Photo Credit: Jamie LeBlanc-Imagn Images
The day before the U.S. women’s national team faced world No. 1 Spain, head coach Emma Hayes named Patri Guijarro as one of the most underrated players on the opposing side.
It took the Spanish midfielder only three minutes of her team’s 2-0 win Saturday to prove Hayes right.
The USWNT was still settling into play at Audi Field for its first international match in four months when Guijarro delivered a strike from outside the box to net the opening goal.
For the hosts, it was a nightmare start. Hayes’ side had entered the October FIFA window aiming to make a statement against the former international underdogs turned reigning World Cup champions.
The two scheduled home matches against Spain represented litmus tests less than a year out from the 2027 Women’s World Cup. They also offered the U.S., previously regarded as the dominant side in women’s soccer, a chance to make its case for being the world’s best.
Now, No. 2 U.S. was playing catch-up.
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