The USWNT is leaving no stone unturned in pivoting this lull in domestic action into a festival of brilliance. For their ongoing June/July window, the American ladies are on a scoring spree, having defeated the Republic of Ireland 4-0 twice in the span of three days. But even after scoring eight goals against the same team, the challenge for Emma Hayes and Co. doesn’t end here as they gear up to face North American rivals Canada.
Overall, many view it as a friendly international window, also evident from a pure-domestic 25-player squad that Hayes called up, even including 76% of players who have less than 10 caps. However, this is exactly the misunderstanding that the English boss wants to clarify, insisting the game is more than just about being merely an exhibition contest.
“I don’t believe in friendlies,” Hayes began in the press conference. “I believe it’s an important game, as are all of them. It’s an opportunity to show the progress we’ve made in these five months. There’s been a lot of work that’s gone into developing the playing pool.
There’s been a lot of learnings—Brazil, Japan games— where less experienced players have had to grow up on the field and gain the necessary experiences, so now I get a chance to see it again. I think we’re in a really good place as a team. I know it means a lot to the team to continue to raise the level, regardless of who the opponents are, but I also know it’s a very important game for this country.
(This is a developing story…)
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