Jaedyn Shaw snubbed from USWNT roster: Why Emma Hayes left Gotham star off USA women's squad to face Spain originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Jaedyn Shaw has been one of the best players on the best team in the NWSL this season.
With nine goals and five assists through the 2026 campaign, including four goals in her last five games, Shaw is rounding into form at the perfect time for the NWSL leaders, with the playoffs right around the corner.
With that in mind, it was shocking that USWNT head coach Emma Hayes left the 21-year-old off the roster for two October matches against No. 1-ranked Spain .
The Sporting News brings you Hayes' explanation for leaving the Gotham star off the roster, in her own words, plus some thoughts on potential reasons for Shaw's surprising exclusion.
MORE: 21-year-old rookie Jordynn Dudley fits Gotham FC puzzle brilliantly
According to USWNT head coach Emma Hayes, Jaedyn Shaw was left off the national team roster due to a simple numbers game.
"We're not choosing easy. That's the first thing," Hayes told reporters after the release of the roster. "I've said it many times, we want the hard path. We want these games, this preparation. We welcome [the competition for places], we invite it. It brings the best out of us, and I know our group well enough to know that they are looking forward at least to the Spain games to test ourselves against the very best."
However, the 21-year-old needn't fear for her place in the team, according to Hayes, as she is still a key figure within the squad, claiming that she and Ally Sentnor are "still central to our plans" and that this absence is "part of their prescribed journey" with the national team.
Jaedyn Shaw's absence is a confusing one as the United States women get set to face the No. 1-ranked team in the world twice this October.
With the Women's World Cup less than a year away, Emma Hayes will want to be calling in her best squad to get them precious on-field time together. Having tinkered for nearly the entire 2027 World Cup cycle, she still appears to be testing out new, uncapped talent like Pietra Tordin and Trinity Byars — who, in fairness, have completely earned a call-up, as they have combined for 17 goals and 11 assists in NWSL action this season.
Clearly, Shaw has competition for her place in the national team squad, as Hayes isn't afraid to tap into untested waters to find those in the best form and the best fit for the USWNT roster.
That fit also brings us to another issue for Shaw — how does she slot into the USWNT setup, exactly? Shaw is a supremely talented player, there is no doubt, but she is also a very specific player who can get lost when shoehorned into a role she isn't comfortable with. She's not quite a No. 9, but also not really a true winger, and also not exactly a traditional No. 10. She has excelled this season at Gotham partnering with Sam Kerr up front, able to roam at will by dropping into pockets of space behind her strike partner, or drifting out wide to take on defenders one-on-one.
Without that freedom and leeway to play off her teammates, 90 minutes can tick by without Shaw having much influence on a match. For that reason, Hayes may not feel beholden to calling her up every single camp, even against a strong opponent, if there are challengers for places in the attack.
This may be a signal to Shaw that she must prove she can do the role the USWNT requires of her, not just thrive in a specific club environment tailored to get the best out of her abilities.
| Pos |
Name |
Club |
Caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK |
Claudia Dickey |
Seattle Reign |
11 |
| GK |
Jordan Silkowitz |
Bay FC |
0 |
| GK |
Phallon Tullis-Joyce |
Man United (ENG) |
7 |
| DEF |
Gotham FC |
70 |
|
| DEF |
Arsenal (ENG) |
78 |
|
| DEF |
Chelsea (ENG) |
54 |
|
| DEF |
Avery Patterson |
Houston Dash |
14 |
| DEF |
Lilly Reale |
Boston Legacy |
9 |
| DEF |
Tara Rudd |
Washington Spirit |
12 |
| DEF |
Gisele Thompson |
Angel City FC |
11 |
| DEF |
Kennedy Wesley |
San Diego Wave |
7 |
| MID |
Man City (ENG) |
46 |
|
| MID |
Denver Summit |
178 |
|
| MID |
Claire Hutton |
Bay FC |
20 |
| MID |
Gotham FC |
122 |
|
| MID |
Evelyn Shores |
Angel City FC |
0 |
| MID |
Chicago Stars |
103 |
|
| MID |
Lyon (FRA) |
20 |
|
| FWD |
Trinity Byars |
San Diego Wave |
0 |
| FWD |
Michelle Cooper |
KC Current |
14 |
| FWD |
Washington Spirit |
57 |
|
| FWD |
Emma Sears |
Racing Louisville |
21 |
| FWD |
NC Courage |
28 |
|
| FWD |
Pietra Tordin |
Portland Thorns |
0 |
| FWD |
Chelsea (ENG) |
32 |
|
| FWD |
Portland Thorns |
63 |
