On Saturday and Tuesday, the USWNT traveled to Brazil, the home of the upcoming 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, to, as manager Emma Hayes put it, to get away from the “nicey-nicey” environments of home games. With eight red cards assessed to Brazil’s players and coaching staff, this chippy and physical game certainly came with plenty of fodder for the visiting USWNT to take back as the group prepares for next year’s tournament.
The point was to be uncomfortable, playing a formidable opponent in a formidable away atmosphere, and quite frankly, become accustomed to the “discomfort” of what awaits them next year. The two matches against Brazil provided plenty of learning lessons as the USWNT came away with a 2–1 loss Saturday and a 1–0 win Tuesday.
