Did you know? Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brazil marked the USWNT‘s ninth straight victory against the South American giants—the longest winning streak any team holds over them. A remarkable feat, highlighting just how challenging it has been for the Verde-Amarela when facing the Red, White, and Blue. But the battle isn’t over yet, as both sides are set to clash again at PayPal Park in San Jose on Tuesday. While it may seem like Emma Hayes and Co. are poised to notch another win, Lindsey Heaps thinks otherwise, saying it won’t be “easy at all.”

A quick opener in the fifth minute from Trinity Rodman—set up by Alyssa Thompson—followed by a penalty converted by Lindsey Horan around the hour mark, after Lily Yohannes drew a foul, was all the USWNT needed to clinch the win. Having defeated the Brazilians in the 2024 Paris Olympics final to steal a gold medal last time, USWNT has achieved far more than they could have imagined in their win at SoFi Stadium.

But getting comfortable would be the last thing they would want against Brazil. In fact, more than an eagerness to retain dominance, Heaps rather feels grateful to be facing such a team. “I think the opportunity to play a team like this again is actually really, really great,” spoke the Lyon midfielder in the post-match interview. “We want to play against the best teams in the world and keep developing.”

While contesting in doubleheaders may have its own advantages, it still retains some challenges that Lindsey has been able to identify. “It always causes a different kind of problem where you play a team back-to-back; it is not easy at all. So I think we regroup, we see what can we get better at knowing Brazil may give us a different game on Tuesday,” concluded the former Heaps.

A typical pre-match pep talk from the skipper as she motivates her teammates to retain the same energy, composure, and mentality against the same rivals. Honestly, we aren’t surprised; to recall, despite the victory, there were many instances of the game that saw the USWNT get tested by Brazil.

Marta and Co. created a lot of chances in the final third but half of them were either off target or hit the goalposts. Not to mention that somehow Brazil also achieved a rare feat against Emma Hayes and Co., winning possession in the attacking third 10 times in just the first half. The reason why it’s such a big deal is because, over the past decade, only two teams have managed to do that more often in a full match against the USWNT.

Hence, if the four-time World Champions are caught lacking against their arch-rivals, they could end up putting their impressive streak at risk. So, it’s only reasonable for Lindsey Horan to expect more focus from her teammates. In fact, she’s not alone in that sentiment—her manager also had a special request to make.

Emma Hayes makes a special plea to the USWNT fans

More than 32,000 fans filled SoFi Stadium on Saturday, and while that number falls short of half the Inglewood venue’s 70,000-seat capacity—expandable to over 100,000 for major events—the energy in the stadium provided a significant lift for the USWNT. Interestingly, Emma Hayes experienced it firsthand, remarking after the game, ‘You could feel the noise.’

The vibrant support even moved the English head coach to issue a heartfelt request to fans ahead of their upcoming match. Calling the USWNT fanbase “tremendous,” Hayes expressed her pride at seeing so many fans in the stands. This has led her to hope to see a similar atmosphere for the upcoming game.

“We’re going up north to a sellout. I’m really excited for that and feel a different type of pressure and it’s up to us to make that count against Brazil. I want the crowd to get on top of them, make it hostile for them,” urged Hayes to her fanbase, hoping their energy creates a hostile environment that could disrupt Brazil’s rhythm and momentum.

So will both fans and the players fulfill the expectations of Emma Hayes and Lindsey Heaps? Let us know in the comments.