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The U.S. women’s national team is back in action after winning gold at the Paris Olympics this summer. The team will host Iceland on Thursday at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas in the first match of a three-match celebration series. The victory tour includes two matches against Iceland and concludes against Argentina. Head coach Emma Hayes has named a squad of 26 players for the October international window as the group prepares for the 16th meeting between the two sides.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match against Iceland:
View information
- Date: Thursday October 24 | Time: 7:30 PM ET
- Location: Q2 Stadium – Austin, Texas
- TV: TBS | Current: MAX
- Chances: USWNT-250; Sign +420; Iceland +580
Storylines
USWNT: The last time the world saw the USWNT, they were standing on the top podium with gold medals around their necks. Hayes had just four games leading up to the Olympics, and now, ten games later, she and the team are on a victory tour. There are 18 players from the Olympic squad available for selection, while some gold medalists are missing due to ongoing injuries. Forward Trinity Rodman is out of camp with a back injury, and Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson are available as two parts of the triple espresso attack.
Hayes has been vocal about the early stages of planning for the 2027-2028 cycle, and that includes expanding the player pool. She plans to use the entire roster throughout the term, and with six players in this camp without a senior appearance, there are strong indications that multiple debuts are a possibility.
Projected XI: Campbell; Malonson, Sonnett, Girma, Fox; Coffey, Horan, Sanchez; Ryan, Smith, Swanson.
Iceland: The Stelpurnar okkar (Our Girls) are winless against the USWNT in their previous 15 meetings with 13 losses and two draws. They are currently ranked 13th in the overall FIFA Women’s World Rankings and have just completed qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 – a fifth consecutive achievement for the national team. Iceland manager Thorsteinn Halldórsson named 23 players for October’s friendlies against the United States, with a majority of the players part of the European Championship qualifying squad. Striker Sveindís Jónsdóttir will be a common target for defenders as the 23-year-old is the squad’s top scorer with 12 goals in 40 international appearances.
Prediction
The first matches in the international mix can be stagnant at first. Add in some rotation and player management and it might be more limited than some expect. Choose: USWNT 1, Iceland 0
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