Hayes demands a faster start from USWNT after 2-0 loss to Spain

Losing 2-0 to the world champions stings, but what's really keeping Emma Hayes up at night isn't the scoreline, it's the slow start. The United States women's national team coach made that crystal clear on Monday at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, hours before her team got back to training with the second chapter against Spain on their minds.

On Saturday in Washington, D.C., things went sideways early: Spain jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two goals in the first 14 minutes, and even though the U.S. completely dominated the second half, outshooting Spain 13 to 6, the goal never came. The advanced numbers back up that feeling of a missed opportunity: the home team generated 2.26 expected goals compared to just 0.43 for the reigning world champions, according to ESPN Global Research data.

That's why Hayes keeps hammering the same point: the team needs to start doing the things that matter much earlier in games.

My big ask of the team is to do it earlier. Start doing the things that really matter sooner.Emma Hayes

That said, the coach seemed at ease with the result itself. For her, this two-game series is, above all, about progress. After Saturday's loss, she'd said her team was "a lot closer" to Spain than it was three years ago, but on Monday she softened that message a bit, cautioning against reading too much into the scoreline alone and pointing out that the feeling around the game would have been completely different had the ball gone in.

More physical, more aggressive

Spain was the more intense team in the first meeting, committing 12 fouls to the Americans' 4 and conceding a penalty. On top of that, forward Athenea del Castillo was sent off in stoppage time just moments after coming on, for pulling Michelle Cooper's hair. Defender Oihane Hernandez suggested Tuesday's game could follow a similar script.

Honestly, I'm expecting a much more physical game. I think they're going to be more aggressive.Oihane Hernandez

On the American side, that's exactly what they're asking for from themselves: more aggression. Defender Emily Fox was direct about it, talking about physicality, pressing higher up the field and reading the moments of the game better. Center back Tierna Davidson, for her part, struck a different note, calling for calm and confidence, both on and off the ball, so the team doesn't waste chances in the attacking third again or give up space at the back.

Both teams arrive with notable absences. Spain is without Aitana Bonmati, the Ballon d'Or winner, who is still recovering from a leg fracture, as well as defender Mapi Leon, who left the camp early, and Mariona Caldentey, who is out with a hamstring injury. The United States, meanwhile, is missing Naomi Girma and Sam Coffey, who were ruled out of the squad before camp even began due to physical issues.

Hayes asked for patience, pointing out that the team had gone four months without training together and that building chemistry takes time, especially since many players are used to man marking at their clubs and have to adjust to a more zonal defensive setup with the national team. For her, these matches between tournaments exist precisely for that purpose: development. She pointed to the 2024 Olympics as an example, where everything had to go right for the team to win gold.

If we'd suffered an injury at the 2024 Olympics, I don't think we would have won it.Emma Hayes