That’s a wrap on the USWNT’s 2025

There was no major international competition this past year, and the Olympic afterglow lasted only for so long before the business of talent evaluation was jumpstarted again. The result was a youth movement that was unprecedented in the history of the team.

Olivia Moultrie, Claire Hutton and Emma Sears emerged as stars of the future. Croix Bethune came back into the fold after her unfortunate rookie injury. Claire Hutton Lilly Reale, Jordyn Bugg and Sam Meza have all been added at times to the call-up rotation. Lily Yohannes is somehow still only 18, and there’s also Ally Sentnor, last year’s USSF young player of the year.

“The depth of this team is growing. So much, and I think that is the most important thing with the U.S. national team. It’s the most competitive environment that I’ve ever been a part of, and that’s been through years and years and years. And that’s what makes it one of the best teams in the world for so long. So to have that gap, to have these new young players coming through and absolutely killing it, and putting on a show in this last game as well, and with the balance of experienced players and new players, it’s really important,” Lindsey Heaps said.

It has no doubt been the perfect time to focus on the youth, given the absence of Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson, who both took advantage of the off year to have children, as well as the extended injury-related absences of Naomi Girma and Trinity Rodman.

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U.S. Soccer said that of the team’s combined 39 goals and 26 assists this year, 51% involved a player under 25. Here’s the breakdown:

Goals by under-25 players:

• 4 by 21-year-old Ally Sentnor;
• 3 by 24-year-old Emma Sears;
• 3 by 20-year-old Olivia Moultrie;
• 2 by 20-year-old Alyssa Thompson;
• 1 by 22-year-olds Michelle Cooper;
• 1 by 22-year-old Trinity Rodman;
• 1 by 23-year-old Avery Patterson;
• 1 by 19-year old Claire Hutton.

Assists by under-25 players:

• 3 from Sentnor;
• 3 from Cooper;
• 2 from Thompson;
• 2 from 21-year-old Jaedyn Shaw;
• 1 from Sears;
• 1 from Moultrie;
• 1 from Hutton;
• 1 from 18-year-old Lily Yohannes;
• 1 from 21-year-old Lilly Reale;
• 1 from 23-year-old Avery Patterson.

That depth and development will be important as the team plows into 2026 and World Cup qualifying at the end of the year.

“I think Emma’s being really intentional about giving the younger players an opportunity so that when 2027 comes around everyone is ready to go whenever they’re called on and whatever role they play. So being able to step in a moments like even (Friday) against a really top side and show out like we did, I think is a great step forward for us,” Sam Coffey said. “But I think our depth is going to be our most lethal weapon going forward.”

Along the way, the USWNT lost three matches this year: a 2-1 loss to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup; a 2-1 loss to Brazil in an April friendly, and then the uncharacteristic 2-1 loss to Portugal in late October. The team is 12-3-0 after tonight’s win against Italy for their 2025 finale.

For Hayes, the focus hasn’t been on the wins and losses this year: “I’ve been very clear on the process to develop players and what we have to go through, so I’m not zoomed in on three losses. If I was, I wouldn’t make changes, if I played to just win.”

As proof, Coffey pointed to Hayes’ demeanor after that loss to Portugal.

“I remember coming back in the meal room after the game and like she was just expressing how much she like, loved us, like ‘I love you guys.’ We’re obviously all just sad and frustrated. And for your coach to be saying that instead of like, I don’t know, so many other things. She cares so much about the person behind the player. And I think that’s what we feel. And I think that gives us the freedom to be our best.”

All of this is to say that the 2027 World Cup is looming — as one reporter posing questions to Coffey and Heaps put it — in a mere 18 months.

“We want to qualify for the World Cup, but we want to go and win the World Cup,” Heaps said. “But I think this team is really good about taking each step at a time and each camp at a time, knowing in the back of our minds, everything we’re doing now is preparing for that. But we want to go win every game. We want to go and get better every single day and learn in the classroom, these are really important things for for this team. And we know that when we stay in this moment, that future is ahead of us, and we’re going to be the best to our ability when we get there.”

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And the nominees are…

US Soccer announced its year-end awards on Monday morning. The 2025 U.S. Soccer Women’s Player of the Year nominees are defender Emily Fox, midfielders Sam Coffey and Rose Lavelle, and forwards Alyssa Thompson and Catarina Macario.

The Young Women’s Player of the Year nominees are defenders Jordyn Bugg, Pearl Cecil and Lilly Reale and forwards Micayla Johnson and Riley Tiernan.

Links:

Hayes says opportunities for players should be celebrated, from The Athletic.

Lavelle says USWNT can’t be unprepared ever again.

Coffey, Sentnor and Gisele Thompson are the faces for a Gorjana jewelry campaign.

CNN asks why women’s soccer is so important to queer people.

US Soccer suggested 14 possible stadiums in its 2031 World Cup bid book.

TNT announces talent for World Sevens Football.

Offseason questions for every NWSL team.

The NWSL final drew over 1 million viewers on CBS.

Phoenix area hopes to land MLS, NWSL teams.

Thorns part ways with Rob Gale.

Jess Carter finishes the year as a two-time champion.

Washington women lose in the Elite Eight to end emotional season.