When reflecting on her roster for friendlies where the United States Women's National Team will face Spain twice, Emma Hayes made it a point to discuss how many players she's choosing from on the road to the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. It signifies a shift in how the U-23s are being used. Jaedyn Shaw and Ally Sentnor are two players who Hayes brought up.
Between them, they have more than 50 caps and 17 goals for the USWNT, but they'll instead be with the youth side, and that isn't far from Hayes's view and thoughts. Hayes mentioned not playing Shaw during the last camp against Brazil and that not being something that's the best for her development. While getting experience in camp can be important for young players, these aren't newbies to the squad, and what's best is that they play soccer games, which is something that they can do with the U-23s.
They'll also have two matches under Heather Dyche facing the Dominican Republic U-23s during this window while training at the Arthur M. Soccer National Training Center alongside the USWNT. "I want to prioritize the development of players, and I don't want less experienced players always sitting on the bench and playing few minutes.
So, for Ali and for Jaedyn, the decision was taken for them to go to the 23s," Hayes said. "They're still central to our plans, but also I think with Ashley Sanchez performing the way she has and Trinity Byars performing the way they have, there is a competition for places, and I have spoken to them both. They understand the importance of their development.
I will be able to watch what they do every day here with the 23s. And as I said, I think they'll still be two important players, but this is been part of their prescribed journey, and I don't think of this decision being a negative." This viewpoint shows how connected Hayes is to the development of the squad, but it also signifies the importance of having a national training center. Previously, with the USWNT playing their matches in Washington, D.C., and Chester, Pa., they may have had a camp further north to prep for those games, but in Georgia, there's enough space to have everyone under one roof where Hayes can see developments happening with the youth sides just as easily as the senior ones.
Facing Spain, there's only so much tinkering Hayes can do with the lineup while also trying to win the games at the same time, and with Ashley Sanchez forcing her own call-up for the first time in two years while matching the NWSL record for goals scored with 20, there wasn't much room in the attack, leading to Hayes needing to make tough decisions. Even with injuries around the squad, it shows the depth of who is available when people like Shaw and Sentnor end up with the U-23s. But with Sanchez being in the USWNT squad, everyone should also be able to see that the door is never closed, and shifts that will put them at the forefront of the squad can happen as long as they're performing well.
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