If the U.S. women’s national team was hoping to send Alyssa Naeher off in style, the Netherlands didn’t get the memo. The U.S. won 2-1 in the Hague, but the first half might represent the Americans’ roughest performance since Emma Hayes officially became the team’s head coach.
An experienced lineup (relative to the Hayes era) was rolled out with the intention of unsettling the Dutch buildout, but the U.S. lost the numerical advantage in midfield and simply couldn’t handle it. An own goal and a Lynn Williams substitute goal in the 71st minute earned the U.S. the victory.
Here are some thoughts on what the U.S. performance represents for their status under Hayes.
The team needs to wake up with a triple espresso
Hayes certainly rolled out a starting XI she has generally preferred in her 15 games in charge, but the glaring absence of the self-proclaimed Triple Espresso — Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson — was deeply felt. The U.S. only directly scored once across the two European friendlies, including Saturday’s scoreless draw with England.
