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Jeff Kassouf
Multiple Authors
The United States women’s national soccer team is set to face the world’s top-ranked team and reigning World Cup champions Spain in a pair of friendly matches this October, as announced by U.S. Soccer on Monday.
These matches will take place at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on October 10, followed by a second game on October 13 at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. Both games are important lead-ups to the 2027 World Cup. The U.S. women are the current Olympic champions and have won the World Cup four times.
“These are two more great matches,” said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes. “We’ve been eager to have Spain on our calendar but arranging games with top teams during the women’s international window is always challenging. Having these two matches on the East Coast will be ideal preparations for World Cup qualifying later this year.”
Previously, Spain has only faced the USWNT once on American soil, during the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, where the USWNT emerged victorious with a 1-0 scoreline.
The teams last met in October 2022 in Pamplona, Spain, where a second-choice La Roja squad took a 2-0 victory over the USWNT. Spain would go on to win its first Women’s World Cup just nine months later.
This match marked one of midfielder Sam Coffey‘s initial appearances for the U.S. team, and she has since become a key player, serving as the starting defensive midfielder during the 2024 Olympics.
On Monday, Coffey acknowledged Spain’s status as an “exceptional team” and described the upcoming matches as “exciting,” while emphasizing that her focus will remain on her own team’s performance.
Coffey commended her teammates for their recent adaptability and success across different playing styles.
She mentioned the forthcoming matches against Spain would pose another challenge, but she dismissed the notion that they would serve as a definitive benchmark against European teams.
“We need not do anything extraordinary,” said Coffey. “They are an incredible team, but so are we. When we play to our strengths, we can compete with anyone. We will have a game plan and tactics prepared, but our priority will be to perform our best and embrace what makes us distinct on the field.”
It has become increasingly difficult for the U.S. to schedule top-tier European teams due to the continent’s lengthy qualification processes. However, Spain is available for these October matches following their successful group qualifying campaign, which included a notable 4-0 win over England, securing their direct qualification.
The USWNT plans to train at U.S. Soccer’s new national training center for the first time ahead of the October matches, a facility that opened earlier this year just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, according to a federation spokesperson.
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These matches will mark the first appearance of both Spain and the United States in four months.
Spain concluded its World Cup qualifying matches in early June, notably defeating England 4-0 to secure direct entry into the tournament.
This past June, the United States faced Brazil, the host of the upcoming World Cup, splitting two friendlies: losing 2-1 in the first match and winning 1-0 in a tightly contested second match.
Coffey is expected to participate in the October matches as she is recovering well from a minor knee surgery in May. She reported on Monday that she anticipates being ready for the opening of Manchester City’s season later this summer.
“I had forgotten how strenuous running can be, so I’m feeling some soreness, but I’ve never been happier to feel sore,” she commented. “My recovery is on track; we’re taking things one step at a time to monitor my knee’s response to the workload, and so far, the results have been positive. I believe I will be prepared for the start of the new season and feel optimistic about my progress.”