Swanson, subs lead USWNT rally for 2-2 draw vs Spain — SkimNews
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- Mallory Swanson scored the 86th-minute equalizer for her first U.S. goal since the August 2024 Olympic gold medal, after sitting out all of 2025 on maternity leave
- Emma Hayes made five substitutions around the hour mark and three more in the 80th minute, later calling the bench players "fearless" and saying the U.S. "probably could have won it at the end"
- Ashley Sanchez pulled one back four minutes after halftime — her first international goal since 2022 after nearly two years without a call-up — despite Hayes saying last week she'd come off the bench in both games
- Alexia Putellas (two-time Ballon d'Or winner) and Salma Paralluelo scored five minutes apart around the half-hour mark, with the U.S. going down 2-0 early for the second time in three days
- Kate Del Fava and Pietra Tordin each made their U.S. debuts when they entered in the 80th minute, and Del Fava played the long ball that set up Swanson's goal
- Hayes shifted the U.S. to a 3-5-2 formation in the second half, with reserves Michelle Cooper and Alyssa Thompson deployed as wingbacks
- Lily Yohannes nearly scored a stoppage-time winner but Spain goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez pushed the ball out for a corner; Spain and the U.S. had agreed to eight substitutions each for the friendly
Why it matters: Eight of Hayes's 11 available subs were used before the 80th minute to rescue a draw against the world's top-ranked team, and the goal came from a depth player (Sanchez) who wasn't supposed to start and another (Swanson) returning from a year off — a tangible showcase that the post-Gold Cup roster has scoring threats beyond the first-choice XI. Two debuts in the same game also give the program tangible roster flexibility ahead of a competitive calendar.
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