Fourteen minutes. That is all Spain needed on Saturday night in Washington to build a lead it would never surrender, and it is the number hanging over everything the United States women’s national team says ahead of Tuesday’s rematch at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.
The reigning World Cup champions beat the USWNT 2-0 on October 10, striking twice inside the opening quarter of an hour and then absorbing everything the Americans threw at them. The U.S. outshot Spain 13-6 and finished with a commanding edge in expected goals, 2.26 to 0.43 according to ESPN Research, but could not convert. Now the world’s top two teams meet again on Tuesday, October 13, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET and the match airing on TNT, HBO Max, Universo and Peacock, with radio coverage on Westwood One and Fútbol de Primera.
United States head coach Emma Hayes did not mince words when she faced reporters at Subaru Park on Monday, before her team trained.
“My big request to the team is to do it earlier,” Hayes said. “Like, start earlier with the things that really matter.”
What went wrong on Saturday in Washington
Spain’s win was efficient rather than dominant. Both goals came from quality finishes, but in each case a U.S. defense that has rarely looked this exposed in recent years opened the door. La Roja also set the physical tone, committing 12 fouls to the Americans’ four and conceding a penalty along the way.
The U.S. did grow into the match, particularly after halftime, and created enough chances to at least level the game. The clearest of them fell to Lily Yohannes, whose penalty kick was missed. That wastefulness in front of goal has become a pattern: the Americans have scored just twice in their past three matches and only 11 goals across nine outings since March 1.
Hayes pushed back on the idea that the loss itself signals a widening problem. She noted that the United States created more opportunities than Spain and argued that the conversation around her team is too often defined by the scoreline.
“Everything we’re talking about is defined by the scoreline,” Hayes said, adding that the “details” were lacking in the 2-0 defeat.
She also pointed to context that rarely makes the highlight reels. The U.S. had four months off between training camps, and on-field relationships take time to rebuild. Players are accustomed to player-to-player marking at their clubs, she explained, but need to play more zonal defense at the international level. Progress, in her framing, is a process rather than a result.
Hayes: the gap with Spain is closing, even if the scoreboard says otherwise
After Saturday’s match, Hayes said the United States is “much closer to them than we were three years ago.” On Monday she doubled down on that view while questioning how the narrative would read had the Americans simply finished their chances.
“So what is the gap?” Hayes asked. “You can determine and say finishing or preventing goals. Well, yes, that’s part of it, but when you analyze it, when we analyze the game through our lens and through the things we know to be true to impact the result, I know what it looked like in 2023 to what it looks like now, and Spain and USA are right side by side. But it’s maybe the confidence they have being world champions. There’s an efficiency to what they’re doing in that regard.”
That efficiency is real. Aside from two away missteps against England, Spain has not lost in regular time since the 2024 Olympics. In the June international window, La Roja thumped visiting England 4-0 and routed Iceland 6-1.
Hayes, for her part, sees value in the challenge itself. “If I’m here to merely protect a wins record, then I’ll pick a lesser opponent,” she said. “I’m not here to do that. I’m here to see how much does that gap close with them and how far away are we from that. [The U.S. will] keep working towards it, because [Spain is] the best team in the world for a reason.”
The confirmed USWNT starting XI for Tuesday
U.S. Soccer published the starting lineup on Monday, and it features a blend of experience and players fighting their way back into the picture. Phallon Tullis-Joyce starts in goal behind a back line of Emily Fox, Tierna Davidson, Kennedy Wesley and Gisele Thompson. Claire Hutton and Lindsey Heaps, wearing the captain’s armband, anchor the midfield, with Trinity Rodman, Rose Lavelle and Ashley Sanchez supporting Sophia Wilson up top.
Several milestones are tucked into that XI. Heaps, 32, earns her 180th cap in her 140th start and her 47th game as captain, a total that puts her among just 18 players in USWNT history to reach 180 appearances and leaves her one cap shy of tying her mentor Tobin Heath for 17th on the all-time list. Lavelle’s 124th cap moves her past Julie Ertz into sole possession of 34th all-time.
Wilson, 25, makes her 65th appearance in her third camp since giving birth to her daughter, making her the 18th mother to play for the USWNT. She scored against Brazil on June 6 to become the ninth woman to score as a mother. Sanchez’s start is her first in 713 days, following her first appearance in 710 days on Saturday. Tullis-Joyce, meanwhile, has been remarkably reliable when called upon: seven wins and five shutouts across her eight caps.
Notably, this is the first time Davidson, Fox, Wesley and Gisele Thompson will start a match together on the back line, a sign of how much experimentation remains part of Hayes’s project. Trinity Byars, Jordan Silkowitz and Lilly Reale are not dressing for the match.
Both squads are shorthanded
Tuesday’s rematch will not feature either team at full strength. Spain remains without Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, who is working back from a broken leg, while defender Mapi León pulled out of training camp early last week and attacking midfielder Mariona Caldentey is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The United States has its own absences. Defender Naomi Girma and midfielder Sam Coffey were each removed from the roster before training camp began due to recent injury setbacks.
Expect a more physical rematch
If Saturday’s foul count and stoppage-time flashpoint were any indication, the return fixture could carry an edge. Spain forward Athenea del Castillo was shown a red card moments after entering the match in Washington, sent off in second-half stoppage time for pulling the hair of U.S. defender Michelle Cooper.
Spain defender Oihane Hernández expects more of the same on Tuesday. “I honestly expect like a really more physical game,” she told reporters on Monday. “I think they’re gonna be more aggressive.”
Emily Fox made clear the Americans intend to meet that standard. “We definitely want to be more aggressive,” she said. “And so, whatever that takes. If that is more physicality, if that is being more front-footed, if that’s just reading the game a bit better.”
Center back Davidson, who played a full 90 minutes on Saturday after returning this year from a year-long injury, wants composure to accompany the aggression.
“I think just a really calm confidence,” Davidson said. “I think having the confidence both on and off the ball, I think that is what will take us to the next level to make sure that when we are in front of the goal, we’re finishing, when we are defending our own goal, we’re aggressive and strong. But really just a togetherness, a chemistry, a belief.”
Why the stakes feel bigger than a friendly
Here is the uncomfortable context for American fans: with the Women’s World Cup less than a year away, the U.S. is chasing Spain, not the other way around. Spain sits atop the FIFA rankings as reigning world champion, and European champion England is in that same elite conversation. The next World Cup takes place next summer in Brazil.
Hayes stressed that timing is everything when tournaments arrive. “When you get to those tournaments, a bit like our [2024] Olympics, everything has to go perfect,” she said. “You have to have your best players available. You have to take your best chances when they come and you have to concede few goals. If we’d have taken an injury in the 2024 Olympics, I don’t think we would have won it.”
There are reasons for American optimism despite Saturday’s result. The U.S. are defending Olympic champions, have not lost consecutive matches in four years, and have not stumbled at home in back-to-back outings since 2017. Captain Heaps framed the challenge in blunt terms: “We want to stay at a high standard, and we need to keep progressing. You look at the game and you sit there and say how many chances you created, but also, if we want to be on top come the World Cup, those kinds of chances we have to score. We know at this point we will create them — and we’re creating them against the best teams in the world.”
Hayes, for her part, relishes another crack at the Spanish. “You play the same opponent twice, and there’s things within that you can do a bit better,” she said. “Our team has a really good habit of bringing [those] things into the second game, but we have to do them. You can get away with things against weaker opposition. You just can’t with [Spain].”
Whether Tuesday ends in a statement win or another frustrating night, Hayes has already decided what she is measuring. The scoreboard is secondary. The gap is the point.
FAQ
When and where is the USWNT vs Spain rematch?
The second friendly between the United States and Spain kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. It airs on TNT, HBO Max, Universo and Peacock, with radio coverage on Westwood One and Fútbol de Primera.
What happened in the first USWNT vs Spain match?
Spain, the reigning World Cup champions, beat the United States 2-0 on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Washington, D.C., with both goals coming in the first 14 minutes. The U.S. outshot Spain 13-6 and led 2.26 to 0.43 in expected goals but failed to score, including a missed penalty by Lily Yohannes.
Who is starting for the USWNT against Spain on Tuesday?
Phallon Tullis-Joyce starts in goal behind Emily Fox, Tierna Davidson, Kennedy Wesley and Gisele Thompson. Lindsey Heaps captains a midfield that includes Claire Hutton and Rose Lavelle, with Trinity Rodman, Ashley Sanchez and Sophia Wilson up top.
Which key players are missing from the two squads?
Spain is without Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, who is coming back from a broken leg, while Mapi León left training camp early and Mariona Caldentey is out with a hamstring injury. The United States removed defender Naomi Girma and midfielder Sam Coffey from its roster before camp due to recent injury setbacks.