USWNT Closes 2025 With Strong 2–0 Win Over Italy as Hayes’ Rebuild Gains Momentum
- Jonathan Turner
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
The U.S. Women’s National Team capped off 2025 in convincing fashion, defeating Italy 2–0 on Monday and highlighting the strides made under head coach Emma Hayes as she continues reshaping the roster ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Just three days after topping Italy 3–0, Hayes rotated five new starters into the lineup and once again saw immediate payoff. Catarina Macario, who scored twice in Friday’s meeting, opened the scoring in the 20th minute. Lily Yohannes spotted Macario breaking into space and delivered a perfectly weighted ball from the halfway line, allowing Macario to race into the box before curling her shot past the keeper.
The U.S. doubled the lead in the 41st minute through Jaedyn Shaw, finishing off a smooth connection with Alyssa Thompson. Thompson threaded a long pass through traffic, setting up Shaw to drive toward the edge of the area and slot home the second goal.
Despite controlling possession throughout the match, the USWNT generated fewer chances than they did on Friday, finishing with 16 shots and 1.44 expected goals — the team’s second-lowest xG of 2025. Defensively, however, the U.S. showed noticeable improvement. After Italy created 1.21 xG in the first matchup and exposed the Americans’ set-piece vulnerabilities, they were held to just 0.31 xG and six shots in the rematch.
The USWNT returns to action on January 24 in a friendly against Paraguay, continuing preparation for the Concacaf W Championship in November — the key qualifying event for the 2027 World Cup.
A Deepening USWNT Attack
Macario and Shaw headlined another standout performance for the team’s growing group of young attacking stars. Both have carried strong club form into the national team environment:
Macario (Chelsea): 7 goals and 3 assists in her last 14 matches for club and country.
Shaw (Gotham FC): 3 goals and 1 assist in her last five matches, a major contributor to Gotham’s NWSL Championship run.
Hayes has repeatedly emphasized club performance as the core factor in national team selections, and both players have firmly established themselves as top attacking options.
For Macario, the Italy matches represented another major step forward after years disrupted by injury. Hayes has increasingly used her as the team’s No. 9, where she continues to look comfortable and impactful. Alongside Shaw and Alyssa Thompson, the trio offers depth and versatility up top — even with stars Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Smith (Wilson in original text likely meant Smith) missing most of the year due to injuries and recovery timelines. Their eventual returns will spark fierce competition for World Cup roster spots.
2025: A Year of Opportunity Under Hayes
Monday’s match marked Emma Hayes’ 30th game in charge, and her approach has been unmistakable: evaluate widely. Hayes has handed out starts to 50 different players, the most of any USWNT coach across a similar stretch.
As 2026 begins, certain roles are coming into clearer focus:
Goalkeeper: The race appears to be narrowing to Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Claudia Dickey, with Dickey starting both matches against Italy while Tullis-Joyce recovers from a fractured eye socket.
Center Back: Naomi Girma remains the team’s anchor and one of the most reliable starters.
Midfield: 18-year-old Lily Yohannes continues to elevate the team’s tempo and composure whenever she is on the pitch.
Beyond those core contributors, the roster remains wide open. Several players are working back from long-term injuries or maternity leave, while rising talents continue to push for their breakthrough opportunities. Every match leading to November’s Concacaf W Championship will act as an audition.
What’s already clear: Hayes’ version of the USWNT looks significantly different from the one she inherited. And for the first time since the 2019–2023 cycle, the U.S. appears to have genuine depth across all lines — a critical ingredient for another sustained World Cup run.
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