The United States Women’s National Team enters an important 2026 that will build toward November’s CONCACAF W Championship, seeking to qualify for the upcoming World Cup. The January camp is a “vitally
important part of [the] yearly schedule” and “a whole week of training as well as two matches,” building off the “progress” that Emma Hayes has prioritized. The first of the two friendlies is against Paraguay, a developing program that has yet to reach the World Cup or the Olympic Games but has shown promising results in continental competitions. Carson, California’s Dignity Health Sports Park – a multi-use sports complex with a recently renovated 27,000-seat soccer stadium featuring a Bandera Bermuda® natural grass surface – hosts the fixture.
This is the third all-time meeting between the two nations, with the USWNT claiming both friendlies (9-0, 8-0) in September of 2021. Ranked 46th internationally by FIFA, Paraguay finished fifth at the 2025 Copa América, grabbing third in Group B with victories over Bolivia (4-0) and Venezuela (2-1) and defeats to Colombia (1-4) and Brazil (1-4) before topping Chile (1-0) in the placement match. The CONMEBOL Women’s Nations League, also serving as World Cup qualification, opened with losses to Argentina (1-3) and Venezuela (1-2), a win against Uruguay (1-0), and a setback in Chile (0-1).
Replacing Fábio Fukumoto, who took a technical coordinator position within the program, Herminio Barrios was appointed to the manager role last November, initially as an interim. The Paraguayan carries “a wide experience within national women’s football,” having worked with several different age groups and served as an assistant at the 2025 Copa América. He has “the full support” of the federation and is expected to steward “a further step in the sustained growth” of the squad.
Barrios named a 20-player roster for the friendly. The majority of the roster is based domestically, with 14 of the talents competing in the División de Honor. Three members of the squad compete in other South American leagues, while Europe is home to two of the call-ups. Notable absences include Soledad Belotto, Dahiana Bogarín, Deisy Ojeda, Camila Arrieta, Liz Barreto, Celeste Aguilera, Fanny Godoy, Belén Riveros, Lice Chamorro, and Rebeca Fernández.
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GOALKEEPERS (2): Cristina Recalde (Vllaznia), Patricia López (Olimpia)
DEFENDERS (9): Limpia Fretes (Juventude), Milagros Rolón (Olimpia), María Vecca (Universidad de Concepción), Naomi de León (Libertad), Tania Riso (Olimpia), Fiorela Martínez (Guaraní), Yanina Servín (Guaraní), Daysy Bareiro (Sport Extremadura), Nabila Perruchino (Olimpia)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Danna Garcete (Olimpia), Cindy Ramos (Atlético Mineiro), Belén Talavera (Libertad), Griselda Garay (Olimpia), Agustina Varela (Olimpia)
FORWARDS (4): Fátima Acosta (Unattached), Claudia Martínez (Olimpia), María Tamay (Libertad), Erika Cartaman (Olimpia)
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Paraguay typically deploys a 3-4-3 formation and seeks to “combine experience and freshness, with a clear identity of the game.” The team has one of the more potent, aggressive front lines in South America and creates a significant number of high-percentage chances, looking to break quickly through the wings and play early balls into the box. Attempts at a high press can lead to the three-player line being stretched thin, as savvy opponents exploit the available width with runs to the endline, field switches, and far-post crosses.
With the presumed number one out of the roster, Cristina Recalde should step into the starting role, providing “excellent reflexes, strong leadership, and great positioning skills.” The 31-year-old competes with Vllaznia in Albania’s Kategoria Superiore Femra with “reliability in one-on-one situations, quickness off her line, confident distribution under pressure, and a commanding voice.” She tracks the ball well and can handle herself on crosses, with the footwork to get into the right position and the athleticism to rise above the crowd despite her less-than-ideal height. Capable of denying the opponent on short- and long-range opportunities, her abilities to cut down the angle and spring up after making the initial stop enable her to pull off the occasional wonder save.
With above-average height and solid skill on the ball, Naomi de León was one of Paraguay’s standouts at the U-20 World Cup and has continued at the next level, receiving multiple starts in 2025. Her scoring is done from closer range, typically coming from corners, with the strength and tenacity to engage in the jostling battle of shoulders and occasionally come away with an attempt on net. María “Yaki” Vecca competes in Chile with Universidad de Concepción and prides herself on a high level of “discipline and hard work,” endeavoring to improve her communication with teammates. She can find the back of the net from time to time and lines up in a few different positions, having picked up “experience, strength, and character” during her young, itinerant career. Guaraní’s Fiorela Martínez has registered multiple appearances during the Nations League and can make an impact on set pieces. During the fall, her flashy, in-swinging Olimpico secured a victory over Club Tembetary in the domestic league.
Daysy Bareiro of Spain’s Extremadura has been a member of the program for several key squads since making her senior international debut in 2019, a sharp two-way player in a cadre of wide options. The diminutive defender stands at five feet, one inch tall, knows her way around the box with sharp turns and deft touches, and is willing to put her body on the line for physical challenges and timely shot blocks. Juventude’s Limpia Fretes takes an active role during the build-up phase and looks to hit vertical passes as quickly as possible, always seeking to break into the transition game. She is strong in the air, stout in the tackle, and steps forward in order to engage in combat, regaining possession in advanced areas and quickly entering the attacking zones. Milagros Rolón can be a target on set pieces and handles herself when in the final third with the composure to finish or play the correct cross to a waiting teammate. The 21-year-old Olimpia fullback is quick to charge into the danger with a solid read on the run of play, tracking all around the field in order to disrupt and put out various fires.
Atlético Mineiro’s Cindy Ramos can deploy as a striker and deeper in the formation, having “honed her skills with the ball at her feet and quickly gained national recognition” with a bevy of domestic titles before moving to Brazil. She scored five goals in 15 appearances last season, making aggressive runs behind the opponent’s back line, displaying the composure to slot home on the breakaway, and converting headers and redirections from crosses. Yanina Servín of Guaraní provides connections throughout the formation and is comfortable holding onto possession or stepping into the progressor role, splitting multiple defenders with her distribution. A physical player who can engage in battles, claim headers, or shield away potential challenges, her surprising athleticism and mobility see her quickly pushing from deeper zones into the final third. Griselda Garay makes late runs into the back of the box and can finish with aplomb, drilling her shots into the net from a variety of distances, forcing the goalkeeper to always monitor her efforts. With a powerful lower body, the 27-year-old Olimpia midfielder has the pace to dart through the half spaces and get open and the athleticism to get involved in the aerial game.
Fátima Acosta shared the golden boot at the 2024 South American Under-20 Football Championship with seven finishes and found the back of the net twice at the ensuing U-20 World Cup. The 21-year-old attacker can line up at winger or midfielder and “likes to shoot from anywhere” but does most of her work from inside of the box with quick reactions to the play. Olimpia’s Erika Cartaman has a low center of gravity that she uses to battle with opposing defenders and puts in the hard yards of checking back in order to make herself available to teammates. She is a poacher with an innate understanding of movement and space, knowing where to be in the box, and an intriguing array of powerful, placed, and looping shots with her right foot. Teenage star Claudia “Claudinha” Martínez may have been the breakout star of the Copa América as the co-leading scorer with six goals that merited Best XI selection, displaying “speed, a powerful strike, and a keen eye for [finishing].” Target Scouting notes her “remarkable balance” with a fit for the direct transition game, also demonstrating “good tactical understanding” when making “pressing runs with optimal trajectory” and tackles. The pacy and tricky Nabila Perruchino has a devastating delivery that dispenses rockets from the run of play or any free kick from within 30 yards. Her pressure and accurate distribution are regular sources of chance creation, while back-post runs put her in position for easy tap-ins or slightly more difficult aerial conversions.
The USWNT is facing a crucial year as the World Cup begins coming into focus on the approaching horizon. Paraguay is an intriguing opponent for the friendly but unlikely to provide much of a challenge in the overall scoreline. The road will get tougher, as 2026 should start with a convincing victory.
The match is scheduled for Saturday, January 24th at 5:30 p.m. Eastern, 2:30 p.m. Pacific. Viewing options include TNT, truTV, HBO Max, Universo, Peacock, and FuboTV (free trial).
