The United States women’s national team made its way to Wembley for a big match against England on this Thanksgiving weekend and, while it had to settle for a 0-0 draw, Emma Hayes will be happy with the performance of her team.
The Americans were the better side from the very beginning, and any criticisms of their play came in the final third, where they often struggled to turn their pressure into clear chances. There is an easy excuse for that, though, as Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith all missed this game.
In all, a mix of faces old and new continued to grow under Hayes, who presented her team with a big test to round out the year with matches at England and the upcoming friendly at Netherlands.
On this day, the U.S. got a passing grade, leaving one match left to round out its Olympic gold medal campaign.
Manager rating (scale of 1-10)
Emma Hayes, 7 — Hayes had a tough task with her dynamic front line missing, some players not having played for a month and the big crowd behind the Lionesses, but the U.S. was still the better team. Her choice of experience in defense and midfield took some pressure off the forwards, and they controlled the match as a result, plus her halftime substitution of Yazmeen Ryan worked wonders. The Hayes era continued apace at Wembley.
USWNT Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best; 5 = average)
GK Alyssa Naeher, 5 — This looks like a harsh rating, but it’s only because the U.S. defense was so assured she was barely called upon and an N/A might be more accurate. She had the best view of the more than 70,000 people at Wembley, and she didn’t even have to buy a ticket.
DF Emily Fox, 7 — The Arsenal defender looked as comfortable as could be playing in London. She was a constant outlet on the right, helping the U.S. quickly push the ball into the final third while also erasing any England attacks down her wing.
DF Emily Sonnett, 6 — With so much turnover up front, Hayes opted for experience at the back, and Sonnett rewarded her boss’ choice with another solid performance. Life is pretty easy next to Naomi Girma, but Sonnett was assured and made the plays required of her, and the two center backs gave everyone in front of them the freedom to take chances.
DF Naomi Girma, 8 — You’d be excused if you thought Girma didn’t have much to do. She simply cut out threats so early and made recovery runs look so easy that her typically excellent performance looked pedestrian. That’s what makes her one of the best players in the world and the linchpin of this team. Oh, and she nearly scored another goal as a little bonus.
DF Casey Krueger, 7 — Krueger has been a favorite under Hayes in 2024, and she showed why again in another strong performance. She had total control of the left side, with Jessica Naz barely registering a mention opposite her all game. Krueger also came closest to a goal in the first half as her good shot from 18 yards forced a good save from Mary Earps.
MF Sam Coffey, 6 — Ho hum, Coffey picks up every second ball in the midfield and quickly moves it forward before the opposition could even think of pressing. It’s rare that Coffey does anything particularly notable, but the midfield hummed because of the many little things she did, as usual.
MF Lindsey Horan, 6 — Horan was once again given freedom in the U.S. midfield and found her way far up the pitch with regularity. At times, it worked as she helped keep pressure on the England center backs, but she also gave the ball away cheaply a couple of times and didn’t bring as much creative juice as you’d like on the ball from that position.
MF Rose Lavelle, 7 — It was a typical Lavelle game, with a lot of clever little touches helping keep the ball moving and creating space. She also made her way forward and provided a couple of really smart passes, one of which would have set up a goal if Horan didn’t wander offside.
FW Emma Sears, 4 — The hope was that Sears’ pace would expose an aging Lucy Bronze, but it never happened. Experience won out as the 23-year-old looked like a player in just her second cap, and she was subbed off at halftime.
FW Lynn Williams, 5 — You can always count on Williams to work hard and be a menace in the press, which she was, but she got little service and was often missing in the attack. A new front line and lack of chemistry was never going to suit a forward like Williams who makes smart runs and needs someone to drop the ball on her foot.
FW Alyssa Thompson, 6 — The U.S. struggled to turn its possession in the final third into chances in the first half, but not for lack of effort from Thompson. She was particularly good in her couple of one-on-one opportunities, beating her marker only to find few options to play after.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
FW Yazmeen Ryan, 8 — Ryan came on at halftime and immediately changed the game, not just threatening from the wing but pinching inside and operating as a creative force from the middle of the pitch. She set up a goal ruled out for offside, hit a sumptuous cross that nearly netted one and had the shot that earned a penalty before VAR decided otherwise. This was only her third cap, but she has already made a strong case to be part of the core group of forwards on this team.
FW Jaedyn Shaw, NR
MF Korbin Albert, NR
