USWNT vs. New Zealand score: USA soccer end November window with emphatic victory

After losing their first game of the month, the USWNT won their last two as squad experimentation continued

The U.S. women's national team left no doubts about their ability to bounce back. After dropping the opening game of their three-game international window, they responded with a win on Sunday against Portugal and followed up with a complete blowout on Wednesday against New Zealand, a 6-0 scoreline with goals by Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario, and a hat-trick by Emma Sears. 

It was an evening of more evaluations for the coaching staff as the starting lineup featured players with few international appearances. With an average of 17.3 caps, it was the least experienced team that the USWNT have seen on the field in the last 25 years, beating the lesser cap experience total from April. Hayes continues to give players their first senior caps, as defender Kennedy Wesley made her USWNT debut. 

It's wasn't quite a test for the USWNT backline in general with a first half that saw zero shot attempts by New Zealand and had three goals by Sears, Macario, and Lavelle.

Lavelle's volley came just a minute before halftime.

It's the ninth loss this year for New Zealand, after suffering two losses against Mexico recently. Despite increased efforts to start the second half, the USWNT extended the lead by four before the hour mark. It was Sears' second goal before completing her hat trick later in the game.

Winger Michelle Cooper connected with Sears on two of her goals against New Zealand. The duo is part of the extended pool of players that Hayes has evaluated over the last year. The elevated performances by the attackers will make coaching choices even more difficult in the build-up to the World Cup. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 8:13 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

USWNT 6-0 New Zealand (FH)

A hat-trick for Emma Sears, a brace by Catarina Macario, and a volley by Rose Lavelle shuts out New Zealand. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 9:53 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Take a bow, Emma Sears

Emma Sears completes her hat-trick. The USWNT with a dangerous free kick that plays over New Zealand's wall, with the ball toward the far post. The ball deflects, and Sears is inside the box to score her third goal of the night. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 9:39 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Loud cheers for LaBonta

After scoring a fifth goal, it's a line change for Hayes. LaBonta is in, along with Yazmeen Ryan and Jaedyn Shaw for Cooper, Yohannes, and Macario.

[Oct 29, 2025 at 9:35 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Another goal for Cat Macario!

Surely the substitutions will be made now as Macario scores her second goal and the scoreline is 5-0. Lindsey Heaps with loads of space to move the ball, threads into the box to Macario. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 9:33 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Chants for Lo'eau LaBonta

With the game at CKKC Stadium, there's been constant cheers for Kansas City Current captain Lo'eau LaBonta. Over the last five minutes or so, they've increased in unison. LaBonta is warming up on the sideline and coach Emma Hayes has acknowledged he crowd in a mutual applause. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 9:24 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

EMMA SEARS SCORES AGAIN!

A quick response by the Stars and Stripes after a dangerous corner attempt by New Zealand. The ball is cleared, and Cooper gets on the end of the ball out wide once again. She gets the ball end line, and Sears is in the box to capitalize on a bobble by the goalkeeper. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 9:22 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

SAVE Claudia Dickey! 

The goalkeeper comes up with a big stop off a set piece. New Zealand is already off to a better start this half, their best attempt off of, no surprise, a corner kick. The USNWT has struggled with set-piece defending, conceding two goals to Portland last week. Dickey's save keeps the clean sheet for now. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 9:18 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Two changes for the half

Lindsey Heaps and Sam Coffey into the game for the USWNT. Evening is over for Claire Hutton and Rose Lavelle. Hutton, a member of Kansas City Current, has shown good chemistry with Yohannes over the last two games. Lavelle passes over the armband to Heaps after scoring a goal tonight. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 8:56 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

CAPTAIN ROSE LAVELLE SCORES!

Donning the captain's armband tonight as the most experienced player on the pitch, Rose Lavelle makes it 3-0 before halftime. The USWNT is just not allowing New Zealand to get any traction out of their own half, and it's Emily Sams again with the extra effort to pop the ball over to Lavelle for a half volley.

[Oct 29, 2025 at 8:44 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

GOAL CATARINA MACARIO!

The go-ahead goal comes in the 35th minute! Centerback Emily Sams with the effort to retain possession after a short corner is played by the USWNT. She lobs the ball back into the box after hustling after it, and after a slight deflection lands to Macario, who slots it away.

[Oct 29, 2025 at 8:39 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Emma Sears taking shots

The Racing Louisville FC forward is making an impact in the final third. She's making smart runs, committing to overloads, and leading the team in shots (three) through a half hour and has the lone goal. So far. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 8:34 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

CHANCE USWNT!

Cooper is having herself a day out there. Call it growth or familiarity in her club stadium, she is taking every bit of space being given to her. She very nearly connects with Sears again as the duo keep finding each other. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 8:20 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

GOAL EMMA SEARS!

Well, it might not have been as quick a start as the last two games, but it's still an opening goal in the first ten minutes of the game! Lily Tohannes generates the attack with a crafty flick, and Michelle Cooper has been very active in the early minutes. Her efforts pay off as she tekkers down the wide channels and whips the ball across the box to a darting Emma Sears. 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 8:18 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Another young lineup

It's no secret at this point in the year that experimentation and youth rotation have been a constant. Hayes has been true to her vision about using the early buildup to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup as an opportunity for her and the staff to get more looks at the player pool. Tonight's lineup is the least capped lineup in 25 years (a similar trend that was set in April), and it's taking the less experienced lineup a bit to get going here.

[Oct 29, 2025 at 7:55 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Game Prediction 

The game is just minutes away, so let's have some fun with a little prediction!

If part of the USWNT's current strength is the ability to respond and adjust when needed, it might be a long day for New Zealand on Wednesday. Look for more player rotations and efforts to close out the window on a strong note. Pick: USA 2, New Zealand 0 

[Oct 29, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Players try to leave an impression

Another chance for players to force difficult decisions on USWNT manager Emma Hayes. It's 13 months till the squad enters World Cup qualifiers, and time is expiring on player evaluations. With a penultimate game against New Zealand before the final window of the year, players will have to make their mark on the game, as well as on Hayes and the technical staff. 

Despite the opening loss, the response was already immediate, whether it was from younger players or 2024 Olympic gold medalist Sam Coffey.

"I think it's like such a credit to our younger players, because that's such a hard position to be in coming off of an uncharacteristic loss that was way below our standard, to come out and to take the lessons in two days time and to reapply it in a way where we come back and can beat them, 3-1," Coffey said on Sunday. 

"[Portugal's] a really good team, and there is not a lot of [USWNT] experience on the field, [and] I think they did an amazing job. So, I'm super proud of the girls."

There will be games and training camps for more difficult roster decisions, but it's not far-fetched to anticipate a more specific pool of players moving forward. Hayes has been vocal about this period being a time of narrowing the roster selections, especially with 2026 being a year with potential reintegration of other 2024 Olympic gold medalists not in camp due to injury or on maternity leave. As others return, others may rotate out, especially if not within the U-23 specific age group.

[Oct 29, 2025 at 7:15 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Rust is kicked off for now

No matter who finds themselves in and out of training camps, the program is practicing patience and eventual execution within its principles. If the opening loss to Portugal was an example of time away and combined experience, then the follow-up win was the exact response the group needed in quick succession. It serves as another example of how, even with fewer capped players, the messaging, principles, and coaching are reaching across the roster. 

"Let's start with the fact that 10 players have 100 caps [collectively]. Emily Sonnett has 111. So, when you're looking at experience amongst 10 players, there's not a lot there. And I knew that there would come situations that show some of the dynamic qualities they have as less experienced players," Hayes said.

"I thought positionally, attacking-wise, we were much, much better in all phases of the field. I think it's a good lesson. The goal we conceded was an exact moment of not jumping out in the wrong moment. Didn't quite get a detail right. And as we keep telling the players at the highest level, those details matter. So, I have a coaching opportunity in and around the goal, but it's all of it leading up to that. But I thought we responded well from that, kept playing, kept showing our principles, showed the control element that I felt was lacking in the last game, and it was overall a much better performance."

A key adjustment was making sure that one loss didn't define a team. Hayes joked with reporters in the post-game, "How are you when you've had a month off over the Christmas break?" 

"I think we've never had a 113-day break between international games, and for us, it just felt like we just couldn't get rhythm going. So, what I did is return the team to basics, and those basics look like small pictures, high volume repetitions, creating connections between them, so that we were coming out the session with hundreds of passes between us. So, we got used to the distances, we got used to the relationships, all of those really little things.

"I think that's why the performance looked like that, because [it] just reminded us of our play again. Each player had to go from their club to like, 'Oh, alright, these are our principles.' It just took us a bit of time, but it's not a disaster."

[Oct 29, 2025 at 7:08 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Here's who Emma Hayes is starting for the final game:

USWNT Starting XI: 18-Claudia Dickey; 4-Jordyn Bugg, 6-Emily Sams, 7-Lily Yohannes, 12-Michelle Cooper, 15-Claire Hutton, 16-Rose Lavelle (Capt.), 19-Emma Sears, 20-Catarina Macario, 25-Lilly Reale, 26-Kennedy Wesley

Available Subs: 24-Phallon Tullis-Joyce, 2-Eva Gaetino, 5-Tara McKeown, 8-Jaedyn Shaw; 9-Ally Sentnor, 10-Lindsey Heaps, 11-Lo'eau LaBonta, 13-Olivia Moultrie, 14-Emily Sonnett, 17-Sam Coffey, 22-Yazmeen Ryan, 23-Emily Fox

Not dressing: Mandy McGlynn, Avery Patterson, Alyssa Thompson

Head coach: Emma Hayes

[Oct 29, 2025 at 6:55 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

New opponent and a chance to change things up

While the USWNT settled for a series split against Portugal, they'll now face non-European opposition. New Zealand are on top of the Oceania Football Confederation, but their record against the USWNT has gaps. Wednesday's match will be the 22nd game between the teams, and the USWNT lead the all-time series (19W-1L-1D) with a lone loss in 1987 -- the first game ever between the two sides.

The most recent meetings occurred in Jan. 2023, as part of 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup prep, when the USWNT visited New Zealand before the global tournament. The Stars and Stripes dominated the Football Ferns over two games, a 4-0 win in Wellington and a 5-0 victory in Auckland.

The two national teams also have a history of playing each other during the Olympic Games in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020, where the United States were victorious. Rose Lavelle is the only player on the current roster who participated in the 2023 friendlies, and now there is a different USWNT head coach and roster preparing for New Zealand in 2025. Having two games against Portugal, and one of them being a bounce-back game, is helpful, according to Emma Hayes. 

"I always say when you're the losing team, sometimes it's a lot easier when you win and you dominate the first game, then the opponent adapts to things, and sometimes it can be harder the second game," Hayes said after the Portugal win. "But I think we took the learnings. We had a lot of small group meetings. I really have to do a lot of work tactically with the team. They love it, the players, because they keep learning about all of the little details you need at the highest level. And I think the difference is the application of that learning."

[Oct 29, 2025 at 6:45 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

How to watch USWNT

• Date: Wednesday, Oct. 29 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Location: CPKC Stadium -- Kansas City, Mo.
• TV: TNT and TruTV
• Live stream: HBO Max
  

[Oct 29, 2025 at 6:15 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Welcome to USWNT vs. New Zealand

Hello and welcome to our live blog of USWNT vs. New Zealand! I'm Sandra Herrera, and I'll be with you providing updates and live analysis of tonight's game.