On a frigid Thursday night in Houston, Texas, the U.S. women's national team cruised to a 2-0 win over Colombia at Shell Energy Stadium in the first round of matches in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup.

With no major tournament or qualifiers in 2025, and key players missing, few knew what to expect from the USWNT. Some even wondered whether a Colombia side preparing for this summer's 2025 Copa America Feminina could record their first-ever win against the Americans.

Well, in the end, it was business as usual. Cat Macario opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a close range strike. And then, in the second half, Ally Sentnor scored her first-ever USWNT goal by thrashing a long-range shot into the top of the net.

The win maintained Emma Hayes' near-perfect unbeaten record, now 14-0-2, as USA head coach. It also gives the USA the ideal platform to win a sixth consecutive SheBelieves Cup, the friendly tournament celebrating its 10th year.

Fresh Faces

Against Colombia, Hayes opted to give center-back Tara McKeown her debut cap while handing first starts to Sentnor and Lily Yohannes, who were both making their third appearance for the USA. On the wing, Yazmeen Ryan was making just her third-ever start and fifth-ever appearance.

All four emerging players were involved in the goals, either finishing off the move, providing an assist, or contributing a key pass in the build up. It was a huge example of the depth in the USA talent pool.

Two more players, Gisele Thompson and Michelle Cooper, also debuted off the bench in the second half, which capped off a night of fresh faces beginning to stake a claim for more minutes.

The USWNT is at the beginning of a new developmental cycle. More than anything, Hayes stressed how impressed she was with the younger players conquering the moment.

'I know how nervous it can be for some of these players, so I'm so happy to be able to give them the opportunity. Gives me a lot of joy," Hayes said.

"I feel calm about the position we're in, but also extremely excited for the potential. And I think I really enjoy player development."

Midfield Maestro

Sam Coffey
Sam Coffey provided a stable base in midfield | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Recently, one of the USA's major issues has been control and creativity in the midfield. Under both former head coach Vlatko Andonovski and Hayes, the American midfield has consistently struggled to influence games. But against Colombia the combination of Yohannes and Sam Coffey was a winning formula.

Even at 17, Yohannes is wise beyond her years when it comes to scanning space and being able to play forward passes. Her lofted through ball over the Colombia backline was stunning. Coffey was at her hawkish best, swooping around the middle of the pitch and keeping the ball circulating.

Hayes was quick to compliment Yohannes while trying to also limit the amount of pressure and expectation on the teenager's shoulders.

"I don't think there's any doubt that Lily is a midfielder. I think she's a player that is settling into our program, getting a better understanding of things you're asking her to do. It was a confident performance from her," said Hayes.

For Yohannes, the successful midfield was all about finding the space.

"As the game went on, you just find spaces and try to use those spaces to get on the ball as much as possible. I love to get on the ball, said Yohannes.

Sentnor The Sharp Shooter

Despite having just one professional season under her belt, Sentnor has become quite the expert when it comes to long-range shooting for the Utah Royals and the USA.

After all, five of Sentnor's six career professional goals have come from outside of the box. And Thursday night's cracker might just be the best of the bunch from 25 or more yards.

The way Sentnor collected the ball, and was able to maneuver through the pressure and then attack the space was spectacular. Let alone the shot itself, which was easily the moment of the match. She also led the USA in both shots (four) and shots on target (two).

Speaking to the media post-game, Sentnor mentioned how receiving the ball in the build-up and then creating the angle to shoot has been a focus during this week with the USWNT. The belief was palpable.

"I have just been working on staying in that pocket, receiving [the ball] in the middle. There was just a lot of space. So I decided to take it and keep going. And there was an opportunity to shoot, and I just kind of went for it," Sentnor explained.

"The veteran players really are believing in us and telling us every day that we're here for a reason. And Lindsay [Heaps] talked to me before the game, which meant a ton."

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USWNT vs. Colombia Takeaways: Midfield and Fresh Faces Thrive.