GOAL breaks down the big takeaways after two huge U.S. wins en route to another trophy – and the end of the Twila Kilgore era
The next time we see the U.S. women's national team, we'll be seeing a much different version. The Emma Hayes era is upon us, and after months of waiting, the soon-to-be-ex-Chelsea manager is on her way with the Olympics looming large.
In the months leading up to Hayes' arrival, Twila Kilgore has been in charge of a USWNT rebuild. Last summer's World Cup was a major blow for this program, and Kilgore's job was to make as much progress as possible before handing the reigns to Hayes. Mission accomplished, it's fair to say.
On Tuesday, the USWNT lifted another trophy, the second of this brief Kilgore era. Having faced two of the world's top teams in Japan and Canada, the U.S. took home the SheBelieves Cup. The vibes are high in USWNT land, for sure.
On Saturday, led by young star Jaedyn Shaw, the U.S. came from behind to take down Japan in a 2-1 win in front of a record crowd in Atlanta. Then, on Tuesday, the U.S. once again bounced back after conceding first. They equalized, took the lead, conceded and then survived, emerging victorious over Canada in a penalty shootout.
If there was a word to describe these two games, it would probably be gutsy. The U.S. dug deep in both, they never faltered or wilted despite setbacks and they pushed right on to fight through their flaws.
Kilgore has helped rebuild the foundation, which had cracked quite a bit in recent years. Now, everyone can look forward to seeing how Hayes builds upon that foundation as the U.S. moved forward full of confidence.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the SheBelieves Cup..
USA Today Sports WINNER: Sophia Smith
There's that old saying about goals being like ketchup bottles. If you try too hard, they won't come out but, once that breakthrough happens, there's no stopping the overflow coming your way.
The USWNT will surely hope that's the case for Smith. She's been smacking the bottom of that proverbial ketchup bottle a lot in recent months and, in the SheBelieves Cup finale, she finally got her rewards.
Smith scored twice in the finale, leading the way in the eventual victory. Her first was a fantastic outside-the-box finish, one perfectly placed as she leveled the match. The second came on the counter, showcasing her speed, intelligence and finishing as she scored the 18th goal of her USWNT career.
Those goals haven't come quite as often as she'd hoped, though.
After a breakthrough 2022 campaign that saw her score 11 goals in 17, she scored just three in 11 appearances during the 2023 calendar year with the USWNT – including at the World Cup. It wasn't the type of run she needed as she looked to become the USWNT's next attacking superstar.
Still just 23, Smith seems to have rediscovered her confidence, and a confident version of the Portland Thorns star is a dangerous weapon heading into the Olympics.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Korbin Albert
This is an obvious one for obvious reasons. Albert's road to re-earning the trust of USWNT teammates and fans is only just beginning. It won't be an overnight thing, and it will largely be determined by her attitude and approach off the field.
We'll focus on the on-the-field stuff now, though. It's hard not to feel like Albert would have started at least one of these games if not for all of the controversy surrounding her. After a breakout Gold Cup, it looked like the Paris Saint-Germain star was ready to solidify her place as a starter. Instead, she made two late cameos, one accompanied by significant boos. Neither of those appearances gave her much time to improve her stock, either.
The USWNT will have to answer some difficult questions in the coming months, and Emma Hayes will have to decide if Albert is one of her three best midfielders. If Albert is deemed one, will Hayes be willing to start her this summer despite all that's gone on?
The current debacle is just beginning, and this camp proved that Albert is still a member of this team despite all that's gone on, but her standing within the team has been impacted. Can those around her still trust her? Has chemistry been lost? There's so much to break down, but less than three months to figure it all out.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Jaedyn Shaw
Shaw's ascendency continues, and it isn't showing any signs of slowing down. The 19-year-old starlet was at it again during these two games. First up was a goal against Japan, leveling the match at 1-1. The finish meant she'd scored goals in each of her first five USWNT starts, becoming the first player to accomplish that feat.
In the final against Canada, Shaw added another assist to her ever-growing resume. Smith did most of the hard work with the finish, but Shaw's poise on the ball is what made the whole sequence possible. It's that poise that's making her a USWNT star, too.
Every camp, Shaw seems to make a difference. Despite her age and inexperience, Shaw continually does damage in the attack. And, considering her ability to play either centrally or out wide, there is no shortage of ways for Hayes to use her.
Shaw remains a player on the rise. Now, we just have to see how high she can climb.
Getty ImagesLOSER: The centerback situation
Thankfully, Naomi Girma's injury doesn't seem to be serious. She has been labeled as being day-to-day, a major relief to the USWNT considering Girma's status as this team's go-to central defender. When healthy, Girma is probably the first name on the U.S. team sheet, and as we've seen several times, she's essentially irreplaceable.
Her injury didn't just rob her of a chance to play more than a few minutes this window; it also robbed the U.S. of a crucial period of experimentation. As locked in as Girma's spot is, the one next to her remains up in the air with several contenders fighting for it.
Abby Dahlkemper, thankfully, plays alongside Girma for the San Diego Wave, so there will never be any chemistry issues there. Tierna Davidson, though, could have used a significant runout alongside Girma during this camp. The two started together against Japan but that only lasted 18 minutes before Girma was forced out.
The combination of Davidson and Dahlkemper, meanwhile, didn't look like a trophy-winning one. The pace wasn't quite there, which led to Canada's first goal in the finale. That duo likely won't start together at the Olympics thanks to Girma's diagnosis and it only further proved how important Girma is to this team.
Who starts next to her? We still don't really have an answer. This camp would have been a good tryout. Instead, it gave us a glimpse into a nightmare scenario the U.S. could face if Girma is ever out of the lineup.
