Order Up! USWNT Style Without the Triple Espresso
The USWNT has been on a roll since head coach Emma Hayes has taken ownership. The shocking loss at the end of the SheBelieves Cup, resulting in the end of a 15-game winning streak, has fans wondering what’s ahead for the almost unbeatable team. Markedly absent from the recent lineup is the powerhouse of the triple espresso, forwards Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson that annihilated rival defenses. Hayes has been explicit about the desire to rework the USWNT playing style, but what does that mean for the team going forward? The triple espresso will be back on the menu eventually. So what will the USWNT do with too many players?
Emma Hayes was voted best FIFA Women’s Coach in 2024, so we have a right to have confidence in her experimental calls. Recently, Hayes has introduced her new style of play as, “The WNT Way”, which focuses on viewing soccer as a people’s sport opposed to a man’s sport. She believes that when men’s strategies and tactics are applied to the sport as a default, we cancel out variations and styles that might favor women’s capabilities. And why should women play a style that doesn't fit them? Therefore, a new way of engaging with the sport is required. Developing a “women’s lens” in soccer requires some experimentation. Hence the addition of new, younger players.
However, fans are still caught up on the absences of key attackers Rodman, Swanson, and Wilson, also known as the Triple Espresso. These forwards left a trail of destruction in their wake leading into the Paris Olympics last year, yet all were absent in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. Their time off the field is voluntary, all either recovering from physical injuries or tied to personal commitments. Regardless, their absence has given the team time to develop scores of new, and especially young, talent. With so many young players, Hayes is creating a US talent pool that will strengthen the skill of the team and extend the generational reach of the players.
Certainly the triple espresso is not gone for good, and will receive a well-trained team when they get back. After all, there are worse issues than having too much talent on the field. Soccer is such a diverse sport, played by nearly every country in the world and in every age group. Emma Hayes is continuing this tradition by decentralizing style from soccer to allow for more experimentation, creativity, and skill. In the time before the friendly against Brazil, the USWNT is not standing still.
