There are only so many opportunities at the highest international level, therefore, they must be seized. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo took full advantage of their chances, each notching a brace in the U.S. Women’s National Team’s 4-0 win against Jamaica.
They were the first USWNT players to record a multi-score game this year. It was the first time Sentnor scored two goals as a National Team player. The 21-year-old forward finished her fifth camp and earned her ninth cap after debuting in November 2024. She’s tallied four goals in 2025, a team-high. Her brace Tuesday night added to the two she scored in the SheBelieves Cup in February.
“She’s got an ability inside the box that you can’t teach. She knows where the back of the net is, and if she gets a chance, she takes it,” head coach Emma Hayes said. “Not only is she in the right position to do that, but she executed. At the highest level, you have to execute your one or two chances that you get, and she does that really, really well.”
In conjunction with Hayes giving young players significant exposure at the international level and forwards Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson, and Mallory Swanson sidelined for much of 2025, players like Sentnor have received extended playing time.
Sentnor understands how fleeting these opportunities can be, so she’s trying to make the most of her moments. Her method is to stay present and show Hayes and company what she’s capable of.
“I think [my] confidence goes up and down. It’s hard to stay up [with the senior team] all the time,” Sentnor said. “... I’ve really been working on my positioning this camp, and it definitely paid off being in the right spot tonight.”
Sentnor has done more than find the best position for a payoff. She's also been clinical with her finishing, scoring all her goals for the USWNT from a distance of about 15 yards.
And Sentnor wasn't the only USWNT attacker Tuesday night who found the spot to capitalize. Biyendolosubbed on just before Sentnor headed to the bench, and she picked up right where Sentnor left off, scoring twice in the 60th and 88th minutes. Biyendolo returned to the squad after an injury held her out of contention for the April camp roster, and she made the most of the 33 minutes she played.
However, this is hardly anything new for Biyendolo. In fact, she scored her first-ever goal 49 seconds after she subbed on. No other USWNT player since her debut in 2016 has recorded more than 12 goals as a substitute.
“She does it time and time again. You speak with her about it, she would tell you she knows how to do that role really well,” Hayes said. “I think it’s not to be underestimated. She always contributes to the team’s performance in a profound way.”
It’s become an art form for Biyendolo. She matches her energy to meet the team’s needs, which varies from game to game. In this one, the coaching staff urged finishing strong, unlike the second match against Brazil, where the Americans lost 2-1 on a late stoppage-time goal on April 8.
“I had just missed a goal about five minutes earlier, so I knew I needed to get a makeup goal,” Biyendolo said of her second score against Jamaica. “We have been working on just being ruthless in front of goal. Saying to yourself, ‘I’m gonna score this,’ and I felt like that’s what that run was saying."
Biyendolo played for Hayes on the gold-medal-winning 2024 Paris Olympic team but hasn’t yet been selected for a FIFA Women’s World Cup roster. Hayes and her staff will use the year heading into qualifying matches for the 2027 World Cup to determine if players like the two forwards make the cut.
Until then, Sentnor and Biyendolo plan to keep making the most of their moments.
“I'm really proud of myself, and it's been a dream to be on this team,” Sentnor said. “Being able to produce anything and just be on the field for this team is such an honor, but I'm always working for more, and hopefully, going to be able to do more for this team in the future.”
