International Soccer
Swanson scores late, USWNT fight back to dramatic draw against Spain
The U.S. Women’s National Team came back from a 2-goal deficit to earn a dramatic draw against FIFA’s #1-ranked team Spain on Tuesday night at Subaru Park.
Alexia Putellas opened the scoring in the first half for the visitors, and Salma Paralluelo doubled the lead minutes later.
USWNT responded in the second half with a goal from the red-hot Ashley Sanchez, and Mallory Swanson fired home a late equalizer to earn the hosts a 2-2 draw.
USWNT were looking for revenge on Tuesday night after dropping the first of two matches against Spain 2-0 in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. Entering the match, Emma Hayes had a 5-0-0 record in matches following a loss as USWNT head coach, always rebounding after tough matches. Tuesday night’s match against Spain was the USWNT’s first in the Philadelphia area since October 23rd of last year, a 2-1 loss to Portugal.
The USWNT started out much sharper than they did on Saturday. The midfield pivot of Claire Hutton and Lindsey Heaps played multiple threatening through balls in behind, including one that Sophia Wilson latched on to but couldn’t fire home on her left foot. Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce made a great save on a breakaway from Spain’s Clara Pinedo in the 14th minute, forcing a corner kick and keeping the score tied at 0-0.
The opening goal came in the 27 th minute. Clara Serrajordi crossed low to the back post. Pinedo let the ball run past her to the far post where Alexia Putellas tapped home at the far post. The goal was confirmed after a brief VAR review, and the 2-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas had officially opened the scoring on her 150 th cap for Spain.
Spain doubled the lead only 5 minutes later. A turnover from Tullis-Joyce sprung Putellas into action, picking up the loose ball and driving into space before finding her former FC Barcelona Femení teammate Salma Paralluelo in behind. Paralluelo took a touch and fired off the bottom of the crossbar and in, giving Spain a 2-0 lead. Despite the strong opening ten minutes, USWNT entered the half down 2-0 yet again.
USWNT came out for the second half energized. In the 49 th minute, Ashley Sanchez scored USWNT’s first goal of the window. Sophia Wilson beat a defender on the halfway line before finding Sanchez wide to the left. One-on-one with her defender, Sanchez curled a shot into the bottom right, giving the home team a lifeline in her first appearance for the national team since October of 2024.
Sanchez continued to be the liveliest USWNT player on the ball. In the 68th minute, Sanchez turned a defender to find Lily Yohannes in midfield. Yohannes played a first-time pass in behind to substitute Mallory Swanson, who fired on goal but was denied by Misa Rodriguez in Spain’s net.
Hayes made a plethora of late changes in pursuit of an equalizer, bringing in pacey wingers Michelle Cooper and Emma Sears. Later, Kate Del Fava and Pietra Tordin were brought in by Hayes in the 80 th minute to make their USWNT debuts.
The changes from Hayes paid off in dramatic fashion. With Michelle Cooper making a run in behind, debutant Kate Del Fava played a long ball over Spain’s defense. Cooper controlled it before finding Swanson, who took a touch before finishing confidently into the bottom right corner to level the score at 2-2 in the 86th minute. Swanson’s goal was her first for the national team since the 2024 Paris Olympics Gold Medal Match.
With only seconds left deep into stoppage time, USWNT nearly found a winner. Alyssa Thompson found Lily Yohannes at the edge of the box who took a shot through traffic that took a deflection on the way through. Heading towards the bottom corner, Misa Rodriguez made a miraculous diving save to keep the score level. The final whistle blew minutes later, with USWNT earning a draw after the dramatic comeback.
Head coach Emma Hayes spoke with media after the match. “I think I need to analyze the game to pass comment on the whole game, but great fight, great determination from the whole group in the second half, especially being 2-0 down,” Hayes explained. When asked about the halftime team talk, she bluntly stated the details were “Between me and the team.”
Hayes went on to discuss the performance of the substitutes that helped to swing momentum back in favor of USWNT. “I don’t think the group coming in for the second half did themselves any harm. They were fearless,” Hayes said, praising the subs for taking their opportunity. “Need that sometimes. Sometimes it’s easier when you’re coming into a game like that. The job is really clear and you’ve got nothing to lose.”
Ashley Sanchez spoke to media about the adjustments made at halftime to spark the comeback by Hayes. “She was saying it wasn’t good enough, and she was right,” Sanchez explained. “She was like, ‘We have nothing to lose, let’s push for this’. And I think that our team responded really well, and we were able to get two back… and if we had a little bit more time, I think we would have gotten another one.”
After Sanchez’s breakthrough, it was Swanson’s late moment of brilliance set up by Michelle Cooper that levelled the scoring. Swanson spoke about what the moment meant for her postgame. “It’s been two years! A lot has happened,” Swanson said in relief. Swanson missed over a year with USWNT due to the birth of her daughter in late 2025. “It’s nice to get that first one out of the way. A big step in the right direction.”
USWNT are in action next in late November for the 2026 CONCACAF W Championships in Mansfield, Texas. This tournament will serve as qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The USWNT’s first match will be against El Salvador on Friday, November 27th.
USWNT starting XI:
Phallon Tullis-Joyce; Gisele Thompson (61’), Kennedy Wesley, Tierna Davidson (80’), Emily
Fox; Claire Hutton (61’), Rose Lavelle (61’), Lindsey Heaps (61’); Ashley Sanchez (80’), Trinity
Rodman (61’), Sophia Wilson (80’)
Bench:
Claudia Dickey; Avery Patterson, Kate Del Fava (80’), Tara Rudd, Evelyn Shores; Lily
Yohannes (61’), Jaelin Howell (61’); Mallory Swanson (61’), Pietra Tordin (80’), Emma Sears
(80’), Michelle Cooper (61’), Alyssa Thompson (61’)
Head Coach: Emma Hayes
Spain starting XI:
Misa Rodriguez; Oihane Hernandez (45’), Irene Paredes (78’), Maria Mendez, Andrea Medina
(78’); Alexia Putellas (61’), Patricia Guijarro, Clara Serrajordi (78’); Salma Paralluelo (45’),
Clara Pinedo (61’), Edna Imade (45’)
Bench:
Eunate Astralaga, Adriana Nanclares; Ona Batlle (45’), Laia Codina (78’), Lucia Corralles (45’);
Natalia Ramos (78’), Fiamma Benitez (61’); Alba Redondo (45’), Lucia Garcia (61’), Ornella
Vignola (78’), Eva Navarro, Ainhoa Marin
Head Coach: Sonia Bermudez
