The U.S. women's national team kicks off their final preparations for the Olympics on Saturday when they face Mexico at Red Bull Arena. The meeting marks a rematch from the group stages of the Concacaf W Gold Cup, when Mexico beat the USWNT 2-0. Though the game was just five months ago, this version of the U.S. team feels very different from the one that lost in Southern California, both in terms of personnel and confidence.
Head coach Emma Hayes, who was finishing up her 12-year spell with Chelsea at the time, described that match as a wake-up call that helped the USWNT more than it hindered the team as they continue their quest to put the disappointment of last year's Women's World Cup behind them.
"In a number of ways, I was always grateful for that result and performance, personally," Hayes said in her pre-match remarks on Friday. "Could interject and put in the right things back into place. There's no losing, there's only learning and I see there's been a lot of that since then."
While assistant coach Twila Kilgore called on a group of veterans that day in what ultimately became a sink-or-swim test, Hayes will head to the Olympics with one of the USWNT's youngest squads for a major tournament ever. It is that youthful but experienced squad who will be tasked with backing up the off-field optimism in recent months with on-field results, the first of which could come on Saturday.
Here's what you need to know before tuning in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, July 13 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Red Bull Arena -- Harrison, N.J.
- TV: TNT and Telemundo | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Odds: USWNT -800; Draw +650; Mexico +1600
Team news
Hayes announced on Friday that midfielder Catarina Macario would be removed from the Olympics roster with "minor knee irritation," which she had coming into the pre-tournament training camp this week in New Jersey but worsened after the fact. She will be replaced by winger Lynn Williams, who was originally named as an alternate, while Emily Sams will join the group as an alternate. The 25-year-old Sams has been in the NWSL for two years and currently plays for the Orlando Pride, and received her first call-up to the national team for this camp. Hayes said she will offer the team options at center back and outside back.
Otherwise, Hayes has her full squad available to her in the penultimate match before the Olympics begin. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is expected to play her first match for Hayes after missing the head coach's first camp in June with a thigh injury but after that, it is unclear how much experimentation Hayes will go for against Mexico. Hayes opted to rotate through her options in June with roster spots on the line but may prefer to land on a starting lineup before play in France begins on July 25 against Zambia.
Macario's absence makes her attacking midfield role a battle between Rose Lavelle and Jaedyn Shaw, the latter of which is versatile enough to play as a wide forward. The USWNT are stacked in the latter position, with Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman arguably the frontrunners to start there while Williams and Crystal Dunn are also options. Mallory Swanson feels like the focal point of the USWNT's attack, though, and will no doubt get some playing time before the team crosses the Atlantic.
Connecting the past and present
Saturday's match also doubles as a celebration of the 1999 team that won the Women's World Cup, who were one of the first women's sports teams to catch national attention and often serve as a reference point for the team's history of success. There will be a ceremony to celebrate them at Red Bull Arena as part of the send off festivities for the current iteration of the USWNT.
Projected lineup
Alyssa Naeher, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Tierna Davidson, Jenna Nighswonger, Lindsey Horan, Sam Coffey, Trinity Rodman, Rose Lavelle, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson
Prediction
It feels as if the USWNT are in as strong a position as they can be before the Olympics, so expect them to demonstrate just that regardless of the team Hayes selects against Mexico. Fluidity in attack is still one of the U.S.' most obvious areas of improvement but even if that is still a work in progress, there are undoubtedly enough goals in this group to keep Mexico at bay. Pick: USWNT 3, Mexico 0
