USWNT Rolls Past Paraguay

The United States Women’s National Team took the field against Paraguay at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California today, beating them 6-0.

The game included several new faces on the USA side.

Reilyn Turner and Trinity Rodman started at the front, while Ally Sentnor, Olivia Moultrie, Lo’eau LaBonta, and Claire Hutton took the midfield. The defensive line was made up of Kennedy Wesley, Tara Rudd, Gisele Thompson, and Izzy Rodriguez. Mandy McGlynn earned her 5th cap as goalkeeper. 

This was the least-capped starting lineup, averaging 9.6 caps, for the USWNT in 25 years. Turner, Sally Menti, and Maddie Dahlien earned their first caps today.

So Many Goals

The Americans created several chances in the first half, but nothing came to fruition until Turner, assisted by fellow Portland Thorns teammate Moultrie, slotted in her debut goal at an angle during stoppage time. Turner is the 25th player in USWNT history to score in her international debut. 

The first half ended with nine shots by the U.S., with only two on target.

Croix Bethune replaced Turner to start the second half. Paraguay also subbed out their goalkeeper at the half. Momentum picked up tremendously in the second half. Sentnor scored a goal in the opening two minutes, and then it was off to the races. Just a few minutes later, Bethune’s pressure in the box forced an own goal for Paraguay.

Later on, Rodman received the ball (assisted by Rudd) in the box and slipped it past Paraguay’s keeper into the right corner of the net. 

The score increased to 5-0 after Thompson passed the ball up from the halfway line to Sentnor, who received it in the box after running past her defender and effortlessly kicking it past the goalie.

Hayes made the rest of her available substitutions at the 63rd minute: Hal Hershfelt (Rudd), Menti (LaBonta), Emily Sams (Rodman), Dahlien (Rodriguez), Emma Sears (Wesley).

The last goal of the day was provided by Sears in the 73rd minute. 

Leadership Roles

Not only did Rodman score in her return, she also captained the team. Her 48th cap is only her second appearance since winning Olympic gold in 2024, yet she is the highest-capped player on the camp’s roster.

When asked by The Blazing Musket how her veteran presence has impacted the rest of the players, Hayes said she told Rodman at the beginning of camp that she would be captain.

“One of the things I’ve spoken to her about is when there is an absence of so many caps and so much leadership here, how are we transferring those values and those customs around our culture so that [we] can steer everybody in the direction that we want,” Hayes said.

Claire Hutton (who was handed the captain’s armband after Rodman subbed out) and Emily Sams were also given leadership responsibilities. 

Team Chemistry and Performance

Hayes is aware that the lack of experience in the current group may not immediately translate to good chemistry on the field. 

“Sometimes I think it will look clunky,” she said before the game. “I think there might be moments that they're so keen to prove because there's limited opportunities.”

This window will be primarily used to assess the player’s skills to then identify the core group that will be named to future rosters, namely for World Cup qualifying at the end of the year, as well as the SheBelieves Cup in March. 

Following the game, the coach said that while her team held 70% of the possession throughout the game, they fell short when it came to execution in the final third. The players took a total of 19 shots, eight being on goal. 

Christen Press Retirement Ceremony

The day doubled as a celebration of Christen Press and her contribution to the game as fans received CP23 bobbleheads when entering the venue. The Los Angeles native was honored in a pre-game retirement ceremony, joined by her sister and father, as well as wife Tobin Heath (and pet dog Bob). Press announced her retirement late last year and ended her national team career with 155 caps and 64 goals. 

“A moment like this gives you sort of the opportunity to process and integrate the reality of, ‘I'm no longer a human doing. I'm a human being,” she said before the ceremony. 

Though Press has enjoyed her time off from the sport, there are a multitude of details from being a professional soccer player that she mourns.

“I'm going to miss that I could do something so well that I felt like no one else could do,” she said. “It feels like a disservice to not do something you're really, really good at.”

The USWNT will face Chile on Tuesday, Jan. 27 in Santa Barbara, California.