24 in 24: Rodriguez nets in another USWNT debut

United States manager Emma Hayes handed retired 2 much archetypal caps connected Sunday successful a 4-0 triumph implicit Ireland astatine TQL Stadium successful Cincinnati, Ohio, bringing the full to 24 planetary debuts successful her 24 games successful charge.

Defender Izzy Rodriguez and midfielder Sam Meza were the 2 latest players to deterioration the USWNT garment successful a lucifer for the archetypal clip nether Hayes and Rodriguez scored.

"It's truthful surreal," Rodriguez told the TNT broadcast astatine halftime. "I deliberation this squad has been everything, and they've truly welcomed maine into this group, and it made maine privation to cry. I was truthful affectional connected the field, truthful I'm truly blessed I got to clasp it with each of them."

Forwards Lynn Biyendolo, Yazmeen Ryan and Alyssa Thompson each added goals successful Sunday's victory. Biyendolo scored the opening extremity 11 minutes into the lucifer erstwhile she buried a volley into the apical country connected a transverse from Emma Sears.

Ryan scored successful the 66th infinitesimal to tally her archetypal planetary goal. Thompson scored the 4th USWNT extremity successful the 87th infinitesimal -- 7 minutes aft entering the lucifer -- to get connected the scoresheet for the 2nd consecutive game.

Hayes officially took implicit the USWNT conscionable implicit a twelvemonth agone and won an Olympic golden medal successful her 10th crippled successful complaint successful August. Since then, she has promised to deepen the subordinate excavation connected the roadworthy to the 2027 World Cup.

"I consciousness similar everybody is not conscionable trusting the process but they're carrying retired each the things we've asked them to do," Hayes said aft the match. "Everybody's showed themselves so, truthful well. I thought Sam Meza was outstanding successful the pivot position. I thought Izzy grew into the game, showed her prime deliveries."

On Sunday, Hayes changed the full starting XI from the squad that defeated Ireland 4-0 3 days earlier. It marked lone the seventh clip successful the USWNT's past -- and 2nd this twelvemonth -- that the full lineup changed from 1 crippled to the next.

Ten players successful the starting lineup had 10 caps oregon less to their name. The lone objection was seasoned guardant Biyendolo, who captained the squad for the archetypal clip connected Sunday.

"It's not casual to spell and accidental the [entire starting lineup]and execute and rise the bar," Hayes said. "The players did that. I'm highly arrogant of them."

According to U.S. Soccer, Meza and Rodriguez became the 13th and 14th players of Hispanic descent to play for the USWNT. Rodriguez is simply a standout fullback for the NWSL-leading Kansas City Current. Meza plays for Seattle Reign FC.

Rodriguez played the full match, and Meza played 87 minutes earlier being replaced by Rose Lavelle, who entered the lucifer soon aft an audible, "We Want Rose!" chant from her hometown crowd.

"As the crippled built, I thought we got amended astatine smothering, suffocating, making it hard for Ireland to summation immoderate momentum," Hayes added. "We dealt with the archetypal and 2nd balls successful a amended mode [in the] 2nd half. And if we're a spot much decisive -- if we're honorable with ourselves -- the scoreline could person been bigger."

According to U.S. Soccer, Sunday's triumph was the 600th successful the program's 40-year history.

The USWNT volition play rival Canada connected Wednesday successful Washington, D.C., to adjacent retired the planetary window. Hayes said she volition constrictive down the halfway of her roster successful the adjacent planetary model successful October.