Emma Hayes took a risk by starting Sam Coffey against Australia on Wednesday. Early on, it became clear that it didn’t pay off.
The U.S. women’s national team coach made just one change — an injury-enforced swap of Emily Sonnett for Tierna Davidson — from the side that started each of the team’s first two Olympic matches.
The USWNT won both of those games, clinching advancement to the quarterfinal before Wednesday’s group-stage finale against Australia.
That meant Hayes could have rested some of her players — particularly Trinity Rodman and Coffey, who entered the match one yellow card away from a suspension.
Her decision to start Coffey was not made to look wise just four minutes in against the Matildas, as the midfielder was shown a yellow card after she stood on Katrina Gorry’s leg when going into a tackle.
Coffey was also yellow carded in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Germany. That meant the Portland Thorns star will be suspended for the team’s quarterfinal with two yellow cards in the group stage.
Her absence could be a potentially major blow for a USWNT side that has come to rely on her as the holding midfielder.
In Coffey’s place, Hayes could opt to start Korbin Albert as a like-for-like replacement. Sonnett could also be an option to move into a holding midfield spot if Davidson is recovered in time for the quarterfinal.
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