a torrid Dutch attack in the first half while keeping the United States in the contest.

After the match, social media gave the USWNT legend her well-deserved flowers:

would it really be an alyssa naeher retirement game if she didn’t have to save our asses 727283828 times pic.twitter.com/hBdPOIZU60

— aaliyah. ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ (@maneateur) December 3, 2024

Alyssa Naeher is going out BIG in her final game pic.twitter.com/iFPh9rR9Y3

— Lindsey (@LuLu_Vue) December 3, 2024

wtf are we gonna do without Naeher?!?😩 #USWNT

— Winger (@_hanawing) December 3, 2024

https://twitter.com/egmcfaden/status/1864060346916610324

Alyssa Naeher bailing the U.S. out over and over again and then something silly happens era I will miss u https://t.co/hbVgCbb5Rv

— Claire Watkins (@ScoutRipley) December 3, 2024

Alyssa Naeher is a legend that will not easily be replaced
Even her final game raises the standard for the next in line for the USWNT
Crazy

— Snugfit (@VHSQuality) December 3, 2024

alyssa naeher went out in true alyssa naeher fashion - an absolute hero

— mads (@trinrodmanszn) December 3, 2024

Alyssa Naeher = USWNT Legend 🫡

— Anna Waterman (@anna_waterman23) December 3, 2024

naeher is so good omg 😭😭

— ivettecx (@Kyrac00neyx) December 3, 2024

alyssa naeher my mf GOAT!!!!!!!!!

— nadia (@girmasmorgan) December 3, 2024

It was a fantastic end to Naeher's decorated international career, and a positive close to what has been a superb year for the USNWT in general, highlighted by the gold medal at the Summer Olympics. The Americans will surely take an away draw against England and an away win over the Dutch—both without Triple Espresso—to close out the calendar year.

It didn't come easy on Tuesday, however. The Netherlands dominated possession (57.2 percent), outshot the USWNT by a 23-5 margin (7-4 on goal) and had nine corners to exactly zero for the Americans. The Dutch dominated this game, especially the first half, but the USWNT managed to steal a win regardless.

It was certainly what Naeher after a career that has included a gold medal and two World Cup triumphs.

"Having the opportunity to be a part of the USWNT for the past 15 years has been the greatest honor," she said in a statement announcing her retirement last week. "When I began this journey, I never could have imagined where it would take me, and now I find myself so grateful for all the incredible teammates that I have shared the field with; teammates that have turned into lifelong friends."

The United States women's national team concludes its 2024 schedule against the Netherlands on Tuesday.

The Americans played to a scoreless draw with England on Saturday in the first leg of their two-game European tour.

The USWNT takes a 19-game unbeaten streak into The Hague to take on the 11th-ranked team in the world.

Emma Hayes has not suffered a loss since taking over as USWNT manager this summer. A win would be a nice conclusion to her first six months in charge.

USWNT vs. Netherlands Info

Date: Tuesday, December 3

Start Time: 2:45 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines to Watch

The Americans are trying to reach 20 games on their unbeaten streak.

The USWNT's only defeat of the calendar year took place in February's Gold Cup group stage against Mexico.

Hayes' arrival this summer raised the program to a new level and that helped the Americans capture Olympic gold.

Tuesday's game is part of a two-game swing to Europe for the USWNT to see how it compares to UEFA's top teams.

The USWNT played to a 0-0 draw with England, the No. 2 team in the world, on Saturday. That was the 14th clean sheet earned by the Americans in 2024.

There's more reliance on the defense in this international window because the top American attackers are not in the squad due to various reasons.

Alyssa Thompson and Lynn Williams headlined an attack that produced three shots on target against the Lionesses. Williams is the only forward on the current USWNT roster with a double-digit goal tally at the international level.

Jaedyn Shaw, who entered as a substitute against England, will be a candidate to enter the starting lineup. Shaw scored eight times in 20 international appearances.

Korbin Albert should slide into one of the midfield spots in one of Hayes' other lineup changes. Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan started together in midfield in the tougher matchup against England. One of them could sit on Tuesday with Albert taking that position in the starting XI.

Tuesday marks the final game for goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who announced her international retirement prior to the USWNT's matches in Europe. Naeher has earned 114 caps in her career and her retirement will usher in a new era at goalkeeper for the USWNT.

The Netherlands started the international window with a 4-1 win over China. That was a rare high-scoring game for the Dutch. Six of their last seven games against European opposition had two goals or less.

The Oranje have one edge over the USWNT and that's in experience up top. Lineth Beerensteyn is the top forward to watch. She has 36 goals in 109 caps.

Defending strong attacks has not been the problem for the USWNT all year long, and with that foundation in place, the Americans just have to worry about converting their chances to come away with a win.

Prediction: USWNT 1, Netherlands 0

The USWNT were without the Triple Espresso attacking line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith for Saturday's friendly against England, and it showed.

While the team played admirably in their stead, earning a scoreless draw against a tough foe, there was little doubt that the attack left something to be desired without the clinical trio up top.

After the contest, USWNT supporters had mixed feelings on the result:

well uswnt and england, this match could've been an email pic.twitter.com/tn4MmtXa3j

— bela🦦 (@kccspelova) November 30, 2024

Wish Mal, Trin, and Sofia were in this game. #USWNT #ENGvUSA

— Jasmine (@Poohbear1030) November 30, 2024

@USWNT def a lot of progress from last couple years 🗣️👏🏼👏🏼🇺🇸

— Jeff (@JeffJjurey) November 30, 2024

These passes to nowhere are killing me. #USWNT

— Almighty Alexa (@HollywoodChibi) November 30, 2024

86'
why are our forwards going away from goal?!?! Waste of a great move and cross by Fox#USWNT #ENGUSA https://t.co/GJiaOFZRty

— OlutosinFashusi (@OlutosinFashusi) November 30, 2024

Omggg ten mins left and no score? We miss you triple espresso 😩 #USWNT

— SOS_go23 (@go23_sos) November 30, 2024

Not bothered about the result, this is Wembley away after all. #USWNT

— Andrew Christie (@andrewchristee) November 30, 2024

I do wish there was a goal from someone in this match but it was an evenly matched game.

Glad to know England can keep up with our B squad

— awfc x uswnt (@AwfcUSWNT) November 30, 2024

Defensively inspiring. Offensively uninspiring. #USWNT

— Justin Ruderman (@JustinRuderman_) November 30, 2024

May god never smite the uswnt by taking all of triple espresso away from us at the same time again

— ella (@sophsmithfc) November 30, 2024

USWNT attack was sorely lacking the ☕️☕️☕️ but good experience for the younger players

i don’t know why lindsey horan played nearly the entire game

— name can't be blank (@sawley_) November 30, 2024

On balance, this was a positive result for a reshuffled USWNT side, especially away at Wembley against a talented England bunch. The Americans held 53.6 percent of possession, outshot England 10-4 (3-1 on goal) and had six corners compared to three for England. The USWNT was the better despite being without its three most exciting players, a trio that accounted for a whopping 10 of the country's 12 goals during this summer's Olympics.

They were kept off the roster for Saturday's friendly against England and Tuesday's clash with the Netherlands to allow them time to rest the end of the NWSL season and recuperate from lingering injuries.

"Let me be clear, not one of these players want to ever miss a game for playing for their country," Emma Hayes told reporters earlier in November. "So, I want to be really clear about that... I want to make sure these players are prepared for a long time to come. And when you're in the back end of a season, and you're playing a lot, your body's tired, your mind's tired, that's where sometimes it can become risky."

A scoreless draw rarely inspires exuberance among supporters, and Saturday was no exception. But given the context of the match, the USWNT can be pleased enough with the result.

The United States women's national team faces its biggest test since the Summer Olympics on Saturday against England.

The trip to Wembley Stadium in London to face the Lionesses is part of a two-game European swing in which the Americans will also take on the Netherlands.

Emma Hayes' side cruised on home soil in three post-Olympic matches, but it was expected to win all of those contests.

England is the No. 2 team in the FIFA women's world rankings behind the USWNT, and it will provide the Americans with one of their toughest matches of the calendar year.

---

USWNT vs. England Info

Date: Saturday, November 30

Start Time: 12:20 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

Top Storylines to Watch

The USWNT will do battle with England with a short-handed attack.

Lynn Williams is the only striker on the roster with more than 20 international appearances and a double-digit goal tally at the international level.

So, Saturday should provide opportunities for Jaedyn Shaw and Alyssa Thompson, among others, to shine up top.

Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman have done the bulk of the scoring for the USWNT in 2024, but none of them are on the roster due to injury concerns and the recent conclusion of the long 2024 National Women's Soccer League season.

Conversely, England has Beth Mead, Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly to choose from at forward. They have 60 international goals between them.

The Americans will be at a disadvantage in the scoring department, but they will still have Lindsey Horan anchoring the midfield and a majority of their first-choice defenders available.

Horan, Naomi Girma, Emily Fox and others in defense and midfield will be the most important players on Saturday.

The onus will be on defending against an England squad that scored on multiple occasions in three of its last four games.

The USWNT has five clean sheets since the start of the Olympics, but it did leak in a goal each in two friendlies against Iceland in October.

A shutout win would be the ideal outcome in Hayes' return to England. She had managed the Chelsea women's team for the last 12 years before joining the USWNT.

It would be more of a statement result than any other post-Olympics final score, but the Lionesses pack a ton more firepower up front and that could be the difference in what is expected to be a close game.

Prediction: England 2, USWNT 1

Not all braces are created equally.

USWNT star defender Naomi Girma has become a fixture in the team's starting 11 and is one of the best defenders in the sport, but despite that fact had never scored an international goal. That came to an end on Wednesday night.

The American star scored not one, but two goals in the USWNT's 3-0 drubbing of Argentina.

Naomi Girma scores her first international goal 🚨

Watch USA vs. Argentina live on TNT, truTV and Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/Cj2u18I8N4

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 30, 2024

It took Naomi Girma 42 matches to score her first USWNT goal.

Her second came 12 minutes later 💥💥

Watch USA vs. Argentina live on TNT, truTV and Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/jdkMwrjCAW

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 31, 2024

An Aldana Cometti own-goal provided the game's remaining tally.

Yes, Girma's first goal was aided by a clear miscommunication between Argentina goalkeeper Solana Pereyra and one of her defenders. The second goal was pure class, however, and USWNT fans and pundits alike were thrilled to see Girma open her international account and double it in the same evening, especially in the wake of her Ballon d'Or snub:

Me watching Naomi Girma score her first ever international goal for the #USWNT 😭🥹 pic.twitter.com/9iBXSRrovd

— Winger (@_hanawing) October 30, 2024

https://twitter.com/itsmeglinehan/status/1851779571860873428

https://twitter.com/JasonDCsoccer/status/1851776955567223231

Naomi Girma saw the Ballon d’Or results and said well I guess I’ll just score my first international goal

— Claire Watkins (@ScoutRipley) October 30, 2024

Are we sure Naomi Girma isn't the best female footballer on Earth?

— #DoomSayer (@MrBill11) October 31, 2024

https://twitter.com/Flacotex/status/1851786226933666043

Emma Hayes seriously unlocked a header monster within Naomi Girma

— TaylorDarcy (@taylor_dar8899) October 31, 2024

we now have quadruple espresso (mal swanson, sophia smith, trinity rodman, & naomi girma)

— noor ୨୧ andor spoilers (@ahsokamidala) October 31, 2024

https://twitter.com/AlyssaJSalter/status/1851782565713318043

Girma is arguably the best center-back the women's game has to offer and helped lead the USWNT to a gold medal this summer, so eyebrows were raised around the sport when she wasn't even named to the Ballon d'Or shortlist of 30 nominees for the women's player of the year award.

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes—who said in August that Girma is "the best defender I've ever seen" in August—referenced the snub on Tuesday while speaking on the Ballon d'Or ceremony and the women's game in general.

"Yes, we could sit here all day and say Girma should be there—which she should—so for that reason, we're still not getting all of those things right in the women's game," she told reporters. "But recognizing the talent of our players on the world stage is something that I know our players are extremely proud of, so really good all round for us."

Hayes won the inaugural Ballon d'Or for best women's coach, while five USWNT players—forward Sophia Smith (fourth in the voting), midfielder Lindsey Horan (fifth), forward Mallory Swanson (sixth), forward Trinity Rodman (ninth) and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (17th)—were on the shortlist of 30 nominees. Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won the award for the second straight year.

Girma was undoubtedly snubbed. She had her own unique response to that disrespect on Wednesday night with her impressive brace.

The United States women's national team concludes its three-game October international window on Wednesday against Argentina at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.

Emma Hayes' side has produced back-to-back 3-1 wins over Iceland in the last week to move its winning streak to eight games.

Wednesday marks the final USWNT game on home soil in 2024 for the Olympic champions.

The Americans finish up their 2024 slate with a trip to Europe to face England and the Netherlands in late November and early December.

The focus for Wednesday's clash with Argentina will be fine-tuning the many things that have gone right under Hayes and to start a new shutout streak after two straight games with a concession for just the second time this year.

---

USWNT vs. Argentina Info

Date: Wednesday, 30 October

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

---

Storylines to Watch

The October international window has gone as well as the Americans hoped it would.

They produced three goals in each win over Iceland, and in the process, Hayes handed out some international debuts to a handful of new players called up.

You could argue that the only negative is the concession of one goal in each game against Iceland.

The USWNT entered October with a three-game shutout streak and 12 total clean sheets in 2024.

One of those shutouts came against Argentina in the Concacaf W Gold Cup in February, The Americans won that meeting 4-0.

The USWNT has controlled all three of its matches with South American opposition in 2024. It outscored Argentina, Colombia and Brazil by an 8-0 margin, a stat that goes in line with the program's history against teams from that continent.

The Americans have won 20 of their last 21 games against foes from CONMEBOL, per U.S. Soccer.

More squad rotation is expected from Hayes to keep her players fresh at the end of a rare three-games-in-one-week run of friendly matches.

Sophia Smith and Lynn Williams will likely go back to starting roles up top after appearing as substitutes on Sunday, The same goes for Rose Lavelle in midfield after her night off. Lindsey Horan only played a half at the weekend, so she could go from the beginning in Louisville as well.

Wednesday's game may have the most meaning to forward Emma Sears, who is the only player on the USWNT roster from the NWSL's Racing Louisville. She scored in her first international appearance at the weekend and should receive some minutes in front of her home crowd.

Argentina has not met the high standard of the top teams in the world in 2024. It fell to Brazil 5-1 to go along with its 4-0 loss to the USWNT.

The South Americans are the 33rd-ranked team in the FIFA women's rankings, 32 spots behind the USWNT, who are expected to produce another multi-goal win in this stretch of October friendlies.

Prediction: USWNT 3, Argentina 0

For about 70 minutes, Iceland was causing the United States enough problems to evoke memories of the classic 1990s film D2: The Mighty Ducks, aka the last time a team from Iceland proved to be such a thorn in the side of a group of American athletes.

Indeed, the USWNT trailed Iceland for a huge chunk of Sunday's friendly after Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir gave the visitors a 1-0 lead 31 minutes into the match.

Iceland with the Olimpico and the USWNT trail for the first time in the Emma Hayes era 😲

Watch USA vs. Iceland live on TNT, truTV and Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/tZx4hqpRyt

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 27, 2024

But Lynn Williams pulled the United States even in the 72nd minute, Lindsey Horan provided the winner just minutes later and Emma Sears made it three in stoppage time, as the Americans beat Iceland for the second straight friendly by a 3-1 margin.

LYNN SLOTS IT IN!#USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/RIFhKEUu0B

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 27, 2024

On the DOORSTEP from Linds!#USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/RzsENCa8cT

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 27, 2024

Emma Sears makes it a 3-1 USWNT win with a goal on her debut 💫

Watch USA face Argentina next on Wednesday on TNT, truTV and Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/ckPMhtGd7T

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 27, 2024

It was the second straight match between the countries that Iceland kept things interesting. During Thursday's friendly, the two countries were tied at a goal apiece until Jaedyn Williams (85th minute) and Sophia Smith (88th minute) gave the United States a 3-1 victory.

This time around, Williams and Horan were the heroes, and social media gave both the duo their flowers:

THANK YOU, LYNN WILLIAMS! pic.twitter.com/QuXZZwjQFN

— Jake List (@JakeMatthewList) October 27, 2024

See what happens when you play Lynn Williams. Up 2-1 now💁🏻‍♀️ #USWNT pic.twitter.com/ibwPU8m0EH

— Winger (@_hanawing) October 27, 2024

Lynn Williams to the rescue against a steely European side?? WELL I NEVER

— @tamerra-griffin.bsky.social (@tamerra_nikol) October 27, 2024

I am very pleased Lynn Williams is finally thriving for the national team.

It was so frustrating for years she was burning up the NWSL and flat for the USWNT.

Now, she's just all fire.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

— Paul (@DashFanIRL) October 27, 2024

Lynn Williams is my favorite American #uswnt

— Justin Horneker (@hornekerjustin) October 27, 2024

Adding that assist from Lynn Williams to the "thing we like to see" list

— Erin (@ErinDobby) October 27, 2024

https://twitter.com/JasonDCsoccer/status/1850677962103779801

Lindsey Horan scoring angry goals

Tale as old as time 🤗 pic.twitter.com/I4jkHrDn1V

— AO (@AmericanOutlaws) October 27, 2024

https://twitter.com/DMV_Chris/status/1850676620484366811

Sassy Horan is the best Horan.

— Laura D (@ldarn11) October 27, 2024

On paper, the stats will suggest the United States dominated this game. The Americans held 64.7 percent of possession, outshot Iceland by a massive 17-4 margin (5-3 on goal) and held six corners to just one for their counterparts.

But at least through the first half, it didn't feel like a dominant display. Iceland played disciplined and with resolve, and while its lead went against the run of play, it didn't necessarily feel undeserved.

But the United States showed grit of its own, yet again maintaining its composure for the full 90 minutes and finding a way to yet again break down Iceland late in the contest. It is a promising sign to see the United States put together two strong performances off the back of its Olympic gold medal over the summer, even without a full-strength group and some players starting out of position.

The Hayes era has gotten off to about the best start possible. The future for the USWNT appears to be very bright under its new manager.

The United States women's national team will try to extend its winning streak to eight games on Sunday in its second of two October clashes with Iceland.

Emma Hayes' side beat Iceland 3-1 on Thursday to open up a three-game week inside the October international window.

Sunday's game in Nashville should mark another opportunity for the newer players in the squad to receive some minutes and impress Hayes.

Alyssa Thompson made the most of her opportunity on Thursday with the first of the three American goals. Jaedyn Shaw and Sophia Smith, who have become regular scorers for the USWNT, produced the other two tallies.

Another victory is expected in Nashville, but the USWNT would love to start a new clean sheet streak after Iceland scored on the Americans for the first time in 326 minutes on Thursday.

USWNT vs. Iceland Info

Date: Sunday, October 27

Start Time: 5:30 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

Storylines to Watch

Hayes has a tricky situation in front of her because the USWNT has three games in the international window, not the typical two.

Plenty of squad rotation should be expected not just for Sunday's game against Iceland, but for Wednesday's clash with Argentina in Louisville.

Hayes opted for a forward trio of Alyssa Thompson, Lynn Williams and Mallory Swanson on Thursday.

That likely means Jaedyn Shaw and Sophia Smith, who both scored as substitutes, will lead the line from the beginning on Sunday.

Shaw only played 24 minutes in Austin, while Smith was on the field for 18 minutes.

Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Naomi Girma all played 90 minutes on Thursday, and while it would surprise no one if all three started and played most of Sunday's game too, Hayes may give one of them a break.

Horan, Lavelle and Girma are three of the USWNT's most important players, but if the goal of the October window is to give more players experience at the international level, some rotation is required.

Hayes could turn to Korbin Albert in midfield to provide some experience in the middle of the park alongside some of the newer players, if that is the way the USWNT boss wants to approach the starting XI.

The USWNT handed out two debuts on Thursday to Hal Hershfelt and Yazmeen Ryan. Five other players on the roster are looking to make their respective international debuts.

A win is expected, regardless of who is on the field, and the goal will be to keep Iceland off the score sheet.

The European side was level with the USWNT for almost 30 minutes in the second half on Thursday before Shaw and Smith struck for their goals.

Iceland managed to put four shots on goal, a number that might seem too high for Hayes' liking given how well the Americans have played defensively since she took over.

The USWNT has not allowed multiple goals in a single game since June 1 and it has held eight clean sheets in 11 games during that span.

Prediction: USWNT 3, Iceland 0