US women erase two-goal deficit to tie World Cup champion Spain

CHESTER, Pa.— Spain forward Salma Paralluelo extended her arms wide like airplane wings Tuesday night, much to the dislike of the U.S.

crowd.Five minutes after its first goal, Paralluelo had doubled Spain’s lead on the U.S.women’s national team.

Alexia Putellas had scored the first goal then recorded the assist on the second.It felt like a similar script to the U.S.

women’s national team’s 2-0 loss to Spain just three days prior.But the Americans showed in the second half that they can, in fact, punch back.Sophia Wilson fed Ashley Sanchez, who tucked the ball past Spain’s goalkeeper and into the far corner.Then, in the 86th minute, Mallory Swanson scored her first goal with the national team since the 2024 Olympic gold medal game after having a child.She ran and jumped into Jaelin Howell’s arms to celebrate.“That’s the U.S.’s DNA,” Howell said after the 2-2 draw.

“It’s just grit and fire and never-say-die mentality, and so I think that’s what you saw from everybody today.And proud of the group, but obviously a lot of work to do, too, and everybody knows that continuous climb together, and it’s important.”For the first time in recent memory, and with the FIFA Women’s World Cup just seven months away, the U.S.

isn’t the team to beat.That title belongs to reigning World Cup champion Spain, which has bloomed from an up-and-coming federation to a global powerhouse.This unfamiliar position has forced the U.S.

to confront a new reality in which reclaiming the top spot will require measuring itself against the team that holds it.A pair of exhibition matches against Spain — a 2-0 loss Saturday in Washington then Tuesday’s draw — offered the U.S.a chance to gauge where it stands, expose its weaknesses and see what it will take to challenge for the world title in Brazil next summer.“They’re world class, we’re still in progress,” U.S.

coach Emma Hayes said.“They’re deserving of being world champions.

Our job is to hu...