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鈥淏ig night,鈥� said Naomi Girma, Sauerbrunn鈥檚 successor as the anchor of the back line.

There was plenty more to celebrate as the U.S. women dominated Jamaica with a 4-0 win before a crowd of 17,689 at Energizer Park that was emphatic in pretty much every way. Jamaica rarely crossed into U.S. territory, never really threatened to score. If you wanted to quibble, you could say maybe the U.S. should have scored more goals, but that was a small one on this occasion. The U.S. outshot Jamaica 23-2, and neither of Jamaica鈥檚 two shots were on goal.

And what better way to salute Sauerbrunn, who was presented with a framed jersey with the number 219 on it, reflecting the number of games she played with the national team, than to post a shutout?

鈥淲hat a legend, what an icon,鈥� said defender Kerry Abello, who made her first national team appearance in the game. 鈥淭he game of women鈥檚 soccer will never be the same without her, and she鈥檚 left an unrivaled footprint. I hope to follow in her footsteps and follow the example that she set.鈥�

鈥淪he is someone who doesn鈥檛 want to be celebrated but deserves to be celebrated more than anybody,鈥� said Lynn Biyendolo, who scored two goals. 鈥淔or us to be able to send her off like this, it鈥檚 special for her, which in turn makes it special for us.鈥�

Birthday cake aside, the U.S. team, even without many of its top players 鈥� this was the second-least experienced U.S. team, in terms of caps, in the past 24 years 鈥� saw players make solid cases for themselves. In the international calendar for the women鈥檚 game, a year like 2025, a year right after the summer Olympics, is a rebuilding and experimenting time in the sport. The next women鈥檚 World Cup isn鈥檛 until 2027, the next Olympics in 2028, so it鈥檚 a chance for coaches to look at new players and see how they fit into the scheme of things.

On Tuesday, 21-year-old Ally Sentnor scored twice, giving her four goals in seven games this season to show she can be a valuable addition to the team鈥檚 scoring depth, and Biyendolo鈥檚 two goals off the bench showed that at 32 she鈥檚 still a player who can provide a boost in a reserve role. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who had as easy a night as she鈥檒l likely ever have, not having to make a save, posted her third shutout in as many starts this season and took a step toward being the successor to the retired Alyssa Naeher in goal.

鈥淲e talk about these things called 鈥楥hampagne moments鈥� in our locker room,鈥� said U.S. coach Emma Hayes, 鈥渨hich is no matter the result, you always want to have a moment where you go into every game improving or adding to something. So we really wanted to be ruthless in the final third. I don鈥檛 think we started out like that, but I think we ended like that. And I think that鈥檚 a work in progress, being able to see everything that we want to see. But I do feel like there is so much more to us than there was 12 months ago, and that鈥檚 how you have to look at progress. So see what Ally Sentnor, unbelievable finisher, Lynn Biyendolo, come into a game and close it out like really, really good for us to have both those options.鈥�

The U.S. has an exciting and productive set of forwards in Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson, the so-called Triple Espresso, though none of them are in this camp for various reasons. Sentnor, 21, is one of the players giving Hayes depth at that position and the pool of players to turn to when injuries happen. Sentnor has four goals this season, the most on the team. She made her debut with the national team last November; this was her ninth appearance overall and her fourth start.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what she does,鈥� said Hayes. 鈥淪he鈥檚 got an ability inside the box that you can鈥檛 teach. She knows where the back of the net is, and if she gets a chance, she takes it. And not only was she in the right positions to do that, but she executed. And at the highest level, you have to execute your one or two chances that you get, and she does that really, really well. So really good. I鈥檓 happy for her because I know she feels that she wants to keep improving her game. She鈥檚 always keen to keep adding things. So I think this performance will give her a lot of confidence.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e really been working on my positioning this camp,鈥� Sentnor said, 鈥渁nd it definitely paid off being in the right spots tonight. It was really a product of my teammates doing their job and me just being able to tap it in at the end.鈥�

Her first goal came in the 19th minute from about 15 yards out, drilled into the left side of the net off a pass from Emily Fox. The second goal was much closer, after a shot by Alyssa Thompson was deflected and came to Sentnor in close, and she put that one away.

鈥淚 just see the goal and I get happy and I get excited,鈥� Sentnor said. 鈥淚 think sometimes I can play a little bit simpler in the box, maybe get a little bit closer, but I just see the goal and I like to shoot.鈥�

Biyendolo came on in the 57th minute, scored in the 60th, and she鈥檚 done it even more quickly at other times.

鈥淪he does it time and time again,鈥� Hayes said, 鈥渁nd when you speak to her about it, she will tell you she knows how to do that role really well. I think it鈥檚 not to be underestimated.鈥�

Hayes said she gave Tullis-Joyce both starts in this window so she would get experience playing with Girma. She said while Tullis-Joyce is in the lead now, she has to bring all of her goalkeeper candidates along.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 fair to say Phallon鈥檚 experience at this moment in time with the current group that I鈥檝e got is ahead,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淚 still want to develop the other goalkeepers so I get a fair sense of where their level in relation to each other but also in relation to 2027. ... I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 just as simple as saying you鈥檙e my number one and developing one. I think it would be foolish of me to do that.鈥�

One thing Hayes was thrilled about was the play of Girma. This and the China game last week were Girma鈥檚 first of the season with the national team as she recovered from a calf injury. The game was Girma鈥檚 first to wear the captain鈥檚 armband from the start.

鈥淣aomi is like getting the Rolls-Royce out of the garage,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淲hat an unbelievable football player, just like a Rolls-Royce is an unbelievable car. She just brings a level of composure and decision making in the deepest spaces that鈥檚 so underrated. I thought she communicated well as the leader tonight, and that was important to the team, that we communicated well and she led by example in that. And we can put her back in the garage for a couple of weeks.鈥�