By OkayGoal 
The USWNT takes a rare trip to Brazil over the international break for a set of friendlies with a strong roster. The biggest headline is, of course, the reunion of Triple Espresso. However, it could represent one final chance for Riley Jackson and Kennedy Wesley to show Emma Hayes that they deserve a roster spot for the 2027 World Cup.
The remaining roster is loaded with the familiar fixtures from the last few camps. Jane Campbell enters camp as well with an injury to Phallon Tullis-Joyce from the World Sevens Tournament. Brazil features a strong roster as well, making this a great test for the USWNT to see how this group plays together against a good opponent.
USWNT vs. Brazil, Saturday, June 6th, 5:30pm EST/2:30pm PST, HBO Max, TBS, Peacock
USWNT vs. Brazil, Tuesday, June 9th, 5:30pm EST/2:30pm PST, HBO Max, TNT, Peacock
Looking at Brazil’s roster, there are many players NWSL fans should recognize, whether they are still in the league or are currently in Europe. Lorena has been a solid goalkeeper for the Kansas City Current, with young star and former Orlando Pride player Tarciane leading the backline. Ary Borges of Angel City and Angelina from Orlando are solid in the midfield. What makes Brazil scary is looking at their attack.
You could remove Marta from their group, and it would still be loaded, but to have the GOAT with this group of attackers will put some pressure on the USWNT backline. Kerolin, Dudinha, Bia Zaneratto, Gabi Portillho, Ludmila, and Amanda Guiterrez are all either current or former NWSL players. Why is that important? Of any team, Brazil has the most players who have faced the USWNT the most in the NWSL.
Which means they’ve seen strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies of certain players in real time during competitive games. Most countries can’t say that. While the USWNT has usually dominated this matchup, Brazil won their last matchup in 2025 with a late winner from Amanda Gutierrez and an experimental USWNT side.
This matchup should be different for the USWNT, which has a stacked midfield. Between Lindsey Heaps, Claire Hutton, Croix Bethune, Rose Lavelle, Olivia Moultire, and Lily Yohannes, it’s almost an impossible choice because all of them have been in great form. This roster is the closest to what we may see for the World Cup next year; the only key players missing are Sam Coffey and Emily Sams, who could be USWNT starters as well.
Don’t expect Emma Hayes to play the same Starting XI for both friendlies; she’s likely going to use two different combinations of lineups over the two games. The results don’t matter as much as how well the team plays together, but the USWNT will absolutely be the favorites to win both of these games. A loss might not be the worst thing for this team, as it would give the coaching staff a chance to go deeper and see where improvements could be made moving forward.
With the World Cup only a year away now, the importance of each game rises. These are the games that best simulate what it will be like at the World Cup, since Brazil is the host. Yes, the USWNT plays in the same hemisphere and is used to playing in the heat themselves. Getting a head start and adjusting to Brazil’s climate will only help the USWNT in the long run.
Featured image via @uswnt