Which USWNT Players Made Their Case Against Paraguay and Chile?

The U.S. women’s national team’s 2026 is underway. In what will be viewed as the final experimental roster before things start to get serious for manager Emma Hayes and her players, the U.S. breezed past Paraguay, 6-0, and then Chile, 5-0, over two January friendlies in California.

Hayes named the two fewest-capped USWNT starting XIs for 25 years—an average of 9.6 caps per player against Paraguay, and 5.2 against Chile. Even with the relative lack of experience, the heavily rotated and green American squad was too much for its South American counterparts.

Five players made their debuts for the USWNT during this window. Reilyn Turner, Sally Menti and Maddie Dahlien all got their first caps on Saturday against Paraguay, with Ayo Oke and Riley Jackson doing the same against Chile on Tuesday. Hayes has now given 32 players their first cap since becoming USWNT manager in May 2024.

As attention turns to the SheBelieves Cup in March and then, more importantly, World Cup qualifying in November, let’s take a look at who made their case and what questions remain after these latest friendlies.

Hit the celly 💃 pic.twitter.com/yIjnynbaD8
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) January 28, 2026

Who made their case for the USWNT?

Croix Bethune

It has been a long-time coming for Croix Bethune to make a splash on the USWNT. The 2024 National Women’s Soccer League Rookie and Midfielder of the Year has been in and out of the roster over the last 18 months due to injuries. Until this window, she simply hadn’t been able to showcase the same Bethune we see play for the Washington Spirit.

But that all changed in January. Bethune came off the bench against Paraguay to force an own goal and then register her first assist for the USWNT, intercepting the ball from a Paraguay defender and laying it off to Emma Sears.

The creative midfielder went one better against Chile and scored her first USWNT goal. She showed tremendous poise, picking up a through ball from Oke, and then coolly slotting the ball into the net from 11 yards out.

“I think it’s been the best camp I’ve seen from Croix, in terms of her approach, her application,” Hayes told the media Tuesday. “I can feel that Croix is going to take another level in her game.”

Croix Bethune scores her first USWNT goal ✨ pic.twitter.com/Ul0i7WcOau
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 28, 2026

Emily Sams

Emily Sams, like Bethune, was an alternate at the 2024 Olympics, where the USWNT won gold. That initial breakout year, where Sams was named the NWSL’s Defender of the Year, has led to few opportunities to impress under Hayes. Sams had just seven caps over the last 18 months for the USWNT.

In a big spot, Sams not only logged 117 minutes, appeared in both games, but played the full 90 minutes against Chile wearing the captain’s armband. She rewarded Hayes’s faith with a dominant display at both ends of the pitch. A clean sheet was topped off with her first assist and goal for the USWNT.

United States defender Emily Sams in the second half at Harder Stadium. — Emily Sams recently joined Angel City from Orlando Pride. | Will Navarro-Imagn Images

“Sams without question leads by example. A combination of her behaviors. Not just by being competitive, but the way she carries herself. She’s a very thoughtful and caring teammate,” said Hayes. “She hasn’t had a lot of caps for us, but she’s always ready. She puts the team first ... she goes about that as a quiet steward in the program.”

Sams came into this window fresh of a blockbuster $650,000 move from the Orlando Pride to Angel City. Not only is the 26-year-old putting the NWSL on notice that she is expected to be one of the best center backs in the league, it’s clear that she is stepping up her USWNT profile as well.

Emma Sears

With so many top forward players missing from this roster, and two of the USWNT’s best forwards, Mal Swanson and Sophia Wilson, having missed 2025 entirely due to maternity leave, the opportunities for forward players is especially tough.

Credit has to go to Sears, who had an impact off the bench against Paraguay, scoring the sixth and final goal, and then lit up Chile with an assist and a goal on either side of halftime. She ended the window with the most goal involvements (three) of any player. In a nice moment of symmetry, Sears assisted Sams, and then Sams assisted Sears against Chile.

All three goal involvements showcased Sears’s not-so-secret weapon, her speed. As a pure pace option in the wide areas, the 24-year-old is leading the back as a potential impact player off the bench for the World Cup qualifiers. Hayes will also be impressed by the accuracy of the finish against Chile. From a very tight angle, Sears was able to squeeze the ball inside the post and into the top corner.

Lightning quick from Emma Sears ⚡️

USWNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/fK5g6oHO8P
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) January 28, 2026

What questions remain?

Yazmeen Ryan

The USWNT’s forward line is extremely crowded. Yazmeen Ryan has struggled for consistent minutes and, after being an unused substitute against Paraguay, she was handed just 64 minutes from the start against Chile.

The hybrid wide forward, who can play centrally, did create a goal. Against Chile, Ryan did well to collect the ball on the right wing, turn and dink a pass into the box for Jameese Joseph for her first USWNT goal, which made it 2–0.

However, that was the only chance of the game that Ryan created. She attempted two shots, one of which hit the target and was saved, while the other flew wide. She perhaps needed to do more to turn heads on the USWNT scouting staff.

What makes the Houston Dash forward special is her ability to make teammates better. She is very versatile, a smart reader of space and has a mature range of passing. But with limited spots available, can she be as explosive as some of her competition on the roster?

Jameese Joseph gets her first international goal in her first USWNT start 💫 pic.twitter.com/YOpRPzMIz3
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 28, 2026

Hal Hershfelt

Another player who, almost 18 months after making her debut, has not had many call-ups or opportunities to play. Hershfelt came into this camp with just three caps, but is now up to five after appearing in both January games. She came off the bench for the final 27 minutes against Paraguay and played the full 90 against Chile.

Known as an all-action defensive midfielder, or potentially a box-to-box destroyer, Hayes decided to try out Hershfelt in the center of the USWNT’s backline. This isn’t entirely new for the 24-year-old, who was asked to slot in there when she played college soccer for Clemson.

Considering the opponents, the reality is that Hershfelt was able to get forward a lot, and her touches on the pitch against Paraguay and Chile were much more similar to those of a defensive midfielder. Hershfelt is physical. Her heat map and pressing were good. In terms of passing, she saw a lot of the ball and completed 86 of 96 (93%) passes against Chile, which suggests she was trying some longer and more testing passes than others.

This was a solid window for Hershfelt, 117 minutes in a defensive role without conceding a goal, which says as much. But there is a debate about what role on the roster she can fill and where Hayes thinks she fits. Perhaps, like Emily Sonnett before her, the key to her earning a spot will be the ability to play multiple positions.