The loss snapped a 10-game winning streak for the USWNT and was the first time the United States had been shut out since playing England in a goalless draw in November 2024. The USWNT dictated most of the play at Lumen Field and created dangerous chances as early as five minutes in, but it was a lack of sharpness in the attacking third that ultimately led to the Americans falling short.
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“We had a lot of control, and that’s a really good thing, but it’s like, okay, with all that control, what can we do?” said midfielder Lindsey Heaps. “It’s the final phase. We had three, four chances at the end. Continuing to build connections in the final third is very important for us.”
While last year’s emphasis was on developing less-started players, building connections has become an important part of the team’s continued development. Emma Hayes has given international minutes to 60 players since taking charge of the team in mid-2024, but after the January 2026 training camp, Hayes and her staff began thinning out the player pool to begin building cohesion ahead of World Cup qualification later this year.
The lineup in the final third is something Hayes says he wants to see in Friday’s game against Japan at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. With Olympic gold medal game heroine Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario (the US top scorer in 2025) still absent, and Sophia Wilson still getting her legs back after 17 months away from the USWNT, the team is looking to be more clinical on offense.
“I always think the final third of football is where connections really matter,” Hayes said. “It’s still very early for us with that, so it seems a little complicated to me.”
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Hayes played Wilson alongside forward Trinity Rodman in both games this week as she attempts to rebuild the “Triple Espresso” connection that led the USWNT to Olympic gold in 2024. The duo created one of the most dangerous looks of the second game from a play that started with Heaps.
Wilson had another chance earlier with a long ball from defender Tierna Davidson, who played her first international match in more than a year. Before coming off the bench, Davidson said he saw that the team was building well but lacked precision in the finishing touch.
“We had a lot of good ideas, but we messed up because the ball was too long or a little behind someone or it just wasn’t exactly timed,” Davidson said. “The more we fine-tune that, the more opportunities we create and hopefully score.”
As the USWNT prepares for the series finale on Friday, April 17, it has the opportunity to apply those takeaways to close out the series with a complete performance in Colorado.
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“While we never want to be in that kind of position, it’s a good experience to be able to try to get that score line back, especially against a team like that,” Davidson said. “It’s a good reminder of where we don’t want to be and hopefully we can take that with us as we move into the next game.”