FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2025) – In the final match of the year and 30th for Emma Hayes as head coach, the U.S. Women’s National Team closed out the 2025 calendar year with an exciting 2-0 win over UEFA Women’s Euro semifinalist Italy behind first-half goals from forwards Catarina Macario and Jaedyn Shaw and the third straight clean sheet for goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. 

The victory concludes 2025 for the USWNT, which finishes the year with a 12W-0D-3L record, a 41-8 goal differential and a remarkable 43 players earning their first caps, the most in a calendar year since 2001.

The win is the second straight shutout for the U.S. over 12th-ranked Italy. Hayes made five changes to the starting XI from the first match on Nov. 28 and once again started a more veteran group compared to many of the matches this year. Tonight, Lindsey Heaps captained the side and earned her 170th cap. She anchored the midfield with OL Lyonnes teammate Lily Yohannes, who was one of three teenagers – along with 19-year-olds Claire Hutton and Jordyn Bugg – to start the match.

Defender Kate Wiesner earned her first start for the USWNT. The 24-year-old debuted on Friday in the USA’s 3-0 win over Italy after coming into camp from the NWSL playoffs where she and the Washington Spirit made it to the championship.

Dickey featured in the starting XI for the fourth consecutive match after recording back-to-back shutouts against New Zealand and Italy.

With her feet, Dickey created the first exciting moment of the match in the seventh minute. The goalkeeper served a long ball over the top for striker Macario. The team’s leading goal scorer on the year deftly brought the ball down with her left thigh and carried the ball on a sprint. With the 1v1 opportunity to slide a shot past Italy goalkeeper Francesca Durante, Macario’s left-footed shot toward the right side of the goal rolled just wide of frame.

Macario didn’t miss her next attempt as the striker opened the scoring in the 20th minute. From the midfield line, Yohannes played a ball perfectly into space for Macario on the right side of the pitch. Macario took one dribble and located her target, chipping a right-footed shot expertly over the outstretched glove of Italy’s goalkeeper and into the left side netting for a sublime finish. 

The goal extended Macario’s total to eight on the year, which was tops on the team, and 16 in her 29 caps. The Chelsea FC attacker has now scored in three consecutive matches for the USWNT. Yohannes was credited with the assist on Macario’s goal, the second of the 18-year-old’s young international career. Both of Yohannes’ career assists have led to Macario goals. 

In the 41st minute, the U.S. doubled its lead. The engine on the play was winger Alyssa Thompson, who progressed the Americans’ attack out of the back using her speed. After receiving the ball back from Macario, Thompson located Shaw on the left side of the pitch and played a perfectly-weighted through ball. Shaw took it from there, beating her defender 1v1 with a swift cut back towards the center before sending a confident strike into the upper right side of the net for her ninth international goal and first of the year.

Minutes later, Dickey was called into action. Italy forward Alice Corelli created space for a right-footed shot on target – their only on-target shot of the night – from just beyond the top of the 18-yard box. Dickey dove to her right to make the stop and record her first save of the night to preserve the first-half clean sheet that she would ultimately carry through the final whistle.

The scoreline could’ve been much higher as the U.S. had attempts hit the crossbar in both halves, Hutton on a wicked strike in the first and Heaps in the second. Macario also appeared to score the rebound on a Heaps header, which would’ve secured a Macario brace for the third straight match, but the goal was mysteriously waived away by the official.

Monday’s match concluded 2025 for the USWNT. The team returns to action for January training camp in Southern California. The camp will run from Jan. 17-24 and feature two international matches on Jan. 24 against Paraguay at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. and a second on Jan. 27 against an opponent and at a venue that will be announced soon. 

At halftime, longtime captain of the U.S. Deaf Women’s National Team Kate Ward was honored with the Social Impact Award, which recognizes athletes for their off-the-field contributions that harness the transformative power of soccer to positively impact lives and communities. Ward has been a key member of a U.S. Deaf WNT program that has not lost a game in the team’s 20 years and has won three DIFA World Deaf Football Championships (2012, 2016, 2023) and four Deaflympics (2005, 2009, 2013, 2022). Along with her performance on the pitch, Ward has served as a Soccer Forward Ambassador and a full-time college soccer coach.