I’ve gone back and forth on whether I would do a write up for the USWNT’s January friendlies against Paraguay and Chile. Overall I’m not sure if there are many meaningful takeaways from either match. The camp roster was composed entirely of players that just started pre-season with their clubs and largely of players that are more likely to be future prospects. Considering the notable absences from the roster due to these games taking place during an unofficial FIFA window, it just doesn’t feel like there’s much to glean here other than that Head Coach Emma Hayes’s commitment to fleshing out the USWNT player pool has paid off. Essentially, the USWNT B/C teams put a total of 11 goals past Paraguay and Chile while keeping a squeaky clean sheet across both matches.
That’s really the long and short of it. The big picture. Qualifiers for the World Cup in 2027 will take place later this year. Many of the players in attendance at this camp will not be on those squads. However, in the event of injury, illness, or life circumstance, USWNT fans can feel confident in the players waiting in the wings for their time to shine; even as far as a couple of strings deep.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 6) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 4), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC; 0)
DEFENDERS (8): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 5/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 9/1), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current; 1/1), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit; 9/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 7/0), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 4/0), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 2/0), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit; 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit; 5/0), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit; 3/0), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 11/1), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; 0/0), Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current; 4/0), Sally Menti (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign FC; 2/0), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 11/5)
FORWARDS (7): Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC; 1/0), Trinity Rodman (Unattached; 47/11), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 15/2), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 12/4), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 13/4), Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0)
Unfortunately, Houston Dash outside back Avery Patterson had to leave camp before either game started due to illness. Expansion side Denver Summit’s Ayo Oke took her place.
I won’t get too into the nuts and bolts of these games. They were both onslaughts against the opposing sides (to Paraguay’s credit, they defended their box with their lives and held the US off for 48 minutes; unfortunately, Chile never even touched the US’s box). Instead, I’m just going to provide a list of the things we love to see from camp:
Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns) scoring a goal on her debut.
Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current) scoring from inside the box.. twice!
Gisele Thompson (Angel City) assisting Sentnor’s second goal.
Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit) scoring in her first game with the US since April, 2025.
Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current) just being so good at football.
Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current) continuing to be recognized within the USWNT player pool.
Significant minutes for both Hal Hershfelt and Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit).
Emily Sams (Angel City) captaining the team against Chile and scoring a goal.
Besides minimal content, a couple of other things contributed to my waffling on whether I would even write this post. It’s been a bit soccer lite November. Time zones make watching the WSL and the UWCL challenging. The writing muscles are a little stiff.
It also didn’t help that the same day that we were to drive down to Carson for the US match against Paraguay, ICE murdered Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis, just a couple of weeks after they had murdered Renee Good in her vehicle. It felt a little bit absurd to go and enjoy a sporting event, let alone cheer on the US.
Unfortunately, there was no acknowledgement of the incident or action from the players. In a press conference Hayes stated that current events had not come up in camp. While it’s not necessarily surprising considering the inexperience, and literal youth, of the group. Additionally, the Head Coach is probably in the country by way of some sort of work visa. Despite the perhaps logical reasons for not saying anything, it was still a little bit disappointing considering the history and inherent political nature of the USWNT.
The match on Saturday January 24th was in honor of Christen Press’s retirement; a player known for her goal-scoring, but also her extensive role in fighting for equal pay. The team’s silence in this current climate felt a bit awkward, while celebrating such a vocal leader for justice and equity. I don’t necessarily blame them for anything or hold anything against them. I still support this team. The day was just so dark and the experience of the game was just so dissonant. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
In honor of Press, I think she had some wise words following her celebration. In the spirit of fighting for a brighter future:
The fun we had. The history we made. The movement that carried us forward. A chapter filled with joy, purpose, and the power of collective belief.
Representing the United States was the honor of a lifetime. And still, I hold the truth that love of country also means demanding it to do better. Yesterday, we lost another freedom fighter in Minneapolis.
Let us grieve. Let us remember. And let us commit together to using our voices, our platforms, and our humanity to build a country that lives up to its highest ideals.
**Images from USWNT