The U. S. Ladies’s Nationwide Group is regrouping this week for 2 necessary friendlies in opposition to its rival, Brazil.
The groups final met in Paris in July 2024, when the Individuals beat the Brazilians within the Olympic gold-medal recreation on Mallory Swanson’s second-half aim.
With skilled gamers Sophia Wilson, Naomi Girma, Rose Lavelle, Tierna Davidson and Emily Fox out injured for the Brazil matches, U.S. coach Emma Hayes has a singular problem. She should introduce new gamers into the USWNT system and produce them up to the mark on the crew’s requirements and philosophies in time for these essential take a look at matches. However how will new gamers discover on-field chemistry after only some coaching periods?
For Hayes, the reply is straightforward: by honing in on what she calls the USWNT “non-negotiables.”
“Generally we simply assume that everyone is aware of what the calls for or the requirements are for a USWNT participant,” she said in a news conference before the Brazil matches. “However we now have to switch that — and we now have to switch it in the precise method. A few of that, for me, comes within the ‘non-negotiables’ of the on-field efficiency, no matter outcomes.
“There are issues on this recreation, no matter expertise, that we are going to not negotiate on. I’ve to tune the gamers into that after they come into camp.”
It is a daring strategy, and one that ought to assist younger stars ease their method into the USWNT. As a substitute of adapting to a brand new, extremely complicated tactical system, Hayes may have newcomers give attention to the precise on-field duties that should be achieved no matter who the USWNT is taking part in or what the rating is.
For Brazil — a formidable opponent and one the USWNT confronted in two finals in 2024 — these non-negotiables revolve round physicality.
“In case you watched our Olympic last, it was not like some other recreation through the Olympics,” USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps said with a laugh. And he or she’s proper: The USWNT’s win was impressively bodily.
