Emma Hayes has credited her nation’s demand for knowledge as the driving force behind USWNT bouncing back to beat Portugal.
Despite losing to their opponents last week, Emma Hayes’ team showed fight against Portugal on Sunday to make amends for the first loss.
USWNT breezes past Portugal
After losing to Portugal in their first game of the international break, there was clear fight behind the USWNT on Sunday afternoon.
Emma Hayes and co were keen to prove that Portugal’s win was just a fluke and they showed as much in the dominant 3-1 win.
Olivia Moultrie scored her first within under a minute but Portugal quickly responded with the score level at 1-1 after five minutes.
Liv with the quick start 👀
USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/n4tMMZvJH1
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 26, 2025
Moultrie scored again for the hosts just before the tenth minute and USWNT didn’t look back from there.
Samantha Coffey sealed the win late in the game with her third international goal of the year.
When addressing the media post-game, Emma Hayes credited her team’s resilience in the face of adversity.
“I thought we responded well to [getting scored against], kept playing, kept showing our principles, showed the control element that I felt was lacking in the last game,” Hayes said after the match. “It was, overall, a much better performance.”
A Dub in Hartford 🤩
USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/oUZBFYKvA0
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 26, 2025
It was reported that the team had a chance to study film following their defeat to Portugal last week, and many stars turned up to team meetings with detailed notes on what they could improve on.
“The demand for knowledge is unbelievable,” Hayes continued.
The hard work clearly paid off for Hayes’ team as they got back to winning ways in an important game for confidence.
What next for USWNT?
The USA still have another game during the international break.
Emma Hayes’ team will go head to head against New Zealand on Thursday night as they look to build on their momentum following the Portugal win.
Before losing to Portugal at the start of the international break, USWNT had won five games on the bounce.
Hayes admitted after losing last week that she ‘aged 113 years on the touchline’ during the defeat.
USA remain strong contenders for their own 2027 World Cup, but they will be keen to start stringing results together ahead of the tournament.
