Has Emma Hayes found her core group for the USWNT?
Full Time: A show about women's soccer
The Athletic
4.8 • 807 Ratings
🗓️ 5 March 2026
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Emma Hayes called the U.S. women’s national team’s 1-0 win over Canada in the SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday night one of her “favorite performances” by the team. But why was the victory so impressive? Which players impressed? And do the selection decisions made by Hayes show us who the USWNT’s core group is?
On this episode of Full Time, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by Melanie Anzidei and Producer Theo break down the USWNT’s win over Canada and debate which players are in and out of the team’s best available XI. Calling in from Columbus, Ohio, Tamerra Griffin also gives her analysis from the stadium on Wednesday night.
PLUS: The latest on CAF’s choice to postpone the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations until this summer, Iran is knocked out of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup while conflict surges between the U.S., Israel and Iran, UEFA 2027 World Cup qualifiers get underway, and more from the FIFA international window.
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HOSTS: Jillian Sakovits, Tamerra Griffin, Melanie Anzidei
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Referenced on the show:
A clear core group emerges as USWNT defeats Canada: ‘I love winning football matches like this’
Lack of clarity around WAFCON postponement causes speculation and player suffering
Iran face Asian Cup elimination after 4-0 loss to hosts Australia
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It is very competitive in the midfield on this roster. And I do think it kind of speaks to the versatility of the roster. Like we're not always going to see the same starting 11. I think it's going to be very tactical, very technical, depending on the opponent. Seeing Lindsay not in the starting 11 makes sense to me. Maybe it speaks to kind of like, will she always be the player that's on 90 minutes? Probably not. |
| 0:21.7 | It means that is she not the captain of the U.S. Women's National Team anymore? |
| 0:24.5 | I don't think so. |
| 0:25.2 | I think she still has that value for the team. |
| 0:27.5 | A different role for the roster. |
| 0:36.6 | Hello, everybody. A very warm welcome to full time. |
| 0:39.6 | I'm your host, Jillian Sackavit's going to you live in my Utah Royals kit today. |
| 0:44.1 | On today's show, a lot to get into all across the world. |
| 0:47.8 | First off, we're talking about the She Believes Cup, the U.S. |
| 0:50.3 | Women's National Team's 1-0 win over Canada. |
| 0:53.3 | We ask the question, and we answer it, of how much has a core group of players emerged for the U.S. |
| 0:59.6 | Women's National Team? |
| 1:01.0 | And after a knock in game one against Argentina, what did we make of Trinity Rodman's return to the starting lineup against Canada? |
| 1:08.2 | And after that, we will be zooming way out and talking about the women's African |
| 1:13.0 | Cup of Nations. |
| 1:14.4 | Just 12 days before it was set to begin has been postponed. |
| 1:18.8 | All right, let's get you all caught up on how it went down in the game twos of the |
| 1:22.6 | She Believes Cup from Columbus, Ohio for the U.S. women's national team. |
| 1:26.0 | The lone goal score was Ali Setnor in the 55th minute, who swiped home that half |
| 1:31.4 | volley in the box from a Rose LaVelle, beaut of a corner kick. |
| 1:36.0 | And the other game, also finishing 1-0 Colombia, the victors over Argentina. |
| 1:40.7 | And that was thanks to 21-year-old phenom, Linda Kicado, produced the moment of individual brilliance in this game as she parted those Argentina defenders like the Red Sea, exchanged a pass with Lacey Santos, and then chipped the keeper from close range. |
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