After the domination over Paraguay in Los Angeles, The United States Women’s National Team repeated the performance over Chile in Santa Barbra to close out the January window as they opened 2026 with a pair of dominant victories. While Chile didn’t prove to be the toughest opponent for USWNT — that test will come during She Believes and the set of friendlies against Japan — we did learn a few things about this inexperienced group of World Cup hopefuls as the team begun their very early preparations for the 2027 competition.
Rodman’s Joy
It’s been a year to remember already for one of the most veteran USWNT players in this January camp. Rodman signed a massive deal to keep her Stateside as the highest paid in women’s soccer, she got named USWNT Captain for the first time ever against Paraguay, she scored a goal in that match, then to close out the window against Chile she not only got on the scoresheet again, but she even got her Head Coach Emma Hayes to join in on her ‘Sexy Dexy’ celebration. The biggest takeaway from this match was just how much fun it is to watch Rodman play, even though she came on as a sub, it was clear things got a lot more fun when #2 was out there. Not only is Trinity one of the best players on the planet when heathy, but she is the perfect bridge that connects the ‘usual’ squad we see with the likes of Sophia Wilson, Lindsey Heaps, Midge Purce, etc, and the newest crop of youngsters looking to make their mark for the U.S. Of all the goals scored tonight, we will all remember Rodman’s and the subsequent celebration that came with it, if that doesn’t tell you all you need to know about her impact, I’m not sure what will.
Again, The Pool is an Ocean
This match taught us the same lesson Paraguay taught us, this talent pool is far deeper than anyone expected or could imagine. Despite rolling into this match with a completely different lineup, not only was the result the same, but several players opened their accounts in another night of firsts for USWNT. Croix Bethune, Emily Sams and Jameese Joseph all recorded their first-ever international goals while Emily Sams and Ayo Oke also recorded their first-ever International assists with Oke doing so in her first USWNT Cap as well. As if anyone had any doubt, the United States pool of talent is far more expansive than most of us have imagined with a handful of players throwing their hats into the ring for one of the few coveted 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup roster spots on this team. While most of the new names will likely not see their names called for this upcoming World Cup, a handful have made their presence felt and will be hard deny when 2031 rolls around. They say iron sharpens iron, and this talent pool might be the best we’ve seen in generations, only making USWNT that much stronger as they prepare for the biggest tournament on the planet.
USWNT is Back?!
This window was a glimpse into just how dominant United States can be on their day. Featuring a healthy Trinity Rodman that bagged a goal in each of the two matches, a crop of youngsters hungry and eager to prove they belong, and a combined 11-0 victory over Paraguay and Chile, this camp felt like a return to dominance for USWNT. It took just 19 minutes for this team to find their opener against Chile, and then they needed under a minute to score a goal to open the second half, in what was a display of brilliance last night. While there is still plenty of time between now and the big tournament in 2027, you can’t blame those around USWNT for feeling like they are once again the team to beat. The real test will come in the upcoming SheBelieves Cup as well as their friendlies against Japan, but as it stands right now, United States is back in the driver’s seat in a major way.
The Kids Aren’t Just Alright, They Are Fun
The biggest takeaway from the Chile match and the January camp as a whole was just how much fun it was to watch United States this window. Yes, winning is always fun, but this time felt much different. The team got the win over Italy last time out, but that felt more like a grind, almost like visiting the dentist. Sure, you know you have to do it, and you came away with no cavities, but it still wasn’t exciting. This window we saw Sexy Dexy celebrations, the Heisman pose, and vibes couldn’t be more immaculate with a slew of players making statements in their first-ever USWNT appearance. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess what the future of USWNT looks like, and thats a great thing after so many years of lamenting the same old rotations being thrown out for every match. Now, we really have three and four teams worth of talent that, on their day, can actually compete with the world’s best. Dare we say, this could very well be another golden era for United States Women’s National Team, and this generation looks to not just bring a whole lot of goals with it, but a whole lot of swagger as well.
