Ashley Sanchez's comeback leads USWNT vs. Spain.

When Temwa Chawinga broke the NWSL scoring record in 2024, I thought it was going to be untouchable. Yes, the NWSL's tireless march towards expansion meant that the schedule would always expand, but that isn’t necessarily the case with Ashley Sanchez’s record-tying 20th goal after 26 matches. Sanchez will presumably use the 3 matches left in the 2026 season to reset the meta, but she was still able to tie the record over the previous season's total. 

That would have been completely unexpected less than a year ago. 

Sanchez took a step back in 2025, following up a season of 9 goal contributions during her first season in North Carolina with just 2 goals and 2 assists last season. 

However, has anyone ever benefited from a manager change this much?

Mak Lind took the keys and the Courage’s attack has leaped forward, scoring 12 more goals than their 2025 season total with the same number of goals conceded. So far, that +10 goal differential hasn’t earned a playoff spot after 4 losses in their last 5 matches… but for Sanchez, it has landed her back in the USWNT conversation for the first time since October 2024. 

It shouldn’t be a surprise then that Sanchez was rewarded with a USWNT call up for this month’s series vs Spain but after not appearing since 2024, it was a genuine question.

“I think Ashley's had an extraordinary season, not just in terms of the number of goals she's scored, but I think consistency in her performance. I think, she's deserving of that, based on this season's play," Hayes said during her availability last week, "I didn't see that last season nor the season before. So I think it's been a big step up for her, and I think at this stage of her career, I'm sure she doesn't want to waste the opportunities that are in front of her.”

It’s not for anything Sanchez has done herself, but it’s a consequence of the sheer depth of attacking options at Emma Hayes’s disposal. Trinity Rodman can play on the right side of the attack but with Mal Swanson, Michelle Cooper, Emma Sears, Pietra Tordin, and Alyssa Thompson all in the mix, Hayes is spoiled for choice out wide and underneath through the midfield, and that doesn’t include Croix Bethune and Olivia Moultrie who miss out due to injuries or Jaedyn Shaw and Ally Sentnor who were included in the U23 camp. 

Sanchez’s case is helped by her all-around numbers this season. 

“She has done a great job with herself. I think her coach, I had a conversation with Mak [Lind], who was so complimentary about her maturity this season,” Hayes continued. “Her desire to really want to get back into the national team, and she's demonstrated that with her behaviors. I think the next step for her is to maintain that consistency."

This is a player who should start opposite Rodman in the most important match of the window based on club form, even as Alyssa Thompson and Michelle Cooper will see some rotation in those key moments.  

The roster.

Jaedyn Shaw is the obvious snub from this roster, but the lack of midfielders in general is a close second.

Both Evelyn Shores (FB) and Mal Swanson (W) are called out as midfielders in the federation’s announcement, but really the midfield will be decided between Rose Lavelle, Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton, Lyndsey Heaps, and Lily Yohannes.

That shouldn’t be surprising at this point, but for all of the options elsewhere on both extremes of the depth chart, those five midfielders have been Hayes’s options for over a year at this point. We know what Hayes wants out of that midfield – control in possession – but there is still a lack of ball-winning midfielders anytime Sam Coffey isn’t on the pitch. While she’s healthy, that’s fine, but injuries along the backline make it important to find a 2nd ball-winning option. 

Maybe the answer is for Claire Hutton to start adding that to her game this season – 6th in the NWSL in duel win % this season – or for Evelyn Shores – 5th in the NWSL in duel win % this season – to invert into the midfield in a more stark 3-4-3, but Hayes will have to find an option.

Spain will be more than a handful if this version of the USWNT can’t win possession, especially with a backline that will now miss Naomi Girma due to an injury she picked up in training while returning from her previous injury. Girma is a must-have for the US to reach their ceiling, but without her solidity along the backline, the US will have to rely on Kennedy Wesley, Tara Rudd, Tierna Davidson, and Kate Del Fava, who was called up from the U23 roster to replace Girma. 

As expected, Emily Fox, Lilly Reale, Avery Patterson, and Gisele Thompson will flank the CB pairing out wide, but it’s clear to see that Hayes will be maneuvering the rotation a bit. 

If you’re worried about the CB depth, there is some solace in Jordyn Bugg and Ayo Oke getting the U23 call. 

This is all a big win for the U23 and “Futures” camp; by the way, more players are getting chances after impressing with the U23s.

First cap alert.

It’s not Jordyn Silkowitz’s first USWNT call, but she has yet to make an appearance with the national team. Silkowitz is the 3rd option as things stand. Silkowitz has been the 2nd-best shot-stopper in the NWSL this season, but her ball-playing skills are still lagging behind Claudia Dickey and Phallon Tullis-Joyce at this point. 

It’s more likely that Shores, Tordin, and Trinity Byars will receive their first caps this window. 

Shores and Tordin have been crucial pieces for ACFC and Portland, respectively, while Trinity Byars has become a top NWSL striker. 

Byars has played just over 1000 minutes in her first full season after an ACL tear ended her rookie campaign in her first appearance. 10 goals and 3 assists later, Byars is leading the line for a San Diego Wave side that is still chasing the NWSL Shield with 3 matches left in the season.

“Any big injury, any player has doubts,” Byars told CBS 8 in San Diego. “For me, it was really hard with those doubts. I don’t know where my career is going to take me. Am I going to be the same player when I get back?”

Byars hasn’t missed a beat, adjusting well to the pro game while coming back to full speed. It’s been an impressive season in San Diego, and given how the Wave try to manipulate space in front of the opposition backline, Byars’s skill at reading those moments should be directly applicable.

Evelyn Shores and Pietra Tordin are also likely to see minutes thanks in large part to their tactical flexibility. 

Shores can play out wide, along the backline, or even in the midfield, while Tordin has played important minutes at both LW and CAM this season. All while both have been top-20 g+ players in the league this season, these are players who should be fighting for minutes in the buildup to next Summer in Brazil.

Angel City FC buy-back options?

I’ve bought and sold Angel City’s playoff stock multiple times this season, but I’m officially back in as the group has settled into a 7-match unbeaten streak, including 7 points out of 9 on the road vs Utah, Washington, and Gotham. That’s a stretch not many in the league have been capable of this season, and the backline of King, Sams, Gorden, and Shores has tightened things up defensively. 

The 1-1 draw vs. Gotham this past weekend was the only goal allowed over this 3-match road stretch, a stretch that hasn’t guaranteed them playoff soccer but does have them within 3 points of a home playoff match. ACFC’s final 3 matches are against non-playoff clubs, and a win when the NWSL returns from international break would guarantee at least a 9th-place finish. 

It’s been better since Leif Gunnar Smerud stepped in as interim manager. Only Gotham has won more points since LGS took the reins; no team has allowed fewer goals than ACFC since the summer break, and only North Carolina has scored more goals. 

This is a good team with young players like Shores and Thompson becoming key pieces in how ACFC wants to progress the ball down the wings of their 4-4-2 shell. 

Key additions of Ally Sentnor and Prisca Chilufya have added new dynamics, all while Riley Tiernan and Taylor Suarez can produce from the bench. 

Whether this is a manager pushing the right buttons or players finally finding chemistry, this is a dangerous team right as the playoffs are coming into view.

Atlanta City FC

Speaking of ACFC, Atlanta unveiled its club branding on Monday, and it has divided opinions. The crest and branding are very Atlanta: the Phoenix imagery of a city born out of the ashes and colors inspired by ATL’s traditional sports color schemes, with the added peach primary color that I think works really well in distinguishing itself from Atlanta United.

I could take or leave Atlanta City FC as a name. I wish more soccer clubs in our soccer leagues would embrace the SC of it all, but aside from that minor gripe, it’s a blank canvas. 

Everything else about the branding is gorgeous.

As always, none of this will matter once there’s a team on the pitch, and Atlanta won’t have the stadium pitfalls that Boston has had to worry about even post its expansion redo.

You can look at Atlanta United and see that this is an ownership group that empowers the soccer execs to spend without interference. You can also look at Atlanta United and see how important it is to nail the soccer hires.

The countdown starts now.