United States women’s national team coach Emma Hayes has stated that there will be significant lineup changes for the women’s national team friendly against Chile on Tuesday, following a 6-0 thrashing of Paraguay last Saturday.
“There’ll be changes to the team, as I mentioned at the beginning. So I’m putting together a whole new lineup, which itself will bring another set of challenges, whether that be first caps, whether that will be inexperience, collectively playing together,” said Hayes to the media ahead of the friendly at Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium.
“One thing I have almost agreed to do, knowing where the players are at this stage of the season with their NWSL club, is to not start a player for two games.”
Following the latest victory of the weekend, the USWNT are now aiming for a sixth straight win as they continue preparations for not only March’s SheBelieves Cup but also qualifiers down the line for the 2027 World Cup. With that in mind, the coach noted that January’s camp will serve as a testing ground for the roster that has a number of new and young call-ups.
“This window is about identifying which players we think will be key to that group, or that core group. Then it’s which players are going to be instrumental to that pool, and then which group are for 2028 and which ones are for 2031. It’s doing two or three things all at once, but that’s what development is,” said Hayes.
“I have a really good idea of the pool. I know which group of players we’re going to be building around in the build up to World Cup qualification.”
According to U.S. Soccer, Tuesday’s friendly will be the USWNT’s “first full international match” at Harder Stadium.
Following January’s window, Hayes will then prepare for games this spring against Argentina, Canada, and Colombia at the SheBelieves Cup.
