After loss to Spain in D.C., USWNT aims to rebound with rematch in Philadelphia

The match-up between the reigning Olympic champion U.S. Women’s National Team and Spain, the world’s top-ranked women’s soccer team and defending Women’s World Cup champion, lived up to its billing on Oct. 10 in Washington, D.C in front of a sellout crowd, but two clinical goals from Spain inside the first 15 minutes, and a lack of efficiency in the penalty box from the USA, led to a 2-0 U.S. loss.

Returning from a four-month break from international play, the Americans had plenty of positives to take away from the first match – outshooting Spain 13-6 and 10-3 on shots on goal, not allowing a shot in the second half while forcing some world class saves from the Spanish goalkeeper, but spotting the best team in the world two early goals is not a recipe for success. The USA will get another shot at the champions on Oct. 13 at Subaru Park in Chester, Pa. (7 p.m. ET on TNT and HBO Max in English and on Universo and Peacock in Spanish) in a match presented by AT&T in a match that will be played in front of another capacity crowd. The match will also be available on the radio on Westwood One Sports in Spanish on Fútbol de Primera.

U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; CAPS/GOALS)

2026 OCTOBER MATCHES VS. SPAIN

GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 12), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC; 0), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 7)

DEFENDERS (9): Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC; 71/3), Kate Del Fava (Utah Royals FC; 0/0), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 79/1), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 15/1), Lilly Reale (Boston Legacy FC; 9/0), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit; 12/0), Evelyn Shores (Angel City FC; 0/0), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 12/0), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 8/1)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Lindsey Heaps (Denver Summit FC; 179/40), Jaelin Howell (Gotham FC; 6/1), Claire Hutton (Bay FC; 21/1), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC; 123/29), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Stars; 104/38), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 21/1)

FORWARDS (8): Trinity Byars (San Diego Wave FC; 0/0), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 15/1), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 58/13), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 21/6), Ashley Sanchez (North Carolina Courage; 29/3), Pietra Tordin (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea FC, ENG; 33/4), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns FC; 64/25)

‘TRIPLE ESPRESSO’ BACK FOR SECOND STRAIGHT CAMP: Forwards Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson — the self-monikered “Triple Espresso” who helped lead the USA to the 2024 Olympic gold medal — are on the same roster for the second straight camp. The June camp in Brazil was the first time all three were together in almost 22 months, but Swanson did not see action. On Oct. 10 at Audi Field, the trio was finally reunited for the first time since the 2024 Olympics where they combined for 10 goals and five assists with Swanson scoring the game-winning goal in the Olympic Final in her 100th cap. Swanson’s appearance after coming into the match in the 66th minute marked 710 days since her last minutes for the U.S., those coming on Oct. 30, 2024, during the post-Olympic tour. Triple Espresso shared the field from the 66th minute through the end of the match, but not in their usual trio across the front. Swanson subbed on for Rose Lavelle as the attacking midfielder and did so 791 days since the gold medal victory.

32 DEBUTS IN FIRST 32 GAMES: U.S. head coach Emma Hayes gave 32 players their international debuts in the first 32 matches since she officially started her position as head coach of the USWNT in June of 2024. There have been no debuts in the last eight matches, but that could change with five uncapped players on the roster for the Spain matches (Jordan Silkowitz, Trinity Byars, Kate Del Fava Pietra Tordin or Evelyn Shores). She has now coached 41 total matches for the USA. Before Hayes, Jill Ellis gave 30 players their first caps in 132 games at the U.S. helm while Vlatko Andonovski debuted 18 players in 65 games. In matches when at least one player debuted, the U.S. is 19W-0L-1D, including Hayes’ first three matches, where three players made their debuts and the USWNT won all three matches. At the end of 2025, Hayes had given 27 debuts in 29 matches. On Dec. 1, 2025, Kate Wiesner became the 50th different player to start a match under Emma Hayes in her then 32 matches as USWNT head coach. Hayes has now given caps to 60 different players. Of those 60 players, 56 have started a match. No other fulltime USWNT manager named more than 36 different starters in their first 30 games. In 2025 alone, Hayes gave 44 different players caps, which is tied for the record for most in any calendar year with 2000 and 2001. So far in 2026, Hayes has given caps to 43 different players, which is the second most in a calendar year in program history. To open 2026, she gave five players their first caps in the first camp of the year: forward Reilyn Turner, forward Maddie Dahlien, midfielder Sally Menti, midfielder Riley Jackson and defender Ayo Oke. This camp is the first camp since January 2026 where there are uncapped players on the roster.

TEAM NOTES

• Twelve different NWSL teams had at least one player appear for the USWNT against Spain on Saturday, the most ever in a single match.
• The roster features the return of forward Ashley Sanchez, who is having an historic season in the National Women’s Soccer League, having scored 20 goals in 27 matches so far for the North Carolina Courage, tying the record for most goals in any single NWSL season. Sanchez, who has 29 caps and three international goals and was a member of the USA’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Team, was last called up in January of 2025 but has not played in a match for the USA since Oct. 30, 2024, against Argentina. When she appeared for the U.S. on Oct. 10, 2026, her appearance marked 710 days since the last time she played for the USWNT.
• Mallory Swanson returned to play for the USWNT on Oct. 10 for the first time since she gave birth to her daughter last fall. When she took the pitch on Saturday, it had been 710 days since Swanson took the pitch for the WNT. Swanson became the 19th mother to play for the USWNT.
• Wilson is the 18th mother to play for the USWNT.
• The five uncapped players on this roster are Jordan Silkowitz, Evelyn Shores, Pietra Tordin, Kate Del Fava and Trinity Byars.
• The call-up for Tordin boosts the number of players from the USA’s 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Team who have received senior team call-ups to eight.
• Byars is the tenth player from the USA’s 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Team to receive a senior team call-up.
• Three players on this roster have more than 100 caps, led by Heaps (179) and followed by Lavelle (123) and Swanson (104).
• Four players have between 50-100 caps: Emily Fox (79), Tierna Davidson (71), Wilson (64) and Rodman (58).
• Nine players have 11 or fewer caps.
• Of the 23 field players on the roster, 16 have scored in an international match, led by Heaps with 40 international goals. Swanson has 38 goals; Lavelle has 29 and Wilson has 25. The only other player in double figures is Rodman with 13.
• The only field players on the roster who haven’t scored in an international match are defenders Tara Rudd (12 caps), Gisele Thompson (12 caps), Lilly Reale (nine caps) and the four uncapped players, Kate Del Fava, Trinity Byars, Pietra Tordin and Evelyn Shores.
• The roster features 22 NWSL players and four who are currently playing for clubs in Europe.
  Nineteen different professional clubs are represented on the roster. Gotham FC has three players on the roster while Angel City FC, Bay FC, the Washington Spirit, San Diego Wave FC and Portland Thorns FC have two players each.
• With the European season just kicking off, three of the four European-based players are on clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League with Lily Yohannes at OL Lyonnes, Alyssa Thompson at Chelsea FC and Emily Fox at Arsenal FC.
• The average age of this 26-player training camp roster is 25.0. Heaps and Lavelle are the only players on the roster who have passed their 30th birthday.
• The average caps per player heading into the first match against Spain was 33.9.
• The three goalkeepers in camp have a total of 19 career caps. Claudia Dickey has 12 and Phallon Tullis-Joyce has seven.
• There is just one teenager on the roster in 19-year-old Lily Yohannes.
• Heaps (32) is the oldest player on the roster while Yohannes is the youngest.
• The USA is currently second in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings while Spain sits atop the rankings.
  These matches will mark the 18th and 19th times that the USWNT has played a match that has featured the two top-ranked teams in the world.
• Fifteen of those have been against Germany, one against Norway and one against England.
• The U.S. is unbeaten in each of these matches with an 11W-0L-6D record overall.

IN FOCUS: SPAIN
FIFA World Ranking: 1
UEFA Ranking: 1
World Cup Appearances: 3 (2015, 2019, 2023)
Best Finish: Champions (2023)
Record vs. USA: 2W-3L-0D
Head Coach: Sonia Bermúdez (ESP)

SPAIN WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; CAPS/GOALS)

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Misa Rodriguez (Arsenal FC, ENG; 25), 13-Eunate Astralaga (Athletic Club; 0), 23-Adriana Nanclares (Athletic Club; 8)

DEFENDERS (9): 2-Ona Batlle (Arsenal FC, ENG; 77/2), 3-Oihane Hernández (Orlando Pride, USA; 27/1), 4-Irene Paredes (FC Barcelona; 128/14), 5-Maria Méndez (Reale Madrid CF; 24/3), 6-Andrea Medina (Manchester United, ENG; 1), 15-Laia Codina (West Ham United, ENG; 28/2), 16-Lucia Garcia (C.F. Monterrey, MEX; 53/11), 17-Lucia Corrales (London City Lionesses, ENG; 9/1), 19-Eva Navarro (Real Madrid CF; 33/5)

MIDFIELDERS (6): 8-Natalia Ramos (Liverpool, ENG; 1/0), 11-Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses, ENG; 149/42), 12-Patricia Guijarro (FC Barcelona; 80/14), 20-Clara Pinedo (Athletic Club; 1/0), 21-Fiamma Benitez (Club Atlético de Madrid; 15/2), 22-Clara Serrajordi (FC Barcelona; 7/0)

FORWARDS (7): 7-Salma Paralluelo (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 51/16), 10-Athena Del Castillo (Real Madrid CF; 69/18), 14-Alba Redondo (Juventus; 47/16), 18-Ornella Vignola (Everton FC, ENG; 2), 24-Edna Imade (FC Bayern Munich, GER; 9/5), 25-Ainhoa Marin (Real Sociedad; 1/0)

USA vs. SPAIN HISTORY:

• Spain’s relatively recent ascension to the top of the women’s game is one factor that has contributed to the USA and Spain having faced each other only five times in their histories.
• The USA won the first three games: 1-0 in Alicante, Spain at the start of 2019, 2-1 in the Round of 16 at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Reims, France, and 1-0 at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup in Harrison, N.J.
• Spain won the most recent meeting, picking up its first-ever victory over the USA in 2022, winning 2-0 in Pamplona, Spain, and then went on to win the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, putting La Roja atop the world for the first time. After the 2-0 win over the USA on Oct. 10, Spain now has two consecutive wins over the USA and the USA is 3W-2L-0D all-time against Spain.

SPAIN NOTES:

• Spain is the reigning Women’s World Cup Champions, having qualified for the tournament three times (2015, 2019, 2023) and the Olympics once (2024).
• Athena Del Castillo was ejected from the Oct. 10 match for violent conduct (pulling Michelle Cooper’s hair) and will not be available for the Oct. 13 match.
• After Spain was forced to send two players home due to injuries (Claudia Pina and Mapi Leon), forward Lucia Garcia has been added to the roster for the second match. Garcia is playing in Mexico with C.F. Monterrey.
• In 2023, Spain became one of just five countries to be crowned world champions after defeating England in the World Cup final,1-0. That was Spain’s first and only world championship at the senior level thus far, but Spain has been excellent at the youth level, winning two FIFA U-17 WWC tournaments and two FIFA U-20 WWC tournaments, including just a few weeks ago at the 2026 FIFA U-20 WWC in Poland.
• Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí won the 2023 WWC golden ball while her teammate Jennifer Hermoso won the silver ball. Neither is on this roster. Bonmatí, Hermoso and Alba Redondo were tied for third-most goals scored in the 2023 Women’s World Cup with several others. Six other Spain players scored at the 2023 Women’s World Cup including Olga Carmona and Salma Paralluelo who each had two goals.
• Spain won its UEFA Women’s World Cup qualifying group by taking 15 points from its six matches with the only blemish a 1-0 loss to England on April 14 in London. Spain reversed that result and more on June 5, winning 4-0 in Mallorca on two goals from Putellas and one each from Patri Guijarro and Claudia Pina.
• In their lone Olympic appearance, Spain earned fourth place, falling 1-0 to Germany in the third-place match. Alexia Putellas scored two goals in the tournament, and six other players scored one each.
  Spain has competed in five European Championships, earning Runners-Up in the 2025 competition.
• The four other appearances were 1997, 2013, 2017 and 2022.
• Spain has made two Nations League Finals appearances, one in 2024 and the other in 2025, winning both of titles.
• Spain features some of the world’s best players, including attacking midfielder Aitana Bonmatí a three-time world player of the year in 2023, 2024, and 2025, attacking midfielder Alexia Putellas, the world player of the year in 2021 and 2022 and some of the best young players in the world in forward/midfielder Vicky Lopez and forward Salma Paralluelo.
• Spain’s 6-1 World Cup berth-clinching win over Iceland featured two goals from Lopez and one each from Edna Imade, Paralluelo, and Bonmatí.
• These will be only the second and third matches for the USA against Spain on U.S. soil with the first and thus far only match coming in the 2020 SheBelieves Cup. Putellas won the SheBelieves Cup MVP award that year.
• Twelve of Spain’s 25 players on this roster play club soccer domestically. Eight players play in England for six different clubs. Oihane Hernandez plays in the USA for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride, Enda Imade plays in Germany for Bayern Munich, Garcia plays in Mexico for C.F. Monterrey and Paralluelo plays in France for OL Lyonnes.
• World power FC Barcelona has the most players of any club on Spain’s roster with four. Real Madrid has the next most with three players. Athletic Club, London City Lionesses and Arsenal FC had two players called up.
• The USA’s Emily Fox plays at Arsenal with Spain’s Misa Rodriguez and Ona Batlle. Lily Yohannes plays at OL Lyonnes with Paralluelo. Phallon Tullis-Joyce plays at Manchester United with Andrea Medina.
  Spain has lost just two games since the end of the 2024 Olympics, both to England, both by 1-0 scores and both at Wembley Stadium. Spain has played 28 matches since the end of the Olympics. The USA has played 31 games since the end of the Olympics and lost six as Emma Hayes undertook the process to revamp and deepen the player pool.
• After announcing their original roster, Spain had to make four changes due to injury. OUT: M Mariona Caldentey, GK Cata Coll, F Vicky Lopez, M Mapi Leon, F Claudia Pina IN: No. 8 Natalia Ramos (M), No. 13 Eunate Astralaga (GK), No. 14 Alba Redondo (F) and No. 16 Lucia Garcia (F).