USWNT Changes Lineup for Spain Rematch in Chester

The United States women's national soccer team will seek a stronger response against reigning World Cup champion Spain on October 13, 2026, at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. Coach Emma Hayes made four changes to her starting lineup after the Americans lost 2-0 in Washington, D.C., on October 10, with improved finishing and defensive organization central to the rematch.

According to the U.S. Soccer lineup announcement, kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

Phallon Tullis-Joyce starts in goal, while Ashley Sanchez, Claire Hutton and Gisele Thompson enter the lineup. Lindsey Heaps captains a team that includes experienced internationals Rose Lavelle, Emily Fox, Tierna Davidson, Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson.

The changes follow a defeat in which Spain scored twice within the opening 15 minutes. The Americans generated 13 shots to Spain's six in the October 10 match but struggled to convert their opportunities, according to The Athletic's coverage published by The New York Times. Lily Yohannes also missed a penalty, while a potential goal from Wilson was ruled out for offside following video review.

Hayes said the teams have moved closer together since their previous meetings, although Spain's confidence and efficiency remain important differences. Speaking before the rematch, she described the gap between the sides as narrower than it was three years ago.

"You can determine and say finishing or preventing goals. Well, yes, that's part of it, but when you analyze it, when we analyze the game through our lens and through the things we know to be true to impact the result, I know what it looked like in 2023 to what it looks like now, and Spain and USA are right side by side. But it's maybe the confidence they have being world champions.

There's an efficiency to what they're doing in that regard." Hayes said.

The coach also emphasized the value of facing elite opponents ahead of the next major tournament. The 2027 Women's World Cup will take place in Brazil, and the United States could secure qualification as early as the following month, according to The Washington Post's October 10 report.

"You play the same opponent twice, and there's things within that you can do a bit better. Our team has a really good habit of bringing those things into the second game, but we have to do them. You can get away with things against weaker opposition.

You just can't with Spain, and so I'll be looking for us to apply that detail to what we're doing." Hayes said.

Captain Lindsey Heaps identified finishing as a priority after the first meeting, noting that the Americans created chances against one of the world's strongest teams but failed to make them count.

"We want to stay at a high standard, and we need to keep progressing. You look at the game and you sit there and say how many chances you created, but also, if we want to be on top come the World Cup, those kinds of chances we have to score. We know at this point we will create them — and we're creating them against the best teams in the world." Heaps said.

Defender Tierna Davidson also highlighted the need to capitalize on attacking opportunities while limiting Spain's chances. She said the Americans had restricted the Spanish attack in some phases but needed greater precision in decisive moments.

"There were times we had really good control and created great opportunities. It's now making sure we take advantage of those opportunities and are clinical in those positions. On the flip side, for such an attacking team, we did limit them to fewer quality chances on goal than they're typically used to getting." Davidson said.

Spain coach Sonia Bermúdez expects a more difficult contest in the second meeting. The Spanish team intends to limit the United States' threat during transitions, an area Bermúdez identified as a source of danger in the previous match.

"I expect a much tougher match tomorrow, by far. We will try to stop their transitions — since they will surely look to do damage there — with the objective of winning." Bermúdez said, according to The Athletic.

Lavelle enters the match with 124 international appearances, moving past Julie Ertz's total of 123 to claim sole possession of 34th place on the USWNT's all-time appearances list. Heaps earns her 180th cap, while Fox reaches 80 appearances and Davidson records her 72nd.

Sanchez returns to the starting lineup for the first time since October 30, 2024, against Argentina. Wilson, who returned to international action after giving birth to her daughter, is also among the starters. Tullis-Joyce begins her eighth international appearance, having recorded seven wins and five shutouts across her first seven matches, according to U.S. Soccer.

The United States remains the reigning Olympic champion, but Spain's recent results underline the challenge facing Hayes's team. The rematch provides another opportunity to address the early defensive breakdowns and missed scoring chances exposed in the first encounter.