Triple Espresso Is Back. So Is the Clock.
- Jason Longshore
- May 27
- 4 min read
The last time Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson shared a field in USWNT colors, they were lifting a gold medal in Paris. That was August 10, 2024. Nearly 22 months later, the trio famously nicknamed Triple Espresso will finally reconvene on the roster for the U.S. Women's National Team's two-match trip to Brazil on June 6 and June 9.
The press release reads like a celebration, and it is. But when Hayes spoke on Wednesday, the weight of what comes next was unmistakable.
"We cannot waste a single minute," she said. "We absolutely have to put the very best players together with every opportunity that we have."
Wilson has already made her return, coming back in the April window after the birth of her daughter last September. The 25-year-old has four NWSL goals since rejoining Portland's lineup and looks every bit herself, though she is still searching for her first international goal since the Olympic semifinal win over Germany. Swanson is a different calculation. If she takes the field on June 6 in São Paulo, it will mark 604 days between national team appearances, 665 since the gold medal game itself. She has played in two matches with the Chicago Stars this season but Hayes was measured in her expectations, suggesting Swanson could realistically play "at least 45 minutes, maybe longer in both games."
The tactical catch-up is part of the conversation too. Hayes spoke about needing to "recreate connections" and described a process of drip-feeding information rather than overwhelming a returning player on day one. Swanson will need to relearn the language and refresh the game model. But Hayes was also clear that patience has limits. "Those three players, they've developed credit in the bank. We won a gold medal with these players." The three of them combined for 10 goals and five assists at the 2024 Olympics. The expectation is not rebuilding from zero. It is pressing play.
Georgia on the Rise
While the spotlight falls on the Triple Espresso, two of the most compelling stories on this roster have Georgia roots. Midfielder Croix Bethune of the Kansas City Current and midfielder Riley Jackson of the North Carolina Courage both return on the strength of strong early-season performances, and both offer something specific that Hayes values in ways her press conference made plain.
For Bethune, now on her seventh cap, the case centers on a particular skill that Hayes described almost like a superpower. "The number of through balls into the box for Croix is a standout quality," Hayes said. "Her ability to find a pass inside the penalty area is a standout stat." In a front line that includes three elite forwards who demand service in dangerous areas, that trait is not incidental. Hayes also confirmed she is managing Rose Lavelle's minutes carefully, and having another true 10 who can shoulder that creative load matters. Bethune won the spot over Ashley Sanchez, and Hayes was candid that it was not a wide margin. What that means is the door remains open but is not swinging freely. Hayes wants Bethune's recent form sustained across a full season, not just a productive stretch at the end of one.
Hayes did not hedge when projecting Jackson's trajectory. "Is she a player that I see on the roster for 2028 and 2031? One hundred percent." With just one senior cap, the North Carolina Courage midfielder is already being mapped onto World Cup cycles that are years away, and that kind of language from Hayes carries weight because she pairs it with action. Jackson is not being sent to Brazil to watch and learn. She is there because Hayes had a specific need at the six and went straight to her to fill it.
The present case is just as direct as the future one. Hayes laid out exactly what she requires from a holding midfielder: someone who can receive the ball with her back to goal under pressure and immediately build out of it. "Your number six must be able to do that," Hayes said. "She can do that." Jackson also checks the other boxes, winning the ball back defensively, redistributing quickly, and opening the field with switches of play. The football IQ, Hayes noted, is "really, really high even for her tender age." She already knows the USWNT language and playing style from her time in the under-23 environment, which means the learning curve in Brazil is shorter than her one cap might suggest. Hayes is not asking Jackson to grow into this roster. She is asking her to contribute to it now.
The Pressure Cooker
None of this happens in a comfortable setting. The U.S. Women's National Team has played the majority of their matches on home soil over the course of their history, and Hayes knows the implications. "Being travel-ready is something we don't get a lot of opportunity to do," she said. Brazil is a chance to get a different experience for this group.
The U.S. is just 2-2-2 all-time when playing in Brazil across six total meetings, the most recent of which came in 2014. Hayes described what facing Brazil on the ball actually looks like in practice. "On average, you get about three passes before there's a defensive action against Brazil." They will follow runners in 1v1 situations all over the pitch. They will be physical and aggressive. And they have, in Hayes' estimation, a squad at the highest level it has reached in several years.
The matches will be played at two venues that will host games at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup: Neo Química Arena in São Paulo on June 6 and Arena Castelão in Fortaleza on June 9. These are not friendly grounds or neutral sites. They are previews, deliberate ones.
This is one of only two remaining camps before the Concacaf W Championship qualifying window in the fall. Hayes has been explicit that she is honing in on the group of players she wants in contention for that November roster. Brazil, in Brazil, with all of its noise and its atmosphere and its relentless defensive pressure, is not incidental to that preparation. It is the point.
Triple Espresso is back. But the real work is just beginning.
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