The U.S. women’s national team will cap off a year of accomplishments amid transition in Europe, an appropriate venue as they build for the future. Their year-end friendlies at England on Saturday and the Netherlands on Tuesday will be the toughest games on the calendar since winning Olympic gold in August, though the group that made the trip does not look exactly like the one that competed in Paris over the summer. Hayes left some, like Olympics stars Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson at home to offer a chance to some rising talents and try out new ideas. A total of 10 players have 10 or fewer caps, while two and several others are less than 30 games into their international careers, allowing Hayes to use these high-profile friendlies as another chance to develop younger players.
“Of course, we’re coming to win at the weekend, but it’s not my overarching goal. I want to win the World Cup,” Hayes said during a press conference in her native London on Monday. “I’m not going to put out a completely experimental team. There have to be connections and relationships but I also want to give opportunities so getting that balance in these two games is critical because there is going to come a moment. I want a player who’s got one or two caps to experience what it’s like to play in front of 80,000 people and it feels a bit hostile and a little bit cold.”
Here’s what to watch for ahead of the…
