Overview
- Spain took a 2-0 lead inside 14 minutes at Audi Field on Saturday, Oct. 10, with Patri Guijarro scoring from distance and Eva Navarro finishing a Salma Paralluelo cross.
- Spain goalkeeper Adriana Nanclares preserved the clean sheet by saving a second-half penalty from 19-year-old Lily Yohannes, and substitute Athenea del Castillo was sent off late for pulling Michelle Cooper’s hair.
- The U.S. dominated many attacking metrics but could not convert chances, outshooting Spain while finishing with zero goals and having a Sophia Wilson effort ruled out by VAR.
- Emma Hayes used the window to test combinations and to reintroduce players such as Mallory Swanson and Ashley Sanchez, but the starting midfield lacked a true defensive anchor and defensive pairings were unsettled due to injuries.
- The teams meet again on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Chester, Pennsylvania, and the friendlies serve as final evaluations before the CONCACAF W Championship in late November that will determine World Cup qualification.