“We mustn’t always measure progress by outcome,” coach Emma Hayes said after USWNT’s heartbreaking 2-1 loss in round 2 of their doubleheader against Brazil. Yet, progress does lead to positive outcomes, just like Angel City FC is proving in the current NWSL season. After opening with two draws, ACFC’s Alyssa Thompson sealed the deal for her team in their second victory in four matches.

After leading the match 2-0 for the most part, Houston answered back with a goal in the 61st minute. However, the 20-year-old phenom snuffed Dash’s hopes for an equalizer after scoring Angel City’s third goal in the 86th minute. That match-winning goal marked an early-season milestone for the club and became a testament to Hayes’ ‘future USWNT’ approach. What was that milestone, you ask?

OptaJack on X had the answer. “7 – All seven of @weareangelcity’s goals in the 2025 #NWSL season have been scored by players 23 years old or younger,” the page revealed. While there’s no shortage of experienced stars such as Christen Press, Sydney Leroux, and others, the youngsters have shone so far. It’s a record that supports Emma Hayes’ argument for developing young talent.

Tonight, 23-year-old Macey Hodge opened the scoring for Angel City. In fact, Hodge’s 13th-minute goal was her first in the NWSL. Riley Tiernan, 22, scored the second goal at Shell Energy Stadium, as Angel City FC entered halftime unchallenged. So it’s safe to say Hayes’ strategy of further developing these young stars certainly has its merits.

In fact, focusing on long-term results has already produced some magical moments at the initial level. Let’s not forget that Alyssa Thompson charging through the Brazilian defense, followed by a brilliant assist, helped Rodman make history at SoFi Stadium barely a week ago. Yet, Hayes fielding the most inexperienced USWNT roster since 2001 against Brazil in match 2 also raised questions.

Is Emma Hayes moving too fast?

Hayes stood her ground while discussing why she chose to play with such a young rookie roster. “If I only prioritized short-term success, of course, I wouldn’t make that many changes,” said the USWNT coach as per ESPN. “But I’m not making decisions for the short-term; I’m prioritizing the progress from expanding the playing pool,” she added as a justification.

Did Emma Hayes want to give the youth a chance as the pressure lifted after Team USA won in match 1? While Hayes didn’t clarify, the 58-year-old wanted to see how the USA’s young talents would perform against a world-class opponent. The Ballon d’Or winner’s experiment seemed to work very well in the first half an hour of the clash.

Alyssa Thompson came through again, for the 25-year-old Catarina Macario, who smashed the ball into the back of the net just 24 seconds after kickoff. Macario’s 10th international goal was her first against Brazil, the nation where she was born. However, the inexperienced team lost steam to Brazil, who increased their ball possession throughout the match.

Emma Hayes herself wasn’t too happy with how the match played out. The coach said that USWNT came out “completely flat” in the second half and remained that way till conceding the disappointing goal in the 5th minute of extra time. The result drew fan criticism as the Olympic gold medalist coach’s 2025 record now stands at 1 win and 2 losses.

What’s more? The double-header against Brazil potentially marked the last opportunity for Emma Hayes to put her young roster “in the frying pan,” as upcoming games will see them facing weaker opponents in China and the Republic of Ireland. “Hopefully we go to Brazil, maybe next year,” said the 48-year-old. Till then, the future of USWNT will have to excel in the NWSL.