The U.S. women's national team are set for their first games of 2025 and, while this group may be a little bit shorthanded, the games are meaningful There's a trophy on the line. Perhaps more importantly, though, there are spots up for grabs and impressions to make as Emma Hayes sorts through a ridiculously young but talented player pool with the 2027 Women's World Cup on the horizon.
There's no Triple Espresso and no Naomi Girma, but this group is loaded with rising stars who may become superstars by the time the World Cup rolls around. This SheBelieves Cup feels like the real start of that process. There were friendlies in the fall, yes, but after a January USWNT camp and Futures camp, Hayes is putting the preparations in place.
On Thursday, the USWNT will open the tournament against Colombia, a familiar foe. These two teams met last March in the Gold Cup in one of the final games before the Hayes era began. So much has changed since then. There are so many new faces in this camp. This USWNT group is almost unrecognizable from the one that won that game 3-0 last March, although all three goalscorers - Lindsey Heaps, Jenna Nighswonger and Jaedyn Shaw - are in this team and all three could start.
But who else should be in Hayes' XI? With multiple players flying over from Europe and NWSL stars in preseason mode, how does Hayes juggle fitness, tactics and a quick run of three games in six days?
GOAL takes a look.
