By OkayGoal 
The USWNT is set to take on Paraguay in Carson, California, in what is expected to be Emma Hayes’ last rotation of the roster before preparing for the World Cup. A ton of young talent from the USA’s player pool will be on display, but a future Paraguayan star will be as well. Who will get the chance to start? How might the Starting XI look? Let’s take a closer look at the USWNT vs. Paraguay.
USWNT vs. Paraguay, Saturday, January 24th, 5:30pm EST/2:30pm PST, TNT, truTV, Universo, Peacock
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)
Here’s my prediction for the Starting XI:
Claudia Dickey, Avery Patterson, Tara Rudd, Emily Sams, Gisele Thompson, Claire Hutton, Olivia Moultrie, Lo’eau Labonta, Trinity Rodman, Emma Sears, Yazmeen Ryan
I think Jordyn Bugg, Hal Hershfelt, and Ally Sentnor all could break into the Starting XI as well, depending on how Emma Hayes thinks of them in this camp. The one person we don’t have to question is Trinity Rodman’s return.
Reports from camp say Hayes expects Rodman to take on an even bigger leadership role with the USWNT. It’s a big responsibility but a great opportunity for Rodman to take a step up while Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson look to work their way back into the team.
Rodman, Bethune, Rudd, Wiesner, and Hershfelt may also get the chance to see their new teammate in person. The Washington Spirit just signed 18-year-old starlet Claudia Martinez for a top 10 world transfer fee of $950,000. Martinez already has seven goals in six appearances for Paraguay, including a Golden Boot win at Copa America last summer. The Spirit did an incredible job of finding a talent like this, and the timing couldn’t have been better. If you’re a fan of the Spirit or the NWSL as a whole, you’re going to want to tune in to see what Claudia Martinez can do.
As a team, Paraguay is coming off a 5th-place finish in the Copa America, but their recent form hasn’t been strong. They are coming off three consecutive losses in the Copa America Nations League against Argentina, Venezuela, and Uruguay. Martinez is their best player by a wide margin, with Lice Chamorro, the No. 10 for Real Sociedad in Liga F, not far behind.
This is the perfect test for a young group of USWNT players who don’t have as much international experience. Paraguay plays a physical style of football, and if they combine that with the attacking prowess of Martinez and Chamorro, they will be able to make an impact on this game.
For the USWNT, it’s important that the front three combine well with each other when in attack. Emma Sears and Yasmeen Ryan are two players who have gotten better with each passing year. They are the players who need to step up and ensure the USWNT remains one of the most feared teams in the world. If they are ruthless in attack, they’re in all likelihood going to make the World Cup roster based on Emma Hayes’ selections.
This won’t be an easy game for the USWNT, and their recent results have been mixed by their standards. As USWNT fans, we are spoiled and want them to win every game. They should get the win in this game, but it’s more about how they play together as a team than worrying about the result.
Image via @uswnt