Hayes recalls Sanchez and Swanson as USA face world champions Spain
Emma Hayes has recalled Ashley Sanchez and welcomed back Mallory Swanson in a 26-player United States squad for October's home friendlies against Spain, the defending world champions.
The US Women’s National Team will host world No. 1 Spain twice in October, including a game on 10 Oct. and another at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, according to U.S. Soccer U.S. Soccer. It is a proper test. Spain hold the World Cup. The United States want to show they can live with them.
Sanchez is the headline recall. Her last cap, an international appearance, came in October 2024 against Argentina. She travelled to the 2023 World Cup but did not get on the pitch.
Her club form has forced the door open. Sanchez has scored 20 goals in 26 matches for the North Carolina Courage this season, as reported by The Guardian. That is already a National Women’s Soccer League record for goals in a season by an American player. One more would take her past Temwa Chawinga’s overall single-season record.
Swanson’s return carries its own weight. Her last cap was the 2024 Olympic final. She scored the goal that won gold for the United States. She was around the squad for June’s two friendlies against Brazil but did not play. Now she is back alongside fellow forwards Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson.
There is strength at the back too. Naomi Girma and Sam Coffey are both in. Girma’s inclusion stands out because she has not played for Chelsea since early September because of injury. Hayes has backed her anyway.
The eight defenders named are Emily Fox, Tierna Davidson, Tara Rudd, Avery Patterson, Kennedy Wesley, Gisele Thompson and Lilly Reale, with Girma completing the group. Four players in the wider 26 are uncapped, meaning they are still waiting for a first senior appearance. Friendlies, non-competitive matches, are often used for exactly that kind of look at new faces.
There will be a familiar face in the stands as well. USWNT great Crystal Dunn is set to be honoured in a pre-game ceremony around the Spain games.
What makes this stand out is the mix. Proven winners return. A striker in red-hot form gets another chance. New names get to train beside them. For fans, this means two nights where every minute matters, even without points on the line.
