On the Pitch
On the Pitch
US Soccer Podcast
U.S. Women’s National Team Rolls To 5-0 Win Over Chile In Historic Santa Barbara Match
Croix Bethune, Jameese Joseph, Emily Sams Score First International Goals; Ayo Oke, Riley Jackson Record Assists in Debuts; Emma Sears, Trinity Rodman Add Goals
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Jan. 27, 2026) – It was a night of firsts for the U.S. Women’s National Team as the group, featuring the least capped starting lineup in 25 years, defeated Chile 5-0 in front of a sold-out crowd at Harder Stadium to close out January camp.
The USWNT played a pair of matches at Harder Stadium in 1991 to prepare for the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup, which it would win in China PR, but those games against UC Santa Barbara and a team of West Coast All-Stars were exhibitions.
Back at Harder Stadium 34 years later in the first full USWNT international match on the Central Coast of California, three players – midfielder Croix Bethune, forward Jameese Joseph and defender Emily Sams – scored their first international goals, all in the first half, and three players – Sams along with debutantes Ayo Oke and Riley Jackson – recorded their first international assists.
Tonight’s match also featured a first-time captain in Sams after forward Trinity Rodman and midfielder Claire Hutton took up the captain’s armband for the first time in their international careers on Saturday. The newly minted Angel City FC defender earned her ninth cap fresh off completing 100 percent of her passes in the previous match. She played a full 90 minutes and had a career night, recording two goal contributions and earning Woman of the Match honors.
Head coach Emma Hayes vowed to rotate players following Saturday’s 6-0 win over Paraguay at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., and she sent on an entirely new lineup to face Chile at Harder Stadium. After Saturday’s starting XI averaged 9.6 caps, tonight’s starters averaged even fewer – just 5.2 caps entering the match.
The lineup also featured the first caps for Jackson of the North Carolina Courage and Oke of Denver Summit FC, one of two NWSL expansion clubs scheduled to kick off their inaugural season in 2026. The pair became the 289th and 290th players to earn caps for the U.S. Women’s National Team in the program’s 41-year history and brought the total number of debutantes to five in January camp. Portland Thorns FC’s Reilyn Turner, Seattle Reign midfielder Sally Menti and Seattle Reign forward Maddie Dahlien earned their first caps on Jan. 24 against Paraguay.
The action started quickly for the U.S. in the first minute with a shot from Joseph, who was eager to get on the scoresheet in her first international start. The forward received a weighted ball from forward Emma Sears and took a good first touch to set up an attempt from close range. Chile goalkeeper and California native Ryann Torrero dropped to make the stop and prevent a first-minute goal for the home side.
After the fast start, the U.S. settled into possession and La Roja held a compact shape until the 18th minute when the U.S. broke through. Two players connected to record their first goal contributions as Oke, from the right wing, played a low ball on the spot for Croix Bethune. The midfielder kept her balance to slip a shot past Torrero. The first international goal for Bethune and first assist for Oke gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead.
Eight minutes later, the USWNT doubled its lead. Again, the U.S. found success sending the ball centrally from the right wing. This time, it was forward Yazmeen Ryan, the most capped player in the lineup with 16, feeding a low pass to Joseph, who was posting up inside the box. Joseph made a lovely turn and fired a left-footed shot to score her first international goal in her first start.
The third goal of the night signified another first for a U.S. player. This time, it was Sams, redirecting a firm, low pass inside the box from Sears after the forward worked with Bethune to put the ball into a dangerous area following a recycled corner kick. The goal from Sams in the 33rd minute was the first internationally for tonight's captain. The U.S. went into the halftime break leading 3-0 with all three goals coming from first-time scorers.
Just as the U.S. started the first half fast, the team started the second half fast – and this time, the team converted. The two contributors on the third goal of the night connected once again in reverse. Sams played a long ball over the top to Sears, who had a couple of shots clang off the left post in the first half. The Racing Louisville forward would not be denied again, and her emphatic finish from a tight angle into the upper right corner extended the lead just 27 seconds into the second half.
Hayes made several substitutions in the second half, including the two captains from Saturday’s win over Paraguay, Rodman and Hutton, and one of them scored the fifth goal of the night. The U.S. switched the attack through Jackson in the center of the pitch, and the debutante curled a pass for Rodman. The forward put the ball on her left foot, then fired a shot. As soon as the ball went into the left side netting, the superstar raced toward the sideline. Together with her head coach, Rodman danced to celebrate her goal, gleefully received by the crowd of 14,797 in attendance at Harder Stadium.
The U.S. dominated the match from start to finish, holding 71 percent of the possession and taking 21 shots, 12 on goal. Chile never tested U.S. goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, who earned her seventh cap and start. The U.S. did not allow a single shot from Chile on the way to recording the team's fifth straight clean sheet.
USA – CROIX BETHUNE (AYO OKE), 18th minute: The U.S. worked the ball out of the back to Oke on the right flank. The defender threaded a ball to the feet of Bethune making a run in the middle of the pitch toward goal. With a touch, Bethune carried the ball into the box and kept her balance to draw Torrero off her line. Bethune calmly played a left-footed shot from the penalty spot that skipped past the goalkeeper and into the center of an open net. She then did a dance and struck a pose to celebrate her first international goal. USA 1, CHI 0
USA – JAMEESE JOSEPH (YAZMEEN RYAN), 26th minute: Out of the back, Sams played a pass to Ryan on the right wing. The forward played a pass to Joseph who had a defender on her back inside the 18-yard box. Joseph made a lovely turn to face goal, then fired a beautiful finish from just beyond the penalty spot with her left foot to open her international scoring account. USA 2, CHI 0
USA – EMILY SAMS (EMMA SEARS), 33rd minute: After recycling a corner kick on the left side of the pitch, Croix Bethune led Sears with a diagonal pass. The forward’s strong, low cross traveled into a dangerous, congested area inside the six-yard box. Sams, who was still in the area from the corner kick, put her boot on the cross from close range. The shot left no doubt and flew into the back of the net. USA 3, CHI 0
USA – EMMA SEARS (EMILY SAMS), 46th minute: From her position at right back, Sams drove a ball over the top of Chile’s backline down the right channel for Sears making a run in the U.S. attacking half. The forward turned on the jets, then took an aggressive first touch towards goal. From about seven yards, Sears firmly tucked her right-footed shot into the upper-right corner of the frame, just grazing the bottom of the crossbar, to record her sixth international goal and second in back-to-back matches. USA 4, CHI 0
USA – TRINITY RODMAN (RILEY JACKSON), 68th minute: Jackson switched the ball from the left side of the field to the right and sent an excellent, spinning ball for Rodman waiting just outside the right edge of the box. Rodman took one dribble with her right foot, cut back to her left foot, then delivered a fierce strike about eight yards from goal into the left side netting. USA 5, CHI 0
Tonight’s Starting XI averaged 5.2 caps per player entering the match – the fewest average caps for a starting lineup in 25 years. The least capped Starting XI since 2001 before this afternoon came three days ago in Carson, Calif. against Paraguay with 9.6 average caps per heading into the match. Before that, the lowest average caps per player was against New Zealand on Oct. 29, 2025, with 17.3 caps heading into the match, which is a just bit lower than the April 8, 2025, Starting XI vs. Brazil which averaged 17.9 caps per player.
Ayo Oke and Riley Jackson become the 289th and 290th players to play for the USWNT and they took the pitch as the fourth and fifth debutantes of 2026. They are the 31st and 32nd debuts of Emma Hayes’ USWNT tenure.
Five of the 11 players who started the match are 24 years old, three were 26, and the others were 20, 22 and 23 individually.
With the two first caps given out today by Emma Hayes, she has given 32 players first caps in her first 32 matches, a remarkable number. It also marked five debuts across the first two matches of 2026.
That said, this camp is the final one of 2026 in which Hayes will cast a wide net, with all the rosters from here on likely to be populated mostly more veteran and experienced players.
In the 18th minute, Croix Bethune scored the first goal of the night and the first goal of her international career off the assist from Ayo Oke, the first of her international career as well.
In the 26th minute, Jameese Joseph scored her first international goal in her first start.
In the 33rd minute, first-time captain Emily Sams scored her first international goal.
The last time three U.S. players scored their first international goals in the same match was Oct. 1, 2006, when Leslie Osborne, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe scored vs. Chinese Taipei. The only other match in U.S. history in which three players scored their first career goals was at the Algarve Cup in 2001 vs. Norway (Ally Marquand, Laura Schott and Cat Whitehill).
Riley Jackson earned her first career assist in the 68th minute, passing to Trinity Rodman for Rodman’s 13th international goal.
Goals three and four on the night were Emily Sams off the assist from Emma Sears and then Sears off the assist from Sams.
- U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT -
Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. Chile
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Harder Stadium, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Not dressing: Mandy McGlynn, Izzy Rodriguez, Sally Menti
Head coach: Emma Hayes
Head coach: Luis Mena
Stats Summary: USA / CHI
