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RECAP: USWNT Second-Half Comeback Earns Them a Draw Against Reigning World Cup Champions Spain, 2-2
The U.S. Women’s National team came into Subaru Park on Tuesday night seeking revenge after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of top-ranked Spain in D.C. at Audi Field.
Even on a Tuesday October school night, Philly fans came out to support the No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the FIFA women’s rankings.
An attendance of 18,648 almost erupted early on as Sophia Wilson in the 5’ received a through ball into the box and ripped a shot, but it wasn’t good enough as the Spanish keeper Rodriguez made an easy save.
The first big chance of the match for Spain came in the 14’ after Clara Pinedo got through the USWNT backline and got a hard shot off at keeper Tullis-Joyce, but she stood tall and made a strong save as the fans around her cheered.
Spain would go on to find the first goal of the match in the 27’ as Clara Serrajordi received a pass in the U.S. box and hit a low driven cross that found a wide-open Alexis Putellas at the back post for one of the easiest goals she’ll ever score in what was her 150th cap for the Spanish women’s national team.
A second goal would come five minutes later in the 32’ after a poor turnover from the U.S. keeper Tullis-Joyce goes right onto the foot of Putellas, who sends a pass into the box to Paralluelo, whose shot pings off the bottom of the crossbar, and that gave Spain a commanding 2-0 lead and looked to be the backbreaker to this USWNT side.
At the halftime break, head coach Emma Hayes must’ve lit a fire under the U.S. Women as they came out of the gates flying in the attack. In the 49 ’, a counterattack started by Wilson at midfield switches the ball across the pitch to a wide-open Sanchez, who then dribbles into the box one-on-one with her defender and finds the far side netting to cut the Spain lead in half.
The U.S.’s one true impact sub was Mallory Swanson, who came on in the 60’, but wouldn’t become a factor until the 86’. That’s when Kate Del Fava, in her 1st cap for the USWNT, hit a beautiful long ball over the top of the Spanish backline into the path of Michelle Cooper, who held off her defender in the box, cut back, and found a wide-open Swanson, whose touch went airborne but hit a ferocious volley into the far post side netting to tie the match at 2-2 after it looked like the U.S. were done at the half, but their never-give-up attitude helped them push through some adversity.
A late stoppage-time shot from Lily Yohannes almost won them the game after her 20-yard shot got deflected twice on its way through on goal, but Rodriguez was there with her outstretched arm to save it, ending the match as a 2-2 draw, which was much deserved for the USWNT.
Going 0-1-1 against the only team above you in the FIFA rankings isn’t great, but it just shows more work is needed to beat the best of the best when the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 comes around next summer.
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