Hayes' commitment to the trial period is steadfast, to the point that 25 different players have earned their first cap since she started the job in June 2024, outdoing herself on Wednesday by piecing together the least experienced USWNT lineup in 25 years with an average of 17.

As the second-most capped player for the U.S. this international window, Lavelle found herself navigating a newfound guidance role

Racing Louisville star, Emma Sears is already having a career season in NWSL with 10 goals on the season and issurely a candidate for Most Valuable Player. Before, NWSL Decision Day, she put on a show for the USWNT. Now, on the international stage, she has shined once again with a hat trick against New Zealand.

This was a fairly dominant showing from the USWNT, which held 50.7 percent of possession, outshot Portugal 10-4 (3-1 on goal) and held a 4-2 advantage on corners. It didn't always look as though it might go that way, as Jéssica Silva equalized for Portugal just five minutes in after Moultrie's first-minute opener.

Similar to the USWNT, this will be New Zealand’s third game in less than a week. The Football Ferns played a pair of matches against Mexico, losing both. They lost the first match 1-0 last Thursday, before falling 2-0 on Sunday. New Zealand has just three games left before the start of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup begins next February.

After one of the worst losses in the Emma Hayes era, the U.S. put up a strong showing with a new (and very young) starting lineup.

The United States Women's National Team cruised to a 6-0 win in a friendly over New Zealand on Wednesday. The USWNT went out with a historically young lineup. The lineup had an average of just 17.3 caps heading into the match,

It was one-way traffic for Emma Hayes, who started a young lineup that was determined to dominate from start to finish