Peter van den Berg-Imagn Pictures
United States girls’s nationwide workforce head coach Emma Hayes mentioned she was sad along with her workforce’s poor first-half efficiency in opposition to the Netherlands on Tuesday, however she mentioned that her squad’s response to win 2-1 in The Hague is the signal of a terrific workforce.
The come-from-behind victory got here regardless of the U.S. being outshot 22-5 by the hosts and enduring waves of stress within the first half.
“I thought we started so poorly,” Hayes mentioned. “We were second to everything. And listen, you have to do the basics right in football. I didn’t feel we won our duels anywhere all over the pitch.”
Hayes mentioned her workforce, the world No. 1 and up to date Olympic gold medal-winners, “got bullied and harassed and that frustrated me a little bit.”
Veerle Buurman opened the scoring for the Netherlands by successful a header on a nook kick. By halftime, the Netherlands had outshot the U.S. 14-1, however Dutch ahead Jill Roord wasted a number of possibilities and Danielle van De Donk narrowly missed one other header on a set piece.
Moments earlier than halftime, the U.S. equalized on a set piece when Buurman inadvertently headed the ball into her personal web.
Netherlands ahead Romée Leuchter constantly beat U.S. fullback Jenn Nighswonger on the U.S. left aspect, together with thrice in a four-minute span, the third of which led to the nook that produced the Netherlands’ aim. Hayes pulled Nighswonger off at halftime and subbed on Emily Sonnett so as to add the defender’s management, the coach mentioned after the match.
Lynn Williams additionally got here on at halftime and scored the game-winning aim within the 71st minute.
“I wouldn’t say that this was our prettiest game of soccer ever,” Williams mentioned. And typically that’s how video games go. However the greatest factor — you’ll be able to speak about ways, you’ll be able to speak about formation and every part, however the greatest factor was matching their depth, attending to the second ball, attending to the primary ball, and that was the shift that wanted to occur. And I believe that that was the depth I used to be attempting to carry onto the pitch.”
Hayes experimented with Jaedyn Shaw beginning because the No. 9, Rose Lavelle deployed large left, and Yazmeen Ryan on the best aspect of the entrance line.
The midfield trio of Lindsey Horan, Korbin Albery and Sam Coffey struggled to say itself within the sport because the Dutch gained the ball excessive up the sector all through the primary half.
The People stabilized the sport within the second half with six adjustments over the course of the 45 minutes, together with midfielder Lily Yohannes getting into the sport within the 67th minute. Yohannes, who not too long ago selected to signify the U.S. — the place she was born — over the Netherlands, confronted boos from the group when she obtained on the ball.
“I think she handled that really well,” Hayes mentioned of Yohannes. She’s been put in, in a scenario — and I’ve deliberately put her in that scenario, as a result of I believe it is going to assist her down the highway.”
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made a number of spectacular saves in her remaining match for the U.S. earlier than retiring from worldwide obligation.
The U.S. stays unbeaten with Hayes as coach, together with this summer season’s run to an Olympic gold medal. Hayes has 13 wins and two attracts since formally taking up as head coach in June.
The two-1 victory to finish 2024 got here three days after a scoreless draw in opposition to England at Wembley Stadium in London.
“I knew this would be the tricky game of the two, and it played out exactly the way I wanted it to,” Hayes mentioned. “So, I’m really delighted with the team’s ability to find the result when we haven’t been at our best.”
“I felt like second half we got our foot stuck in, which for me is quite basic, so I’m pleased we got that part right. But we also rode it a lot. I’m not sitting here saying we were the better team, but you can still win football matches and not be your best. And I thought today we demonstrated by not being at our best, both in and out of possession, that finding a way to win is a sign of a great team.”
