2024 USWNT Friendly: Scouting Argentina

The United States Women’s National Team opened the slate of friendlies with two victories over Iceland (3-1, 3-1), handling business like Olympic gold medalists. Whether the new manager bump from Emma Hayes’ hiring or the continued development and coalescing of the young core of players, the program is enjoying the salad days after a few years of subpar results. Next on the schedule is Argentina, which is coming off of two consecutive appearances in the World Cup and hoping to end rival Brazil’s dominance in South America. The match is set for Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, a 15,304-seat soccer-specific stadium with a natural surface that is a mix of Bermuda and rye grass.

This is the sixth all-time meeting between the two nations, with the USWNT holding a 5-0-0 advantage and claiming the most-recent fixture (4-0) in the group stage of the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup. Ranked 33^rd internationally by FIFA, Argentina failed to qualify for the Olympics and has played a fairly light schedule this year, with the all-important CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina penciled into the calendar for 2025. Following a quarterfinal finish at the aforementioned Gold Cup, La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue) played four friendlies, grabbing two victories against Costa Rica (2-0, 2-0) and losing and drawing to Uruguay (0-2, 1-1).

Germán Portanova was appointed to the manager role in July of 2021, a retired “globetrotting” midfielder whose previous coaching experience includes winning three domestic titles with UAI Urquiza. Following a big loss (0-5) to Brazil at the Gold Cup, the 51-year-old from Buenos Aires acknowledged that the program “still has a long way to go to compete on equal terms” with a desire to “equal [the United States, Mexico, and Brazil] in the shortest time possible.” He “respected and understood” when multiple players opted to resign amid “a dispute with the national soccer federation over pay and conditions” but also “believes the way to [grow women’s soccer] is different.”

Portanova named a 20-player roster for the friendly, an eclectic group that is absent a few of the bigger names. The domestic Campeonato Femenino is home to 11 of the call-ups, while a further three are competing in the American collegiate ranks. In addition to the program withdrawals, notable exclusions are Mariana Larroquette, Daiana Falfán, and Camila Gómez Ares. Marina Delgado suffered a reported anterior cruciate ligament injury and was replaced by Sofía Domínguez.

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GOALKEEPERS (2): Abigaíl Chaves (Universidad de Chile), Solana Pereyra (San Lorenzo)

DEFENDERS (4): Aldana Cometti (Madrid CFF), Milagros Martín (Platense), Catalina Roggerone (CSUB Roadrunners), Adriana Sachs (Racing)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Sophia Braun (Spokane Zephyr FC), Sofía Domínguez (River Plate), Margarita Giménez (Ferro), Dalila Ippolito (Grasshopper Club), Anela Nigito (CSUB Roadrunners), Romina Núñez (Belgrano), Maricel Pereyra (San Lorenzo), Vanina Preininger (Boca Juniors), Chiara Singarella (Purdue University)

FORWARD (5): Celeste Dos Santos (Boca Juniors), Agostina Holzheier (Racing), Kishi Núñez (Boca Juniors), Yamila Rodríguez (Santos), Marianela Szymanowski (Standard Liège)

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Portanova has utilized both the 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 formations, with a group that “performs with passion, desire, and determination to win” along with an “effective aggressivity in the defensive phase.” The team looks to maintain a compact structure and put several players behind the ball, forcing opponents to either brute-force their way through multiple lines of defenders or hope to break out into transition and run into open space. However, proceedings tend to open up in negative fashion after conceding a goal, which often lead to Argentina mostly being in tight battles or brutal losses. The set pieces are designed with care and yield dangerous opportunities, featuring dummy runs, delays, and multiple moving parts.

With program doyenne Vanina Correa retiring from professional football, Solana Pereyra appears to have stepped into the number-one role with very little competition for the position. The 25-year-old San Lorenzo goalkeeper has experienced a bit of an up-and-down career but has “shown more personality on the field” and “made a commitment in training” along with raising her level of self-awareness. Standing at five-foot-nine, she provides good coverage of the net and has a springy athleticism manifesting in good footwork, with a player profile that could be described as more of a shot stopper than a box controller. Her distribution creates chances but the occasional error through overconfidence has occurred.

With Miriam Mayorga now retired, Aldana Cometti of Madrid CFF is the leader on the back line, distributes regular tackles, takes an active role in the build-up, and contributes the occasional goal. She is praised as a “monstrous player” and a “physically strong specimen” who can “shield the ball with her body knocking opponents off with ease” and completely shut down the central area. The likely partner is Adriana Sachs, an experienced veteran who can defend on the outside of the formation and is quick to engage after the opponent receives the ball. The 30-year-old Racing Club defender has a disciplined style with impeccable timing when going to ground and is comfortable in isolation shutting down counter-attackers charging at the goal.

Teenaged starlet Milagros “Mili” Martín made her first-division debut for Platense at 14 years old, oftentimes lining up in a midfielder role and banging in the occasional finish. She is a strong dribbler and can serve as a creative presence in the final third but also demonstrates a willingness to get up for aerial duels. Romina Núñez is likely to feature on the other side of the formation, having “become a key figure” for the program as a two-way player praised as “the little engine.” The 30-year-old Belgrano fullback is active when blocking shots, stepping into passing lanes, advancing up the field, and making intelligent decisions on the counter-attack. There is also Catalina Roggerone, who is currently studying business management at California State University, Bakersfield while dispensing heavy challenges and incisive passes for the Roadrunners. Her physical nature and line-splitting distribution enhance her versatile profile, particularly when paired with an elusive nature and agility that enable her to be another offensive weapon in the team effort.

Sophia Braun is currently on the books with Spokane Zephyr, on loan from the Kansas City Current, but could be best known for her long-range volley against South Africa at the 2023 World Cup. Typically deployed in a holding role, she can also line up on the back line, providing all of the necessary tackling, short- and long-range passing, and heading in order to bring stability to the formation. San Lorenzo’s Maricel Pereyra has started in the past four friendlies, perhaps indicating a promotion for the energetic presence who asserts her presence with buzzy runs and disruptive challenges. The 22-year-old box-to-box is a connective presence around the field with quick link-up play but will also push forward into the final third in order to disrupt the opponent’s set-up.

The diminutive Celeste Dos Santos of Boca Juniors is a pacey figure on the outside of the formation with slick turns before bombing down the wing into the attacking zones. She absorbs contact well, uses a wide array of moves to get around opponents, and relies upon a keen passing vision to pick out teammates in the box. The whirling and spinning Agostina Holzheier can evade the opponent for seemingly endless amounts of time with tight turns and effortless ball control through the center of the field and the wide areas. The 21-year-old Racing attacker is best utilized in progression phases, whether making darting solo runs to advance or utilizing her surprisingly accurate long distribution, effortlessly hitting switches.

Yamila Rodríguez represents the key scoring threat for Argentina, although the Santos forward has been a touch quiet this year despite her fantastic off-the-ball movement, success in aerial duels, and long-range accuracy. She is comfortable wearing a variety of hats on the inside and the outside of the formation, whether asked to be the shuttler, the poacher, the creator, or the counter-attacker. Dalila Ippólito could operate in the hole as a ten with a finishing touch, serving both as a keen set-up player and also forcing opportunities with chaotic dribbling runs through the center of the opponent’s formation. The 22-year-old Grasshopper Club Zürich attacker has a compact frame at five-foot-one which enables her to absorb contact and press forward, on display when deploying a spin move through a crowded area. There’s also the likelihood that Chiara Singarella factors into proceedings, with the Mendoza native on her third college in three years and contributing five goals and one assist in 16 appearances this fall for Purdue University. Her game features intelligent body control, an ability to serve as a target option with incisive distribution, and a powerful left-footed strike that creates danger in the run of play and on set pieces.

Fresh from the gold medal success at the Olympics, the USWNT took down Iceland in two consecutive friendlies and shows no signs of slowing down. The talent disparity between the two programs is fairly clear, as evidenced by the match at the Gold Cup – with one team developing into a monster and the other enduring the departure of several key veterans, the gap should have only grown wider since February. Expect Hayes’ side to romp to a multi-goal victory with several players getting their chance to add to their respective international résumés.

The match is scheduled for Wednesday, October 30^th at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, 4:00 p.m. Pacific. Viewing options include TNT, Universo, truTV, Max, Peacock, and Fubo TV (free trial).