Five Things to Know: USA vs. Argentina

Presented by Jim Beam
Sophia Smith dribbles past an Argentina defender
Sophia Smith dribbles past an Argentina defender

After a pair of 3-1 victories over Iceland, the U.S. Women’s National Team will play its third and final match of this FIFA window on Wednesday, Oct. 30, taking on Argentina at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville. The match is presented by Jim Beam, the #1 selling bourbon, and kicks off at 7 p.m. ET with broadcast coverage available on TNT, truTV, Universo, Max and Peacock.

Coming off a golden summer in France, the U.S. has entertained in its first two matches back in action, with veteran and less-experienced players alike stepping up in the two victories over Iceland. The U.S. now turns its attention to Wednesday’s matchup against Argentina, which will be the second meeting between the teams this year and the USA’s last match on home soil in 2024.

Get ready for the USWNT’s final home game of the year with Five Things to Know about USA vs. Argentina.

USWNT CLOSES OUT 2024 HOME SLATE

The USWNT arrives in Louisville with an overall record of 16W-1L-3D in 2024, including a 10W-1L-3D mark this year on home soil. Wednesday’s match will be the final home game of the year for the U.S. Women, who are unbeaten in their last 11 games at home with eight wins during that span.

The USA’s lone loss at home this year came in a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the group stage of the Concacaf W Gold Cup. Since then, the U.S. is unbeaten on home soil and has outscored the opposition 24-7 while also keeping six clean sheets.

SERIES HISTORY: USA vs. ARGENTINA

The Oct. 30 matchup will be the sixth meeting all-time between the USA and Argentina and the second this year. The U.S. and Argentina squared off on February 23 in the USA’s second group stage game at the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup in Carson, California. The U.S. won 4-0 behind a brace from Jaedyn Shaw and one goal each from Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan. Horan, Rose Lavelle and Casey Krueger all added assists as the U.S. prevailed in the first-ever meeting between the teams in a competitive match.

The meeting at the Gold Cup was the first ever matchup between the teams in a competitive match, with the previous four meetings all coming in friendlies. In 2021, the teams met on the final matchday of the 2021 SheBelieves Cup which the Americans won 6-0 behind a brace from Megan Rapinoe and goals from Carli Lloyd, Kristie Mewis, Christen Press and Alex Morgan

The USA also defeated Argentina 7-0 in Brazil on December 18, 2014, in a match where goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned her first cap – and first shutout – and beat Argentina twice I April of 1998 in the first meetings between the teams.

Overall, the USWNT is unbeaten in its last 29 matches against CONMEBOL competition and has won 20 of its last 21 games against South American opponents. This will be the USA’s fifth game this year against a South American team, defeating Argentina (4-0), Colombia (3-0) and Brazil (1-0) at the Gold Cup and then beating Brazil again in the Olympic gold medal match on August 10.

INSIDE THE ROSTER

Argentina head coach Germán Portanova has selected 20 players for Wednesday’s match against the USA, putting together a roster that features many players early in their international careers.

Defender Aldana Cometti is by far the most experienced play on this roster with 85 international appearances and is the only player on this roster with over 50 caps. The 28-year-old plays her club soccer in Spain for Madrid CFF and has scored eight international goals.

Yamila Rodríguez is the leading scorer on this roster with 11 goals in 48 international appearances. The 26-year-old plays her club soccer for Santos in Brazil and led Argentina in scoring with six goals at the 2022 Copa America Femenina.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, 14 players on this roster have fewer than 20 caps including three uncapped players. Four players on this roster are in their teens while another seven players are under the age of 25.

ARGENTINA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM – ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Solana Pereyra (San Lorenzo), 12-Abigaíl Chaves (Universidad de Chile, CHI)

DEFENDERS (9): 2-Adriana Sachs (Racing Club), 3-Milagros Martín (Platense), 4-Anela Nigito (CSU Bakersfield, USA), 6-Aldana Cometti (Madrid C.F.F., ESP), 9-Kishi Núñez (Boca Juniors), 11-Yamila Rodríguez (Santos F.C., BRA), 13-Sophia Braun (Spokane Zephyr F.C., USA), 14-Catalina Roggerone (CSU Bakersfield, USA), 16-Sofía Domínguez (River Plate)

MIDFIELDERS (5): 5-Vanina Preininger (Boca Juniors), 7-Romina Núñez (Belgrano), 8-Margarita Giménez (Ferro Carril Oeste), 10-Dalila Ippolito (Grasshopper Club, SUI), 15-Maricel Pereyra (San Lorenzo)

FORWARDS (4): 17-Marianela Szymanowski (Standard Liège, BEL), 18-Carolina Troncoso (Boca Juniors), 19-Agostina Holzheier (Racing), 20-Chiara Singarella (Purdue University, USA)

AMERICAN CONNECTIONS

In a sign of the continued global growth of the women’s game, nine players on this Argentina roster play their club soccer outside of the country, with players competing in Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.

Of the four players with current ties to the U.S., three are still in college, with Chiara Singarella playing for Purdue and defenders Catalina Roggerone and Anela Nigito both competing for CSU Bakersfield. Now in her junior year with the Boilermakers, Singarella began her collegiate career at Kennesaw State and then transferred to South Alabama where she was an All-Region selection.

Sophia Braun, who was born in Oregon and attended Gonzaga University, plays for Spokane Zephry in the newly-formed USL Super League. Braun, who scored for Argentina at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, signed with the Kansas City Current in January of 2024 before going to Spokane on loan in July. Braun has appeared in seven matches and made five starts for the Zephyr this season.

ARGENTINA AS OF LATE

One of four South American participants in the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this year, Argentina finished third in Group A, but advanced to the knockout rounds as the best third-place team after drawing Mexico (0-0), losing to the U.S. (4-0) and beating the Dominican Republic (3-0). In the quarterfinals, Argentina lost to South American rivals Brazil 5-1, with midfielder Celeste Dos Santos scoring Argentina’s lone goal in the 82nd minute.

Argentina was invited to participate in 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup after finishing third at the 2022 CONMEBOL Copa America Femenina. At that tournament, which was held in Colombia in July of 2022, Argentina qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup by defeating Paraguay 3-1 in the Third-Place Match. The dramatic victory saw Argentina fall behind on an own goal, before storming back to score three goals in the final 12 minutes of play – including a game winner in the 90th – to punch its ticket to Australia and New Zealand. Argentina narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Olympics, with only the top two finishers from the region – Brazil and Colombia – qualifying for Paris 2024.

The 2023 World Cup was Argentina’s second consecutive and fourth Women’s World Cup overall. La Albiceleste finished fourth in Group G at the World Cup, drawing South Africa and playing Italy and Sweden to hard-fought losses. Braun and midfielder Romina Nuñez, scored for Argentina in the 2-2 draw against South Africa.

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