By OkayGoal
CHESTER, Pa. — The U.S. Women’s National Team’s starters kept them alive in Tuesday’s showdown with No. 1-ranked Spain before Emma Hayes’ substitutions propelled them over the edge.
Hayes watched as her squad rallied for a comeback 2-2 draw against the reigning Women’s World Cup champions, giving them a confidence boost heading into November’s CONCACAF W Championship. Three days after the USWNT failed to make their opportunities count in a 2-0 loss to Sonia Bermudez’s squad, they showed similarities to past U.S. squads by never giving up and fighting until the final whistle.
While Hayes would’ve hoped for a better first-half performance, she admired her team’s fight back after halftime to get something from the match.
“They were fearless,” Hayes said of the group’s second-half performance. “[We] need that sometimes. Sometimes it’s easier when you’re coming into a game like that, too. Job’s really clear and you’ve got nothing to lose, so I really admired the fearlessness of the performance of the second half.”
Ashley Sanchez drew the USWNT level with a clever, right-footed finish early into the second half before Mallory Swanson came off the bench to stroke home Michelle Cooper’s lay off pass four minutes ahead of stoppage time.
For Sanchez, it marked her first international goal in four years, her second at Chester’s Subaru Park, and her fourth overall in USWNT colors. After delivering a lively cameo off the bench on Saturday, Sanchez rewarded Hayes after she got the start on Tuesday.
“I thought she did a great job,” Hayes said about Sanchez. “Her experience, her ability to transfer knowledge. It’s something she said to me that she wants to do that more. I’m happy for her to get a goal.”
As for Swanson, it was her first USWNT tally since scoring in the 2024 Paris Olympics Gold Medal Game. The 28-year-old now has 39 international goals in 10 years as a national team player, remaining a key veteran in the squad, a dangerous attacking threat on the field.
Hayes backs Swanson to continue playing at a high level for the USWNT, especially leading into the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“Mal has showed improvement everyday in training, we didn’t think she was ready for 45 mins but we pushed and I told her she has another one [World Cup] in her at this level,” Hayes said. “She’s in a better place to perform more consistently. I’ll continue to say it, she’s an important player for us.”
Several other substitutes including Kate Del Fava, Lily Yohannes, and Alyssa Thompson played major roles in the comeback.
Del Fava’s long ball upfield helped kickstart Cooper’s eventual run on the Swanson finish. Yohannes came close to winning the match in stoppage time, watching Spain and Arsenal goalkeeper Misa make a heroic diving save to repel the Lyon midfielder’s long-range shot from finding the bottom right corner.
Hayes praised the impact of all of her substitutions, admitting they provided a spark to the rest of the group.
“We then got momentum,” Hayes said. “Sometimes [it’s] difficult to make [subs] all at the same time, but they came in at the right moment, they impacted the game and, from memory of the game, I think we probably could have won it at the end.”
The USWNT may not head into World Cup Qualifying on a winning note, but they will know that their squad depth is special, especially leading into a tournament.
It will be curious to see how Hayes determines who is more valuable in the starting lineup and on the bench, and who will be healthy by the time November 27th’s showdown with El Salvador comes around.