Emma Hayes narrows USWNT player pool before 2027

The core group is emerging

The latest update suggests Hayes has a strong inner circle already.

  • In goal, Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Claudia Dickey look firmly in the conversation.
  • In defence, Naomi Girma, Emily Fox and Tierna Davidson appear central to the build.
  • Midfield still seems to run through Sam Coffey, Lindsey Heaps and Rose Lavelle.
  • Up front, Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson, Sophia Wilson and Catarina Macario give the squad pace, craft and end product.

That group makes sense. It mixes players with major-tournament experience and younger names who no longer feel like developmental picks. Hayes has always valued clarity in roles, and this pool looks built for that.

The bubble is where the real tension sits

The report says the final places remain crowded rather than open-ended. Jane Campbell is reportedly well placed for a supporting goalkeeper role, while defensive versatility could matter for players such as Avery Patterson, Emily Sams, Tara Rudd and Kennedy Wesley.

Further forward, Croix Bethune, Jaedyn Shaw and Riley Jackson remain credible options in midfield. In attack, Mallory Swanson, Michelle Cooper and Pietra Tordin are among the names to watch, with Tordin’s club form reportedly forcing her into the debate.

That is the real squeeze: once Hayes settles on a spine, specialists and utility players are competing for the same final seats.

Injuries could still alter the picture

Form will matter, but fitness may decide more than one place. The report says Emily Sonnett is working back from a serious knee injury, while Trinity Armstrong, Alana Cook and Olivia Moultrie are also dealing with recoveries. That could reshape the depth chart, especially in defence.

The next big checkpoint is November against El Salvador. It may not be the toughest assignment, but it could be the last meaningful audition before Hayes takes a more settled squad toward 2027.