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Jeff cashoure
The transition of the U.S. women’s national team since Emma Hayes took over as coach has marked a staggering, unprecedented level of experimentation for the world’s most successful women’s soccer team.
Twenty-four players have made their international debuts in the first 24 games with Hayes in charge over the past year, even with U.S. winning a gold medal at last summer’s Olympics.
Now, Hayes has said she has seen enough to narrow down her core of players and focus on developing the group she hopes will win the Americans a fifth World Cup in Brazil in 2027.
So after all that experimentation, which new players are most likely to be on the roster for the Women’s World Cup two years from now? We’ve ranked the debutants by who appears to fit into Hayes’ 2027 plans. It’s about talent, yes, but also the team’s positional needs, meaning some players rank higher or lower based on necessity.
24. Eva Gaetino | 22 | Defender | PSG
Gaetino’s lone U.S. appearance to date was her debut last year in a 3-0 win over Argentina. At 22, she still has plenty of time to develop, but she has not consistently been with the U23s of late, either, as Hayes has tested out other emerging center backs.
Hayes has experimented the most at fullback, and Malonson is among the options being explored. Malonson’s only cap to date, however, came last year against Argentina. Other fullbacks have been featured more heavily recently.
22. Sam Staab | 28 | Defender | Chicago Stars FC
The player who never missed a game in the NWSL suffered a major injury last year just after her U.S. team debut, which was heartbreaking timing especially considering Hayes is on the hunt for depth at the position. Chicago’s struggles this year have made it difficult for Staab to stand out upon her return.
21. Lo’eaau LaBonta | 32 | Midfielder | Kansas City Current
There are few bigger advocates for the Legend of LaBonta than this writer, but she has tough competition in midfield. There’s a youth movement afoot as Hayes builds for the next decade. That said, LaBonta remains an all-NWSL talent in midfield, and Hayes has shown that club form matters. The biggest question, assuming LaBonta’s form holds, is how she fits in the crowded midfield puzzle.
20. The meza itself | 23 | Midfielder | Seattle Reign FC
Meza was impressive in her debut against Ireland last month, an opportunity she earned through her steady play in midfield for Seattle. She has potential as a deeper-lying midfielder, but there are better-known entities ahead of her on the depth chart.
19. Izzy Rodriguez | 26 | Defender | Kansas City Current
Rodriguez is an attacking force at fullback in the NWSL. She ranks 14th in the league in chances created, per ESPN Research. She has exactly the type of attacking profile Hayes has trialed at fullback. Right now, though, Hayes has only the sample size of the most recent U.S. camp for Rodriguez.
18. Kerry Abello | 25 | Defender | Orlando Pride
Like Rodriguez, Abello is an attack-minded fullback with limited international reps thus far, but she gets the edge for versatility. She can play centrally in a three-back capacity — which Hayes noted recently — and she also handles a more advanced winger role for Orlando at times. She has great upside and should continue to get opportunities.
17. Mandy McGlynn | 26 | Goalkeeper | Utah Royals
McGlynn debuted last fall as the race to replace Alyssa Naeher entered full swing. Every goalkeeper on this list has a strong shot at making the 2027 World Cup because the most recent No. 1 (Naeher), No. 2 (Casey Murphy) and No. 3 (Jane Campbell) are out of the picture or out of favor. McGlynn has the most ground to make up among the three goalkeepers on this list.
16. Emily Sams | 26 | Defender | Orlando Pride
Sams has been a consistent force for Orlando and continues to get the call for the Americans, but she started in only two of the U.S. team’s 10 games thus far this year (with one appearance off the bench). Only Hayes can truly say why, but Sams appears to be at least fourth on the center-back depth chart. Her club form for Orlando remains strong and she is great in one-on-one situations.
15. Lilly Reale | 21 | Defender | NJ / NY GOTHAM FC
Reale was exceptional in the U.S. team’s most recent game against Canada. She has been steady for Gotham throughout her rookie season and looks ready for the international stage. Those left-footed crosses she can serve up from the wing? Hayes will take them all day. At 21, this defender looks like the Reale Deal (we’ll be here all day, thanks).
14. Jordyn Bugg | 18 | Defender | Seattle Reign FC
The long-term future of Bugg as a starting U.S. center back seems inevitable; it’s a question more of when, not if. Hayes said recently that Bugg will still play at the U-20 World Cup and likely train with the U23s at times to prepare her for either 2027 or the 2028 Olympics and beyond. How quickly that development progresses and, maybe, whether FIFA expands the World Cup rosters to 26 players, could determine her immediate future. But Bugg is already thriving in the NWSL and drawing comparisons to Nomi size for her composed defending.
13. Hal Hershfelt | 23 | Midfielder | Washington Spirit
Hershfelt has not played for the U.S. in 2025 due to injury, but don’t forget she was part of last year’s Olympic run. Her likelihood of being on the 2027 World Cup roster will rise and fall based on her health; the most important thing now is getting back on the field. There isn’t a tougher midfielder in the pool (a Julie Ertz comparison might be appropriate), and she has a passing vision going forward to complement that.
12. Emma Sears | 24 | Forward | Racing Louisville FC
Hayes is high on Sears, whose athleticism is off the charts. Sears continues to refine her technical game and decision-making, the latter being a development Hayes praised during the most recent window. Sears is tied for fifth in the NWSL with six goals this season, second among Americans and the most of any player with senior U.S. caps.
11. Tara McKeown | 26 | Defender | Washington Spirit
McKeown is one of the most interesting developments in the player pool after a well-documented conversion from forward in recent years. She has appeared in eight of 10 U.S. games this year since making her debut. Her background means she profiles as a more aggressive, ball-playing center back — someone who could complement the steady, all-world Girma against the right opponent. X factors at this position include the future health of Tender Davidsonbut McKeown has shown marked progress internationally even in a few months.
10. Yazmeen Ryan | 26 | Forward | Houston Dash
A brief injury in the spring kept Ryan out of U.S. camp, but don’t forget that she has been dynamic and effective from multiple positions in her brief stints with the team. Ryan can play anywhere across the front four. The most important thing for her in the near term is making sure she keeps producing at the club level for a Houston team that still hasn’t found its footing.
9. Gisele Thompson | 19 | Defender | Angel City FC
Thompson’s moments at the international level have been limited thus far, but talk to anyone behind the scenes and they speak about the teenager as one of the next top American players. Her older sister, Alyssa, has already had her breakout moments for club and country; Gisele’s are on the horizon. Her future with the U.S. looks like a question of where, rather than if, she fits on the field.
8. Michelle Cooper | 22 | Forward | Kansas City Current
Has anyone taken hold of their opportunity as well as Cooper? She has the relentless drive that gets stuff done (and the bite to her game Hayes loves). Cooper can take on defenders on the wing and get to the end line, and she can score from central areas. There is stiff competition for the winger roles — don’t forget that the starting Olympic forward trio of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson are likely due back at some point — but Hayes has clearly been impressed by Cooper.
7. Claudia Dickey | 25 | Goalkeeper | Seattle Reign FC
As Hayes said, the data doesn’t lie: Dickey is arguably the best American goalkeeper in the NWSL this year. She ranks second behind Aubrey Kingsbury (who was the No. 3 goalkeeper at the 2023 World Cup) in post-shot expected goals minus goals against, a measure effectiveness at stopping shots. Dickey’s recent debut for the U.S. affirmed that she will be part of the rotation going forward.
6. Croix Bethune | 24 | Midfielder | Washington Spirit
Bethune is a creative talent with the bravery to attempt risky passes and the technical ability to execute them. She tied the NWSL record for assists last year as a rookie while debuting ahead of the team’s Olympic run. Rose Lavelle is still the standard setter as the Americans’ No. 10, as she reminded the world in a recent dazzling performance against Canada, but Bethune, who is six years younger, has a similar skill set that can’t be ignored. Bethune just needs refining and more time on the field after a long injury layoff.
5. Avery Patterson | 23 | Defender | Houston Dash
Patterson might have had the best run of spring games of any new USWNT player, punctuated by a strong showing against Canada earlier this month. She’s an exceptional two-way fullback with the right mix of athleticism and vision. Her ascent is perfectly timed with Hayes’ search for solutions at the position. Patterson’s goal against Ireland last month was a tangible reward. Come 2027, she might line up as the fullback opposite Emily Fox.
4. Claire Hutton | 19| Midfielder | Kansas City Current
Longtime U.S. fans know how rare it is to find a total package of a defensive midfielder. Hutton is that player. At 19, she is already poised under pressure in the center of the park, gliding forward to make progressive passes and pushing opponents off the ball defensively. Her game is imperfect, like that of any 19-year-old, but it’s also well beyond her years. She is Sam Coffey‘s primary competition — and seven years younger.
3. Ally Sentnor | 21 | Forward | Utah Royals FC
There’s something about Sentnor when she gets on the ball. She appears to move faster with the ball at her feet in the open field than when she sprints without it, leading U.S. great Tobin Heath to compare her to Lionel Messi. Sentnor can also produce a powerful, sometimes audacious shot even with a short run-up, reminiscent of Christen Press‘ abilities. Sentnor can play as the No. 9, No. 10 or on the wing.
2. Phallon Tullis-Joyce | 28 | Goalkeeper | Manchester United
No player has risen the ranks more in the past few months than Tullis-Joyce, who appears to be the favorite for the starting goalkeeper job after a sensational debut against Brazil in April. She enjoyed a strong club season in England and backed it up with solid performances in her first U.S. caps, emerging with confidence when the Americans lacked answers in net. It’s her starting role to lose, and by way of the need for a new trio of goalkeepers, only injury or an unfathomable dip in form would keep her away from the 2027 World Cup team.
1. Lily Yohannes | 18 | Midfielder | OL Lyonnes
Short-term, long-term, all of the above: Yohannes is a star in the making. Her recent transfer to OL Lyonnes from Ajax marks the next step in her development to train alongside top world players daily. Yohannes is remarkably composed as a deep-lying playmaker, and her final ball to break defensive lines shows the kind of skill set the U.S. wishes it had in recent years. Hayes has worked hard to control the hype around Yohannes, but the reality is that any midfield starting combination in 2027 will come together around her.
