MURCIA, Spain (April 10, 2026) – The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team drew the Netherlands, 1-1, in the first of three matches in Spain for the U.S. Soccer’s oldest Youth National Team.
The Dutch scored against the run of play in the 83rd minute, but the U.S. response was impressive, tying the game four minutes later.
The USA had most of the dangerous chances in the fast, physical and intense encounter and it was twin sisters who combined for the tying goal. Hope and Faith Leyba, who play for the University of Colorado, both entered the game in the second half, Hope in the 70th and Faith in the 83rd.
The goal came off a service from the left wing from team captain Riley Jackson, oddly, after a drop ball from the referee following a Netherlands injury which left them with 10 players on the field at the time of the goal. Hope Leyba chased the service and dove to nod a header into the middle of the goal mouth for Faith to finish from six yards out to tie the game.
The USA’s starting 11, captained from North Carolina Courage midfielder Riley Jackson, was made up entirely of NWSL players.
The USA will now face the Denmark U-23 WNT on April 13. If the USA wins that game, on April 16 it will play the winner of a France-Scotland U-23 match. If the USA loses to Denmark, it will play the loser of France-Denmark, also on April 16. The final two matches will be played in the smaller town of San Pedro del Pinatar.
Due to a common agreement with European teams, the countries will be allowed to have up to five “overage” players on their rosters for these matches, all born within a certain number of years before the age-eligible players, which this year are players born on or after Jan. 1, 2003. The majority of players on this U.S. roster were born in 2003 and 2004, but the USA’s “overage” players are Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz (2000), midfielder Taylor Huff (Bay FC), and forward Riley Tiernan (Angel City FC), both of whom were born in 2002 and technically aged out of the U-23s this year.
-U.S. UNDER-23 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Under-23 Women’s National Team vs. Netherlands U-23 WNT
Date: April 10, 2026
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Estadio Enrique Roca; Murcia, Spain
Attendance: 50
Weather: 81 degrees, sunny
| Scoring Summary |
1 |
2 |
F |
| USA |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| NED |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| NED – Eva Oude Elberink | 83rd minute |
| USA – Faith Leyba (Hope Leyba) | 87 |
Lineups:
USA: 1-Jordan Silkowitz; 2-Ayo Oke (24-Faith Leyba, 83), 3-Evelyn Shores, 4-Jayden Perry, 5-Leah Klenke; 6-Riley Jackson (Capt.), 8-Ally Lemos (7-Simone Jackson, 83), 10-Taylor Huff (22-Hope Leyba, 70); 11-Riley Tiernan (17-Kat Rader, 59), 15-Sarah Weber (9-Pietra Tordin, 70), 16-Sarah Schupansky (14-Yuna McCormack, 46)
Substitutes Not Used: 12-Neeku Purcell, 13-Andrea Kitahata, 18-Jordynn Dudley, 19-Sierra Sythe, 20-Seven Castain, 21-Sofia Cook, 23-Hailey Baumann
Head Coach: Heather Dyche
NED: 1-Febe Copier; 2-Anissa Chiban (15-Ilse Kemper, 59), 3-Maud Rutgers, 4-Fenna Meijer (Capt.), 5-Emma Frijns; 7-Kealyn Thomas (21-Katelyn Hendriks, 46), 8-Danique Noordman, 9-Jet Van Beijeren (17-Fieke Kroese, 46); 10-Jade Van Hensbergen (20-Sophie Van Vught, 59), 11-Eva Oude Elberink (19-Hannah Huizenga, 83), 18-Jasmijn Van Uden
Substitutes Not Used: 16-Brenda Badenhop, 23-Dionne Van Der Wal, 12-Inske Weiman, 13-Mayke Lindner, 14-Karlijn Woons, 22-Zera Hulswit
Head coach: Oliver Amelink
Stats Summary: USA / NED
Shots: 8 / 5
Shots on Goal: 5 / 3
Saves: 2 / 4
Corner Kicks: 6 / 0
Fouls: 4 / 6
| Misconduct Summary |
| NED – Eva Oude Elberink (Caution) | 65th minute |
Officials:
Referee: Maria Planes Terol (ESP)
1st Assistant Referee: Angela Martin Gallardo (ESP)
2nd Assistant Referee: Nuria Sanchez Garcia (ESP)
4th Official: Marina Rodriguez Rivera (ESP)
