Emma Hayes won't blame luck as misses sink USWNT in 2-0 loss to Spain: 'Unlucky is being struck by lightning'

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Finishing is the name of the game, and even more so when facing top teams in the world, as the United States women's national team found out in a 2-0 loss to Spain on Saturday.

Crystal Dunn spoke before the game about wanting the team to play the best in the world, and on a day when she was honored -- including getting a bobblehead that she was quite fond of -- they did just that, which showed where they are and how far they need to go on the road to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. "The legacy of the national team is no joke. You come onto the team, and people are like, 'we win everything', that's what we are expected to do, right? So there's this huge, you know, stress on you to basically uphold the standard. But I think what I see now is people on this team; they understand the legacy, but they also understand they're playing in a time when the rest of the world is getting better in many ways, and that's what we want. I want games to be competitive. I don't want us to win easily because that means that the game isn't growing the way we want it to grow," Dunn said. Facing a team like Spain, the United States did all they could, and then some, against the reigning UEFA Women's Nations League champions, and Spain took their chances while the USWNT didn't. Trinity Rodman admitted that it was a bit frustrating, but it's also a moment where they have room to grow and things to work on before going up against Spain yet again in Chester, Pa., on Tuesday. "As attackers, when you have a few missed chances, you get a little bit frustrated, and that's what Emma [Hayes] reassured us at halftime, saying, 'we look a little deflated, and we shouldn't.' There's so much time left, and it only takes one shot to be able to get a goal back, and once you get one goal, it's momentum," Rodman said. Finishing -- or the lack thereof -- was a recurring theme from the team, which makes sense after taking 13 shots to Spain's six and outproducing them 2.26 to 0.43 in expected goals. Hayes put it succinctly, saying: "When you play the best team in the world, you have to execute in the first instance." 

Between the slight dribbles into space instead of shooting and a few interchanges that didn't come off, the attack lacked moments of comfort, but those can be remedied. Even when Lily Yohannes missed a stutter-step penalty, which could've added that momentum to the match, the USWNT outproduced the world's best in front of a sold-out crowd at Audi Field. Despite the result, there are good moments to take from the game, and one big one is that Portland Thorns forward Sophia Wilson is well and truly back despite being unlucky to not score. "Unlucky is being struck by lightning," Hayes said, describing her forward's performance in her postmatch press conference before continuing. "I think Soph is still getting back into the rhythm of national team call-ups since Brazil. I think in the first half she ran the line well, but at times she needs to hold it up better to bring players into play. She'll want to turn and go into space, but sometimes I think you have to wait because you can't make transitions against them. Brilliant decision by her when she got into a 1 vs 1 situation and hit the bar." In April, Wilson made her return to the national team following time away due to a mixture of injuries and becoming a mother. While she scored her first goal for the USWNT this year facing Brazil in the summer, this was a game where the best of what she brings to a match was on display. From striking the bar in the first half, as Hayes mentioned, to a deft backheel to Yohannes, keeping play moving and drawing the penalty that was missed, Wilson did a bit of everything on Saturday. "I know she'll be frustrated, but she grew into the game," Hayes continued. "But she's still a player who is coming back after and only really being with us the last two camps, so it takes a bit of time to keep building that back, so I'd rather analyze it first before I know exactly where I'm gonna help for the next game." For the USWNT to perform at their best, Wilson is among the players who need to lead the squad, and the signs are there that she'll be back to that sooner rather than later. Wilson already has 13 goals for Portland this season, so her feel for the game is there, and her comfort with the USWNT will only continue to grow with more time on the pitch together. Shutout losses are never fun, but when they come at the hands of the No. 1 team in the FIFA rankings, it's a good time to look at what was done well so that on Tuesday, instead of being unlucky, goals hit the back of the net.