April 14, 2025

The USWNT loses, but that’s OK, and international travel concerns

The IX: Soccer Monday with Annie Peterson, April 14, 2025

Apr 8, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; USWNT forward Catarina Macario (20) celebrates after scoring a goal against Brazil at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The United States fell 2-1 to Brazil on Tuesday, for the team’s first loss to the Brazilians since 2014. Amanda Gutierres scored the game-winner in stoppage time.

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Cat Macario scored less than a minute into the match at PayPal Park, giving the USWNT the very early lead. Kerolin’s goal from distance in the 24th minute tied it up.

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It was the second of two exhibition matches between the teams, meeting for the first time since the United States downed Brazil 1-0 in the gold medal game at last summer’s Paris Olympics. The USWNT won the first game last week at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, 2-0.

Emma Hayes noted afterward that losing “sucks” but at the same time said it provided an important lesson for the young players, allowing her to put them “in the frying pan and feel the heat.” It was an inexperienced squad, with an average of just 17.9 caps among the starters, fewest for any lineup in 24 years.

Here’s what Hayes said about her thought process:

“What a great experience for them to go into a game which you get to feel the pressure of playing a really, really difficult opponent. And if I only prioritize short-term success, of course I wouldn’t make that many changes. But I’m not making decisions for the short-term. I’m prioritizing the progress from expanding the playing pool to getting to see what these players look like in a really difficult match. So we had a bit with Japan. We’ve had Brazil, and we won’t get the opportunity to play a team like Brazil until hopefully we go to Brazil maybe next year. But I don’t want to wait another year for me to get a look at these less experienced players against a top level opponent. I don’t want to do it. And, I’m glad I made that decision. Even if you feel a little bit of short term pain within it.”

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The USWNT has lost two of their last three games. The team lost to Japan in the final match of the SheBelieves Cup at the end of February.

The key takeaways from all of this are that the USWNT is still a work in progress as it weathers the absences of both Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson. There’s no clarity yet on the goalkeeper situation. But, it certainly appears that Macario and Alyssa Thompson have solidified their futures with the national team.

And also: Trust the process.

Macario said the young players need to know they must rise to the occasion.

“I think it just shows that we have to show up every single day, and just because we were able to play well in the match before, we have to show up in that given day and we have to be up for the battle. Even when we’re not playing necessarily to our our best playing style, in a way we need to be able to rise to the occasion and adapt based on what the game is giving us. Today, it was a very physical and aggressive game, but we just have to know that we need to be stronger. We need to be first to the ball and support each other a little bit more, and really just win our 1-v-1 battles, and just close out a game sooner rather than later.”

Deyna Stays Home

Thorns forward Deyna Castellanos said she didn’t play for Venezuela during the recent international window out of concern over immigration and border policies in the United States.

Casetellanos’ worries over international travel come after Zambia did not bring along four NWSL players to play games in China out of concerns for their ability to travel freely.

Deyna Castellanos #BAONPDX

"Don't know when I'll be safe to travel."

"The uncertainty of like, 'yeah, I can go home, but not knowing if I can come back' is something that is very scary, not just for me but players across the league."

"It was very sad I couldn't go with 🇻🇪 NT." pic.twitter.com/r4ZqCcxvRa
— Phuoc Nguyen (Fook Win) ✍️ (@Phuocerman) April 9, 2025

I expect we’re going to see more of this going forward. On his first day in office, President Trump said the administration would develop a list of countries that would be included in a travel ban, similar to the ban on travel from certain Muslim countries imposed in his previous administration. Venezuela is expected to be on that list.

While the list and the policy have been delayed, the effects of a travel ban will likely be felt in other sports, including baseball, unless there are exemptions. Athletes and entertainers who work in the United States have P-1 visas or green cards.

In the Zambian case, there’s another layer of concern. Barbra Banda and some of her Zambian teammates have been targeted for transphobic abuse, and given the administration’s stance on transgender athletes, there are worries some athletes might be refused entry to the United States.

Here’s the statement that the NWSL provides when asked for comment:

As a global league, we recognize the unique pressures facing international athletes in the current geopolitical climate. We are committed to ongoing collaboration with FIFA and other governing bodies, as well as our clubs, the NWSLPA and the federal government, to advocate for long-term solutions that protect athletes’ ability to compete on both the domestic and international stage. This international window reaffirmed the importance of proactive conversation and partnership between leagues, clubs and national teams when balancing the needs of international competition with the well-being of players.

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