Sling Tv spotlights USWNT momentum after SheBelieves Cup win in Harrison
Saturday at 6: 40 p. m. ET, the U. S. women’s national team capped its SheBelieves Cup run with a thrilling win over Colombia at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N. J., clinching the title on a late Alyssa Thompson goal. The timing matters because head coach Emma Hayes has said this is the first camp window where she is beginning to finalize her core group before World Cup 2027 qualifying begins later this year, and the tournament’s tight cadence tested depth in real time for sling tv viewers tracking the shift.
The SheBelieves Cup is a friendly tournament that does not affect FIFA rankings, but the U. S. used the three-match, round-robin setup as a dress rehearsal for the rhythm of international competition, with games played every couple of days and tactical adjustments required on short rest.
Emma Hayes and the USWNT close SheBelieves Cup with a late surge
The U. S. spent the week traveling to play three opponents—Argentina in Nashville, Tennessee, Canada in Columbus, Ohio, and Colombia in Harrison, New Jersey—each presenting different problems to solve. Argentina tested the team’s mentality, while Canada offered an opportunity to show controlled possession and a high press.
Colombia asked a different question. The match pushed the U. S. back line and forced the Americans to repurpose their strategy midway through the game. Hayes said the contest delivered exactly what the group needed, describing it as “a little bit spicy, ” while emphasizing that discipline has been a focus behind the scenes.
The momentum changed decisively with a coordinated set of substitutions in the 61st minute: Lindsey Heaps, Lily Yohannes, Olivia Moultrie, and Jaedyn Shaw entered together. That quartet helped redirect the match, and their burst of energy set up the late breakthrough, with Thompson scoring the winning goal in the final eight minutes.
Alyssa Thompson’s goal underscores a deeper roster picture without “Triple Espresso”
After the match, Hayes framed the tournament as evidence that the team’s story is expanding beyond its most familiar attacking trio. She pointed to how the conversation has shifted away from “Triple Espresso”—Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson—who led the U. S. to Olympic success but have not played together since because of injuries and pregnancies.
In their place, multiple players have pushed into meaningful roles during this window, including Thompson, Shaw, Ally Sentnor, Emma Sears, and newer additions like Jameese Joseph. Within the tournament itself, Hayes and Shaw carried the U. S. against Argentina, while Sentnor scored the lone goal against Canada.
Friday’s spotlight, though, belonged to Thompson. Hayes pointed to how Thompson’s momentum in England at Chelsea has translated to the national team, and the winning strike against Colombia served as a clear, late-game confirmation of that form.
Hayes’ May 2024 start and the Japan-Brazil losses that shaped this window
The arc to this moment traces back to May 2024, when Hayes took charge, and to a difficult stretch that followed an Olympic gold in Paris: the team was on the verge of consecutive losses to Japan and Brazil that Hayes said redirected the course of the next 12 months. Those experiences, Hayes said, helped the team handle the pressure moments that arrived again against Colombia, when the match demanded composure and a midstream tactical reset rather than a straight-line performance.
Looking ahead, Hayes has said she intends to outline two teams within her roster during three-match windows like this one, using the compressed schedule to accelerate combinations and decision-making. She also emphasized developing relationships across lines, pointing to Naomi Girma and Emily Sonnett in the back and Claire Hutton and Sam Coffey in midfield.
The next confirmed milestone is the start of World Cup 2027 qualifying later this year, which Hayes has identified as the reason this window has taken on added weight. If the team continues narrowing its core group camp by camp, the choices tested in Harrison could influence how those two-team outlines harden into a more settled group by the time qualifying begins.
sling tv viewers following the USWNT through the SheBelieves Cup saw a roster pushed by schedule, opponent variety, and a match that turned on substitutions—exactly the kind of scenario Hayes has been trying to create before the games begin to carry qualification stakes.
