U.S. Women’s National Team Draws with Spain

CHESTER, Pa. — On Tuesday night, Spain’s forward Salma Paralluelo spread her arms like wings, eliciting mixed reactions from the U.S. crowd.

Paralluelo, just five minutes after Spain’s opening goal by Alexia Putellas, quickly doubled her team’s lead against the U.S. women’s national team. It felt eerily similar to the U.S.’s recent 2-0 defeat to Spain just a few days earlier.

However, in the second half, the Americans stepped up and demonstrated their resilience.

Sophia Wilson set up Ashley Sanchez, who skillfully placed the ball into the far corner, eluding Spain’s goalkeeper.

Then, in the 86th minute, Mallory Swanson scored to level the game. It was her first goal for the national team since winning gold at the 2024 Olympics, shortly after becoming a mother. In a moment of joy, she jumped into Jaelin Howell’s arms to celebrate.

“That’s the U.S.’s DNA,” Howell reflected following the 2-2 tie. “It’s about grit, fire, and a never-give-up mentality. I think that’s what you saw today. We’re proud of the group, but there’s still much work ahead.”

For the first time in a while—and with the FIFA Women’s World Cup looming in seven months—the U.S. no longer holds the title of the team to beat. That honor now goes to Spain, the reigning World Cup champions who have transformed into a formidable force.

This shift has pushed the U.S. into a new reality where regaining their top spot means directly measuring up against Spain.

A couple of exhibition matches against Spain—a 2-0 loss on Saturday followed by Tuesday’s draw—provided the U.S. with an opportunity to assess their standing, identify weaknesses, and prepare for the upcoming challenge at the world championship in Brazil next summer.

“Spain is world-class; we’re still developing,” acknowledged U.S. coach Emma Hayes. “They deserve their championship title. Our job now is to pursue that.”

U.S. midfielder Lindsey Heaps noted that these matches against Spain were an invaluable learning experience for the team as they gear up for World Cup qualifications at the Concacaf W Championship in November.

“It was nice to end on a slightly positive note,” Heaps said. “Of course, we’re disappointed because we felt we could have secured a win, but Spain is a tough opponent with incredible players.”

Spain showcased their superiority over the two friendlies, even without key player Aitana Bonmatí, who is still recovering from a leg injury, and former Gotham FC standout Esther González, who wasn’t called up.

“It doesn’t matter if they were missing some top talent; they proved in these two games why they’re champions,” Hayes remarked. “We need to reach that level.”

The U.S. had been at that level consistently for over two years, usually finishing no lower than third in eight of the nine World Cups held so far.

Spain claimed victory in the last World Cup, while the U.S. experienced its earliest exit in history, eliminated in the Round of 16.

With a current FIFA ranking of No. 2, the U.S. is eager to reclaim their status as the top team.

“That’s our goal,” Sanchez stated. “When you play for a team like the U.S., that’s always been the standard. The aim is always to win.”