Emma Hayes won't blame luck as misses sink USWNT in 2-0 loss to Spain: 'Unlucky is being struck by lightning' — SkimNews
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- USWNT lost 2-0 to Spain, the No. 1 team in the FIFA rankings, at a sold-out Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on Saturday despite outshooting Spain 13-6 and posting 2.26 expected goals to Spain's 0.43.
- Lily Yohannes missed a stutter-step penalty that Hayes said could have shifted momentum, while attacker Trinity Rodman conceded the team 'got a little deflated' after several squandered chances.
- Sophia Wilson struck the bar in the first half and drew the penalty Yohannes missed, plus delivered a backheel to Yohannes, in her strongest national-team showing since returning in April after time away for injuries and becoming a mother.
- Crystal Dunn was honored pregame with a bobblehead and framed the result as part of growing global competition, saying she wants 'games to be competitive' rather than easy wins.
- Emma Hayes rejected any luck narrative, declaring 'Unlucky is being struck by lightning,' and stressed Wilson is 'still getting back into the rhythm' with only two camps under her belt since the 2024 Olympics.
- The USWNT and Spain rematch Tuesday in Chester, Pa., where Hayes can build on statistical dominance that produced no goals on Saturday.
Why it matters: The loss doesn't shake the USWNT's 2027 World Cup trajectory — they statistically dominated the world's No. 1 side — but the inability to convert 2.26 expected goals or a penalty against elite competition signals finishing as a concrete problem Hayes must solve before the next game Tuesday, while Wilson's encouraging return gives the coach a building block for that attack.
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