USWNT Takeaways: Who Made Their Case vs. Brazil, What Questions Remain | OneFootball

What goes around comes around. After nine straight wins against Brazil, the U.S. women's national team's impressive streak came to an end with a 2–1 defeat in San Jose on Tuesday night. The defeat is just the second loss under U.S. manager Emma Hayes (16-2-2).

The ninth win in that streak was a 2–0 win Saturday at SoFi Stadium, where Trinity Rodman scored on her long-awaited return to the team, and the Americans did well to handle their disruptive guests.

The April international window has now come and gone. It was a mixed bag, with the U.S. showing some high highs and some lows lows. It was not a disaster. With no major tournament in 2025 or 2026, Hayes has consistently reiterated that this is a time for development.

Let's look at who made their case, and what questions marks still remain.

Who made their case?

Alyssa Thompson

Was there a greater individual performer over the two matches than Alyssa Thompson? It's hard to think of one. The 20-year-old has leveled up and is evolving into one of the most influential players in the country.

Thompson had an exceptional assist in the first match, faking out the dribble and cradling a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Rodman. Then, in the second Brazil match, she created Caterina Macario's opening goal by dashing 50 yards with the ball, leaving Brazil players in her dust.

Thompson was relentless and creative, bursting with quality and the ability to change games. Just as people were beginning to worry about the availability of the attack nicknamed Triple Espresso, another shot of caffeine has arrived.

Lily Yohannes

At 17 years old, the strategy has been to slowly integrate Lily Yohannes into the senior USWNT. That strategy might have to be changed as the teenager's unique technical skill set feels essential to making the U.S. tick.

Yohannes is calm and confident on the ball. She wants to play passes forward, whether short, medium or long. That patience and bravery on the ball, without any hesitation, is something that has been lacking in the U.S. for some time.

The physicality and competitiveness of Brazil probably showed that Yohannes wasn't ready to battle for 90 minutes just yet. After all, Hayes limited her to just 74 minutes across the two games.

Phallon Tullis-Joyce

It was never going to be easy to replace the legendary Alyssa Naeher after she retired from the USWNT at the end of 2024. But Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who earned her first cap on Saturday against Brazil, feels like the front-runner.

Tullis-Joyce was beaming with confidence in the 2–0 win over Brazil, making six saves and earning a debut clean sheet. Not only did the 28-year-old show up in the big moments, but it was her ability to claim crosses and rush out early to swallow up passes that showcased the type of international goalkeeper she could be.

The Manchester United shot-stopper will have to face off competition from Jane Campbell, Mandy McGlynn and Angelina Anderson, amongst some others.

SoFi Stadium

A total of 32,303 people showed up to watch the USWNT at SoFi Stadium on Saturday. It was the Inglewood, Calif., venue's first-ever women's sports event, and the largest home crowd to watch the USWNT since 50,644 congregated in Atlanta in April 2024.

The atmosphere crackled and popped in the late afternoon light that shone through the unique architecture. Despite concerns over the narrow pitch and newly laid grass, it felt like SoFi Stadium passed with flying colors as a venue for women's soccer.

With the news dropping last week that the U.S. is the sole bidder for the 2031 Women's World Cup, it was a timely reminder that the stadium could play a significant role in that tournament. SoFi Stadium is already set to host eight matches at the 2026 men's World Cup.

What question marks remain?

Mandy McGlynn

The Utah Royals goalkeeper made some commendable saves against Brazil but looked nervous with the ball at her feet. On multiple occasions, she invited pressure and was unable to play the correct pass to teammates. Brazil pressed high and almost scored on turnovers by McGlynn.

Hayes spoke after the first friendly about Tullis-Joyce still needing to improve her distribution overall. However, McGlynn's troubles in the second Brazil test weren't the answer either.

Too much youth at once

Hayes named the youngest USWNT lineup in 24 years, and that lack of experience showed in the defeat to Brazil.

Yes, this year is about development and exposure for this young group. However, too many young and inexperienced players at once don't leave enough continuity pieces.

Trying to roll out entire position groups that have never played together against top opponents might need some tweaking. Similarly, a midfield where the oldest player is 21 feels incredibly brave.

"I'm not making decisions for the short term," Hayes told the media Tuesday night. "I don't want to wait another year for me to get a look at these players against a top-level opponent. I'm glad I made the decision, even if we feel some short-term pain."

Korbin Albert

Hayes envisions Korbin Albert being an athletic central midfielder to cover ground and keep the passing tempo moving up the pitch. But since last summer's Olympics, the 21-year-old has not been able to progress the ball, take chances or break up play.

Tuesday night's loss to Brazil was another timid showing from Albert that feels like another opportunity she hasn't been able to take. Brazil's competitiveness and physicality exemplified the demand for the U.S. to have a breezy box-to-box midfielder. Albert does not look like that player right now.