We also look at the rosters for the SheBelieves Cup Friendly Tournament in the U.S.—including Australia, Colombia and Japan—with games in Houston, Phoenix and San Diego. We also have some thoughts from U.S. WNT Head Coach Emma Hayes, who talked with TribalFootball.com and a few other Arizona reporters ahead of the upcoming doubleheader.
Note: next week, TribalFootball.com will review the tournament games, including interviews from the four team’s coaches and players in Phoenix.
Moroccan international Salma Amani talks exclusively with TribalFootball.com about joining Brooklyn FC in the new USL Super League, playing in Saudi Arabia’s Women’s Premier League last season and at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
TribalFootball.com talked exclusively with veteran French league and Moroccan international defender Salma Amani on February 13, 2025. She played last year with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia and then joined Brooklyn FC in the new USL Super League Division 1 loop for the 2024-25 season.
Amani talked about her interesting club and international career, including reflecting on some iconic moments for Morocco at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand.
When asked about Brooklyn’s top of the table finish in the first half of the inaugural USL Super League season, Amani said: “We have good energy, we have a very good group on the field and also outside the field, and it’s very important to have both. I’m very proud of this first part (the fall USL Super League season) even though I didn’t play (missing most of the games through delays in receiving her international visa and an injury that required two surgeries, but she is back to training and should be cleared early in the Spring season).”
She presented her reasoning for coming to play in the new Super League in particular and in America in general: “I was a little bit curious because, when I was in France, we spoke a lot about the American style (of football). It is very different than Europe, more physical and athletic. In Europe it is more technical. I was very curious to come here and try to bring something different and learn about the style here. I was really surprised in a good way (because it was a new league)… I’m happy I came here. It’s very exciting to learn about the country.”
A natural next question was how Salma Amani compared the levels of play between the Super League and European loops, particularly the French leagues. She explained: “I think the level here for the S League is similar to the second league in France (Seconde Ligue), with different qualities, but I think this league (Super League) has a big potential to grow quickly if we have support. For the American players, they can stay here; they don’t need to go to Europe or other countries to grow up as a player. For international players, it is very interesting to come here.
"If you don’t have the opportunity to go into the NWSL, you have the Super League and (can) show your potential here and maybe (there will be) opportunities to go into the NWSL. For me, it’s perfect.” For the league to grow, she felt that the new league needs more promotion: “Some friends don’t know this league exists. We have to speak more about this league and show more and then we can attract more players from different countries (including Americans) so this league can grow up in many ways. We have many things to do to help the USL to grow. I really believe in this league.”
Salma Amani then discussed her previous move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad for the 2023-24 season. She explained what attracted her to the second year (at the time) loop: “I had the opportunity to go there. I had questions about the culture, how we can live there as a woman who plays football, but I wanted to really experience this by myself with my eyes. It was an amazing experience as a player and as a woman too. The league was only the second year and I found things I never had in France in 15 years, like the people, the facilities and the respect of the people.
"It is a country of football and I didn’t know that before. I went to an Al-Ittihad men’s game and I was shocked in the stadium with the enthusiasm (by which fans) live the game. It’s a big deal for them. The stadium is full and they sing from the first minute to the last minute. I went many times in France and Spain and never had seen it like that. Many fans from Al Ittihad came to our games. In France, I used to have maybe 15 people (at women’s games). This (Saudi Arabian Women’s Premium League) has a big potential and grows up very quickly because they have the support and people are very enthusiastic to watch also women playing football.”
That passion for the men’s game, with the massive growth of the league over the past few years—with global superstar imports like Portugal’s Christian Ronaldo, Brazil’s Neymar and France’s Karim Benzema and others over the past two seasons—will help in the build-up for the 2034 men’s World Cup, which the nation will host. Rising tides lift all boats—even in desert thunderstorms—and the women’s game in the nation will also benefit.
When asked about the level of play in the women’s league (as we did about the Super League) compared to France or Europe, she was honest and said: “The level is not like Europe or U.S.—it is the beginning of the football there. They are starting to attract big international players but you have a big difference (in the level of play) between the Saudi players and international players. Sometimes it is difficult to mix both levels with a big gap like that. It is very interesting; you feel like you are there to help. You feel you have a big role being there. The level is low but every year it is getting better and better.”
As we discussed last month, in the 2024-25 season to date, there is only a single Saudi Arabian national among the top 12 scorers in Al Bandari Mobarak (23) of Al Shabab; she is also the only Saudi national among the top 21 league goal scorers. Saudi nationals do represent eight out of 37 players who have scored at least one goal thus far this season. Last season, all of the league’s top 21 leading scorers were imports from the Americas, Europe, Africa and elsewhere in Asia (see: The Week in Women's Football: Examining third season of Saudi Arabia Premier League - TribalFootball.com). As Amani pointed out, things are improving; keep in mind that the Saudi Arabian WNT has just been formally established and began playing in 2022 as the nation is rapidly trying to develop women’s football in order to be able to compete within the AFC.
We then finally turned to her thoughts on Morocco’s tremendous run to the Round of 16—even after allowing six goals against Germany in their opening match—in their first ever Women’s World Cup Finals in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, also a first for all North African/West Asian nations.
She fondly recalled: “The World Cup was amazing. It was our first World Cup and a bit of pressure. The first game was hard against Germany and a big loss (6-0), but after this game, we still had hope. They were among the best in the World and our first WWC (game) so it was not a big surprise, but we were disappointed for the result. When you represent your country, you try to give your best to win. It was very hard. We quickly forget the lost. We thought we could do something with feeling, like (the) men’s team did in the World Cup (making history for Africa and West Asia teams in making the World Cup semifinals for the first time ever in Qatar in 2022).
"That was a very big example for us. We kept that in mind when we started the competition.”
After defeating Korea Republic in their second game (1-0), she said that the players met before their final group game against favored Colombia, who were appearing in their third WWC Finals since 2011: “We spoke together and said we don’t have nothing to lose. We can control one thing—how we play, do our best, try to win this game and we will see (if we qualify for the next round, depending on if heavily favored Germany did not defeat Korea Republic).
"We want to represent our country in the best way.”
Morocco did their part with a 1-0 win over Colombia thanks to a goal just before halftime from Anissa Lahmari (26) of Guingamp of France, who followed up successfully on captain Ghizlane Chebbak’s (32—ASFAR) penalty kick save by Catalina Perez (28), of Kindermann-Avai in Brazil. The Morocco team then had to wait over five minutes for the Germany game to end, which we reported on at the time and is still a tremendously riveting video to watch (see: https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/1687082000757518336?s=20).
Amani talked animatedly about that period of waiting to know about their fate in the tournament: “It was crazy. I saw the video many times with my family and friends…. When we knew the other (match) was not finished, we waited on the field (and) one girl had her phone and we’re waiting around her. It was a lot of stress and hope too. Another girl not on the sideline came to us screaming: 'We did it, we did it, we did it'.
"Nobody believed that, we wanted to see it in the phone. We were still waiting 10 seconds after. (When the Germany game ended in a tie to send Morocco onto the knockout round) everybody fell to the ground (to) scream and cry. We had this hope but it is hard to believe in this moment that we did it. You feel so many emotions. You feel the pride; you feel the happiness. You think about your family at home watching the game, what they feel, what they think.
"You think all about the Moroccan miracle. You are a little lost on all of these emotions… It was crazy. When I watch this video, every time I feel the same emotion in my body. It’s crazy. For that we love football. We give our life to football to live this type of emotion. Every time I saw that in videos with men’s team, I did not know that it would happen to me. It was an amazing, amazing memory.”
For the fourth game of the tournament, Morocco played France, where head coach Reynald Pedros and a number of players, including Amani, were from: “It was a special game. I’ve lived all my life in France… I grew up there and know all the players in France… I was very happy to play against them in this moment because we did very good things to qualify…It was a hard game but we lost against France (4-0). For me France is the best team in the world even if they don’t win (a title). As a player, for me they are the best team in the style of play in the game. They are my favorite. I was sad for us and Morocco and happy for France to continue.”
She also was pleased that the players mixed cordially after the game and that the French players were “good friends” to so many of the Moroccan players.
We closed the interview by asking about changes in Morocco’s national team style of play from WWC head coach Reynald Pedros to Spain’s 2023 WWC winning head coach Jorge Vilda, who was appointed in the Fall of 2023.
She said that she had: “Only been one time (to camp) with the new coach. I think he will bring a Spanish style with more technical and more control (with the ball), because with Pedros, it was more play in the block and control the other team without the ball. Jorge wants to play with the ball. For me it’s a big change.”
This transition can take time and we have seen it with other national teams, most notably with the U.S. under Pia Sundhage over a decade ago and Canada as well since the 2011 WWC disaster in Germany, when the team finished last among all the finalists.
The new USL Super League has opened up new professional division one playing opportunities for over 150 players in the U.S., not only for Americans but for imports, including current internationals. The perceptive and cordial Salma Amani has brought WWC Finals experience with her to the new league and Brooklyn FC, which is setting the standard at the top of the league thus far. She appreciates the opportunity and her arrival has brought much to the women’s professional game in the United States.
Brooklyn FC Falls to Napoli in a Preseason Game in Italy
Brooklyn FC played Napoli of Italy’s Serie A during their spring season pre-season training in Italy on February 5, and lost to the Southern Italian side 2-0. For Napoli, Marija Banusic (29) of Sweden opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, while Klara Andrup (27), also of Sweden, scored a second goal in the 74th minute. Banusic is in her second season with Napoli and fifth in Italy, after a season each with Parma, Pomigliano and Roma since 2020/21.
She has also played three seasons in France with Montpellier, won a WSL title in England with Chelsea in 2015 and won a Swedish Damallsvenskan title with Linkoping in 2017. She is a full international for Sweden. Andrup, also a Swedish native, is in her first season playing outside of Sweden and won a Elitettan (second division title) in 2018 with Kungsbacka and finished second in the Elitettan with Hammarby two years later, who surprisingly won the Damallsvenskan title in 2023.
Brooklyn FC head coach Jessica Silva said: “The team had a productive training camp in Italy, where we focused on our tactical strategies and experimented with different approaches. This match (against Napoli) was a great test, providing valuable lessons to take forward. The camp has equipped us with a clear action plan for the remaining two weeks in New York, which is crucial as we prepare for our first game against Tampa (away on February 22).”
Brooklyn FC spent two weeks training in Italy. The trip was made possible due to Brooklyn FC’s ties to Campobasso FC, which is in the men’s third tier (Serie C). Investment Holding Company North Sixth Group established a subsidiary called Club Underdog Network, which operates Brooklyn FC, Campobasso FC and Dagenham & Redbridge FC in England, as it tries to add other “minor” league sides in Europe to its portfolio.
Other imports at Napoli include their starting goalkeeper, Doris Bacic (29), who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina but plays internationally for Croatia. She is in her second campaign with Napoli and has won two Serie A Women titles with Juventus in 2018-19 and 2020-21, as well a league title each in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgium with Anderlecht. She trained with Arsenal in 2014 but was not able to get a work permit in England and has also spent time with clubs in Germany, Iceland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
American defender Natalie Muth (26) has started 14 of her 16 matches this season and joined Napoli for the 2024-25 season from relegated Duisburg of the German Frauen-Bundesliga, where she scored three goals in 19 matches. She has also played in Spain and won a league title in Kazakhstan in 2021 with BIIK Kazygurt in Shymkent. She played collegiately at the University of Portland in Oregon.
Two Bosnia and Herzegovina internationals are on the side: Gloria Sliskovic (19) played in one match last season with Juventus and won two league titles at home with SFK 2000 Sarajevo. Forward Maja Jelcic (20) scored once in 15 games last season with Inter Milan in Serie A. Napoli has three total imports from Sweden, two from Denmark and two from Germany out of their total of 11 to date.
Napoli finished the first stage of the 2024-25 Serie A Championship in ninth place out of ten sides with a 2-4-12 (W-D-L) record for 10 points, two points ahead of bottom side Sampdoria. Going into the second stage five team relegation round, Napoli have a lot of ground to make up on eighth place side Sassuolo (19 points) to avoid an end of season playoff series verses the ultimate second place side in Serie B.
2025 SheBelieves Cup rosters
The 2025 SheBelieves Cup will see Australia face Japan in an all-AFC matchup and then the U.S. versus Colombia on February 20 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, where the Houston Dash of the NWSL plays. On February 23, Colombia will play Japan and the U.S. meets Australia at State Farm Stadium in suburban Phoenix (Glendale) Arizona, home of the NFL Arizona Cardinals and numerous U.S. and Mexican men’s international football matches. The tournament concludes on February 26 at Snapdragon Stadium (home of the San Diego Wave of the NWSL) in San Diego as Australia faces Colombia and the U.S. plays Japan.
Colombia Roster Information
Colombia WNT head coach Angelo Adolfo Marsiglia named 23 players for the U.S. tournament during the February 2025 FIFA international window, consisting of six players from the local Colombian league, four players from England, three players each from Brazil, Mexico, Spain and the U.S. (all from the NWSL) with one who plays in Turkey:
Ángela Barón – Racing Louisville (USA)
Ana María Guzmán – Utah Royals (USA)
Carolina Arias – América de Cali
Catalina Usme – Galatasaray SK (TUR)
Daniela Arias – Corinthians (BRA)
Daniela Caracas – R.C.D Espanyol (ESP)
Daniela Montoya – Gremio (BRA)
Ivonne Chacón – Levante (ESP)
Jorelyn Carabalí – Brighton & Hove Albion (ENG)
Katherine Tapia – Palmeiras (BRA)
Karla Torres – Leicester City (ENG)
Leicy Santos – Washington Spirit (USA)
Linda Caicedo – Real Madrid (ESP)
Luisa Agudelo – Deportivo Cali
María Camila Reyes – Independiente Santa Fe
Mary José Álvarez – Atlético Nacional
Mayra Ramírez – Chelsea (ENG)
Manuela Pavi – West Ham United (ENG)
Marcela Restrepo – Monterrey C.F (MÉX)
Natalia Giraldo – América de Cali
Sara Martínez – Atlético Nacional
Wendy Bonilla – Pumas (MÉX)
Yirleidis Quejada – Pachuca (MÉX)
Colombia held two previous camps this year at home with primarily domestic players. All the players for the first camp were based in the local league, except for two called in from the U.S, one from the NWSL and the other from the USL Super League (Lexington). During the first camp, the Colombian WNT played Millonarios FC Femenino in two halves of 50 minutes, with the WNT triumphing 2-1 with goals from Karla Torres (17’) of Independiente Santa Fe and Estefanía González (47’) of Independiente Medellin. The roster for that first camp—held from January 27 thru February 5 in Bogota—included:
CRISTINA MOTTA CHAVARRO – Independiente Santa Fe
DANIELA MONTOYA QUIROZ – Atlético Nacional
ELEXA MARIE BAHR – Racing Louisville (USA)
ESTEFANIA GONZÁLEZ CUARTAS – Independiente Medellín
INGRID YOBANA GUERRA MENESES – Deportivo Cali
JIMENA OSPINA DOMINGUEZ – Atlético Nacional
JUANA SOFIA ORTEGON GIRALDO – Millonarios F.C.
KARLA DAYANA TORRES GARCÍA – Independiente Santa Fe
KELLY ANDREA IBARGÜEN – Deportivo Cali
KELLY JOHANA CAICEDO ALEGRIA – Deportivo Cali
LIZ KATERINE OSORIO ZULETA – Atlético Nacional
LIZETH ALEJANDRA OCAMPO CHILMA – Atlético Nacional
LUISA FERNANDA AGUDELO MORELO – Deportivo Cali
MAITHE LÓPEZ MIRANDA – Real Santander
MANUELA ALEXANDRA GONZÁLEZ MENDOZA – Atlético Nacional
MARIA CAMILA REYES CALDERÓN – Independiente Santa Fe
MARIA FERNANDA VIÁFARA BRAVO – Millonarios F.C.
MARIA PAULA CÓRDOBA ESCOBAR – América de Cali
MARIANA ZAMORANO CORTÉS – Independiente Santa Fe
NATALIA GIRALDO ALZATE – América de Cali
SARA SOFÍA MARTÍNEZ RESTREPO – Atlético Nacional
SOFIA GARCÍA GAVIRIA – Atlético Nacional
YUNAIRA JESSELY LÓPEZ MORENO – Lexington Sporting Club (USA)
For the second camp in February, other players were called in, with two players currently with clubs in Argentina and one each in Brazil and Ecuador:
Melissa Valentina Jaimes Camargo – CD Atlético Torcal FS
Dayana Viviana Rivera Herrera – Dinhos Helvetia
Danna Valentina Rodríguez Jiménez – Deportivo Jap
Alejandra Yaqueline Apráez Guerrero – FSF National
Angely Daniela Camargo Urueña – San Lorenzo de Almagro (ARG)
Daniela Quintero Bonilla – Associação Malgi de Esportes (BRA)
Laura Fernanda Bustos Silva – Racing Club (ARG)
Paula Andrea Valencia Gallego – Always Ready (ECU)
Yuli Andrea Ríos Montoya – Carmen De Viboral
Sonia Johanna Avendaño Concha – Jhon Jota Sports
Karen Sofia Torres Cortés – Independiente Santa Fe
Anyi Vanesa Florez David – Colombian Polytechnic
Dayanis Esther De La Hoz Maury – Kp FC
Isabella Mosquera Mesa – Atlético Nacional
Japan’s Nadeshiko Roster for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup
For Japan’s squad of 23 players for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup in the U.S., over half (12) are currently playing with clubs in England, along with Germany (2), U.S. (2), Italy (1), Netherlands (1), Sweden (1), with only four currently playing in the WE-League at home in Japan.
Goalkeeper
1 YAMASHITA Ayaka (Manchester City/England)
12 HIRAO Chika (Albirex Niigata Ladies)
23 OKUMA Akane (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
Defender
4 KUMAGAI Saki (London City Lionesses/England)
13 KITAGAWA Hikaru (BK Hacken/Sweden)
3 MINAMI Moeka (AS Roma/Italy)
2 TAKARADA Saori (Leicester City/England)
5 TAKAHASHI Hana (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
21 ISHIKAWA Rion (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
6 KOGA Toko (Feyenoord/Netherlands)
Midfielder
22 MOMIKI Yuka (Leicester City/England)
8 SEIKE Kiko (Brighton & Hove Albion/England)
14 HASEGAWA Yui (Manchester City/England)
20 MIURA Narumi (Washington Spirit/USA)
18 HAYASHI Honoka (Everton/England)
10 NAGANO Fuka (Liverpool FC/England)
7 MIYAZAWA Hinata (Manchester United/England)
15 FUJINO Aoba (Manchester City/England)
17 HAMANO Maika (Chelsea/England)
16 TANIKAWA Momoko (Bayern Munich/Germany)
Forward
11 TANAKA Mina (Utah Royals/USA)
19 CHIBA Remina (Eintracht Frankfurt/Germany)
9 UEKI Riko (West Ham United/England)
Australia’s WNT Roster Information
Australia WNT interim head coach Tom Sermanni selected 23 players for the CommBank Matildas squad for the SheBelieves Cup, their first ever time appearing in the tournament, which is in its tenth year. This is an important tournament for Australia as the nation will host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2026. Sermanni explained: “With the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on the horizon, internal competition within the squad is key. Every player knows they need to push for their place, and this tournament gives us another chance to see how they respond in a high-pressure environment. SheBelieves will provide valuable insights as we fine-tune our preparations moving forward.”
A few players who missed the final FIFA Women’s International Window of 2024 with injuries return, including Katrina Gorry (West Ham United FC), Mary Fowler (Manchester City WFC), Clare Wheeler (Everton WFC) and Kaitlyn Torpey (San Diego Wave FC). Forward Holly McNamara (22) (Melbourne City FC) is also back from a long-term injury after returning to league play. Fowler (21) was rested from November's friendlies on home soil due to fatigue and since the start of year she has three goals and five assists in five WSL games and six goals in 13 matches on the season thus far. She also has two goals and one assist in two League Cup Games in January and February 2025.
One player hoping to receive her first cap in the tournament is Brisbane Roar FC’s forward Laini Freier (23), who has been at or near the top of the Ninja A-League Women’s Golden Boot table this season, with seven goals and three assists in eleven games. Her twin sister Sharn, who has scored two goals with four assists this season, was not selected as she injured an ankle recently in the A-League Women play.
The 23 squad members primarily are with clubs abroad including England (11), US (3—all in NWSL), and one each in Denmark, France and the Netherlands, while six are playing at home with A-League Women sides.
U.S. WNT Roster Information and News
U.S. Women’s National Team Roster by Position (Club; Caps/Goals) – 2025 SheBelieves Cup
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 8/0), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 1/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 65/3), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 155/25), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 62/1), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 0/0), Jenna Nighswonger (Arsenal FC, ENG; 18/2), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 2/0), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 103/2), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 0/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 22/1), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 28/1), Lindsey (Horan) Heaps (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 161/36), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 0/0), Jaedyn Shaw (North Carolina Courage; 21/8), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 2/1)
FORWARDS (7): Lynn (Williams) Biyendolo (Seattle Reign FC; 75/21), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 0/0), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 19/8), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 4/0), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 3/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; 2/0), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 13/1)
The 23 player roster includes 16 players from the National Women’s Soccer League and seven from five different European clubs in three different countries—England (3), France (3) and Netherlands (1). The players on the roster from Arsenal FC (Emily Fox, Jenna Nighswonger), Chelsea FC (Catarina Macario) and Olympique Lyon (Heaps) will all be playing in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League next month.
The roster includes 12 players from the 22-player squad that won the 2024 Paris Olympics but just four players who started five or more games in the tournament, so this tournament continues Emma Hayes’ process of expanding the WNT player pool (see more below). She called up four uncapped players – all of whom have played in a FIFA Youth World Cup – and 10 players (43% of the roster) who have four caps or fewer. Veterans and 2024 Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Heaps (161 caps/36 goals), Crystal Dunn (155/25), Emily Sonnett (103/2), Lynn Biyendolo (75/21) and Tierna Davidson (65/3) have the most national team experience. Sonnett, who earned her 100th cap on Oct. 24, 2024 against Iceland in Austin, Texas, will be honored prior to the opening match of the tournament on Feb. 20 vs. Colombia at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. She is the 45th USWNT player to reach that milestone.
The camp also marks the first-ever senior USWNT call-ups for 19-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton and 22-year-old forward Michelle Cooper, who are teammates on the Kansas City Current. Hutton, Cooper and defender Gisele Thompson all attended the concurrent Futures Camp in January (ostensively to further develop the U.S. U-23 program) and earned their first senior team call-ups.
Emma Hayes talked to a few Arizona-based local media on February 10, to help promote the SheBelieves Cup doubleheader on February 23. TribalFootball.com asked coach Hayes about her thoughts on national team player development between the 13-year-old NWSL and the first year USL Super League.
Hayes explained: “The fact that we are going to have so many different players who have progressed from the U-20 pool playing in both the NWSL and the USL is a real opportunity, in my opinion, to close the gap in the development of that U-23 playing pool. I have said it so many times that, compared to the top nations in women’s soccer, we develop the U-23’s in terms of the playing opportunity at club, and (for) country we are way behind. I don’t know if it is because there is no draft (in the NWSL, which was eliminated last summer in an effort to expand player freedom of movement).
"I think there is a really talented pool in that U-20 group that is now progressing into the pros. I think we will see even more national team players, both futures (youth national teams) and WNT playing in the NWSL, and where they are not, they are going to be playing in USL. The fact that players have freedom of choice to say: ‘This is a club where I think I can progress’ albeit in either league, it should create more development opportunities (as previously) players know they aren’t playing and then gone overseas; I think we will keep players in our country as a result of those choices.”
She said that she and her staff will track player movement and development over the next 12 months to validate that hypothesis.
She also noted that the NWSL teams do not have reserve sides or a second league program. She wants to close that experience gap: “We are way behind at club and national team level. We have a really talented group at the U-20 level for Futures (her new vision for the U-23 WNT) and (the senior) WNT—in the NWSL and USL, players have the freedom of choice to progress (and this) will create the development of opportunities.”
She felt that these increased options within U.S. professional soccer will keep more players in the country, rather than going abroad—not just to Europe but also to Central/South America or Asian leagues.
Another Phoenix, Arizona based reporter asked Hayes about the fact that CONCACAF Qualifying for the 2027 WWC is still far off (likely involving the top teams in CONCACAF in the summer or fall of 2026), and how does that affect the drive for competitiveness in games? She replied that she believes in building development and winning all at once: “This tournament is about building a larger player pool, so come a WWC down the road, we have more players with more experience playing in the national team… Less experienced players will be exposed to more top level opponents than we can ordinarily get during a calendar year and take risks you need to (in order) to integrate the young players into the team.”
She definitely sees that the SheBelieves Cup is about building a larger player pool and exposing more young players “to more experience opportunities.”
TribalFootball.com also asked Emma Hayes about the recent hiring of Casey Stoney by Canada as their WNT head coach, a team that is a key competitor within our region (see more in our column earlier this month: The Week in Women's Football: Northern Super League preview; Stoney named Canada coach; new UEFA comp - TribalFootball.com). Stoney was a former WSL coaching colleague of Hayes in England when she led the Manchester United women’s team. Hayes was very positive about her hiring: “It’s a fabulous appointment for Canada. A top coach; her teams are always really well organized. Really good defensively, really disciplined. She likes to create a mentality in her team that one, makes it difficult to beat, but creates a really good culture in and around the team. I think it’s a really good appointment for Canada.”
Hayes was excited to come to Arizona, which is a state she had never been to: “I do know we are playing in an unbelievable stadium (State Farm Stadium which holds over 63,000 people). I know it will probably be our largest crowd in our three game spread (of the tournament) so I’m looking forward to the atmosphere in that—I am always advocating (that) I want us to be traveling around the country. I want us to showcase out talents to our fans up and down the country and this will be a brilliant opportunity to do that.”
Hayes also addressed U.S. WNT defender Noami Girma recent move to her old club Chelsea of the WSL for a World Record fee of $1.1 million from San Diego Wave at the end of January, which we will discuss more in the weeks to come: “There is always an automatic assumption when we start seeing players go to Europe that the directive comes from me. The realities are players are faced with many different choices. Someone like Naomi has always had an interest in Europe… Playing in the (UEFA Women’s) Champions League is almost like playing an international fixture every time.
"Going up against the caliber of players she will face will add another dimension to her game… We don’t want to decimate the NWSL. We want to keep our best players in the NWSL. But I believe in the playing development model that we actually have players who will come through and be given opportunities as a result of it. My goal is to work with NWSL because, in an ideal world, we can keep our best players in our league. I have never been that coach to dictate, that says ‘You need to do these things.’ If a player says ‘my heart is set on it’ and the club wants to sell a player, I will always support that. For Naomi in particularly, it's so great for a defender to get the kudos that she is getting internationally, (and) everyone in Europe will see the qualities that we know in the U.S. with her."
Note: Next week, TribalFootball.com will review the SheBelieves tournament games, including interviews from the four team’s coaches and players in Phoenix.
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women’s football. Get your copy today. Follow Tim on X: @TimGrainey