After a 0-0 draw with England, how creative will USWNT coach Emma Hayes be with her young squad against the Netherlands?
The U.S. women's national team's European adventure was designed to test this group. Yes, everyone was riding high following the Olympic gold medal this summer, but there's still so much work to be done. Clashes with England and the Netherlands would help with that work. These are two good teams, and two big tests from a young, learning group of U.S. rising stars.
The first test wasn't completely passed, but it also wasn't failed, either. The U.S. mustered a 0-0 draw at Wembley, going toe-to-toe with England in a matchup of the top two teams in the world rankings. They were unable, though, to find a way to beat England, despite having the better of the play through most of the match. That's the big question heading into Tuesday's friendly against the Netherlands: can the U.S. find a way to break them down?
Coach Emma Hayes will have to get creative to do so. With no "Triple Espresso" – Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson – available, the U.S. is working with a different sort of attack, one lacking the experience. Perhaps a young star such as Lily Yohannes or Jaedyn Shaw can unlock this USWNT group – and this visit to The Hague seems like a perfect chance to find out.
GOAL looks at key storylines to watch when the USWNT take on the Netherlands at 2:45 pm ET Tuesday.
Getty Images SportNaeher's goodbye
She has 114 USWNT caps to her name, and she'll finish with one more. On Tuesday, after cap 115, Alyssa Naeher will say goodbye.
This will be the final international match for a legitimate USWNT legend, a player who won basically all you can win during her career. Two World Cups and an Olympic gold and bronze headline her trophy cabinet, but there are plenty of other accolades in there. Naeher has earned her place among the USWNT's best, which is saying something given those who put on that No. 1 shirt before her.
It will be a moment to soak it all in and, unfortunately, it won't happen in the U.S. Naeher's swansong will come far from home in a clash with a top team, which, in some ways, is a little bit fitting, too. She'll step away after one more big match, one in which she should actually get tested by a really good team on the other side.
Can the USWNT send Naeher out on a win? They'll be trying their best to. She is beloved by her teammates as that veteran figure, that famous "Uncle" Naeher. She's helped this team fix so many of their problems over the years and, this time, those around her will look to honor her for all of those little moments that led to the bigger ones.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportHoran vs DVD
They're longtime teammates and friends, but when Lindsey Horan and Danielle van de Donk go head-to-head, they're both out for blood. Literally.
Facing off at the most recent World Cup, Horan and Van de Donk went head to head, infamously tussling after a hard foul by the Dutch star. Van de Donk, who was forced to wear a cap after being bloodied later on that match, threw her full body at her club teammate Horan and, in that moment, all allegiances were pushed to the side. Horan scored moments later and everyone knew how she felt immediately after.
The funny part is that Horan knew it was coming. After years of friendship, she knew that the Dutch star would be going after her when the moment came.
"You get trash talk every single day from Dan van de Donk and once we play them, you'll see it," Horan told GOAL at the time. "She'll be coming for my ankles like every single play so watch out for that. That will be fun!"
What will that matchup bring this time? It remains to be seen if both veteran midfielders start but, if they do, you can bet that they'll go at each other with full intensity.
USA TodayYohannes in the spotlight
It'll be interesting to see what type of reception Lily Yohannes receives if she does see the field on Tuesday. This game, more than any other one, will be deeply personal. Just a few weeks after committing to the USWNT, and turning down the Netherlands in the process, Yohannes could take the field against the Dutch.
Already a star for Ajax, she'll be used to playing in the Netherlands, but nothing can really prepare her for this.
Dual-national decisions are complicated. It's never cut and dry. Players need to weigh all sorts of factors before making that decision, and just because they choose one side doesn't mean they have any less love for the other. Those on the outside don't always understand that.
Either way, Yoahnnes is in the spotlight on both sides of the Atlantic. For the USWNT, she's a rising star, one that can help lead a new generation that is currently being developed by Hayes and U.S. Soccer. For the Netherlands, though, she's one that got away and, particularly ahead of Tuesday's match, that will feel very real.
IMAGNTime to unleash Shaw?
She got a cameo against England but, particularly with Smith, Rodman and Swanson out, Jaedyn Shaw needs more than sub-time. She's a game-changer, and this is the type of game that she can change.
Shaw, when healthy, is already one of the USWNT's most dangerous players. Just 20, Shaw has shown that she has that innate ability to make things happen, whether for herself or others. Against England, the USWNT lacked that a bit, which is why that match ended scoreless.
Without the star attacking trio, the U.S. needs someone to step in and create. Shaw has the ability to be that player. She already has eight goals to her name in just 20 appearances, and the Netherlands seems the perfect team to provide her with that next test. She's recorded goals against some good teams – Colombia, Canada and Japan – but scoring in the Netherlands would be a big statement looking to push into the regular starting XI.
