Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

USWNT vs. Argentina: Top Storylines and Box Score Predictions for 2024 Friendly

Joe Tansey

The United States women's national team concludes its three-game October international window on Wednesday against Argentina at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.

Emma Hayes' side has produced back-to-back 3-1 wins over Iceland in the last week to move its winning streak to eight games.

Wednesday marks the final USWNT game on home soil in 2024 for the Olympic champions.

The Americans finish up their 2024 slate with a trip to Europe to face England and the Netherlands in late November and early December.

The focus for Wednesday's clash with Argentina will be fine-tuning the many things that have gone right under Hayes and to start a new shutout streak after two straight games with a concession for just the second time this year.

USWNT vs. Argentina Info

Date: Wednesday, 30 October

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Live Stream: Max

Storylines to Watch

The October international window has gone as well as the Americans hoped it would.

They produced three goals in each win over Iceland, and in the process, Hayes handed out some international debuts to a handful of new players called up.

You could argue that the only negative is the concession of one goal in each game against Iceland.

The USWNT entered October with a three-game shutout streak and 12 total clean sheets in 2024.

One of those shutouts came against Argentina in the Concacaf W Gold Cup in February, The Americans won that meeting 4-0.

The USWNT has controlled all three of its matches with South American opposition in 2024. It outscored Argentina, Colombia and Brazil by an 8-0 margin, a stat that goes in line with the program's history against teams from that continent.

The Americans have won 20 of their last 21 games against foes from CONMEBOL, per U.S. Soccer.

More squad rotation is expected from Hayes to keep her players fresh at the end of a rare three-games-in-one-week run of friendly matches.

Sophia Smith and Lynn Williams will likely go back to starting roles up top after appearing as substitutes on Sunday, The same goes for Rose Lavelle in midfield after her night off. Lindsey Horan only played a half at the weekend, so she could go from the beginning in Louisville as well.

Wednesday's game may have the most meaning to forward Emma Sears, who is the only player on the USWNT roster from the NWSL's Racing Louisville. She scored in her first international appearance at the weekend and should receive some minutes in front of her home crowd.

Argentina has not met the high standard of the top teams in the world in 2024. It fell to Brazil 5-1 to go along with its 4-0 loss to the USWNT.

The South Americans are the 33rd-ranked team in the FIFA women's rankings, 32 spots behind the USWNT, who are expected to produce another multi-goal win in this stretch of October friendlies.

Prediction: USWNT 3, Argentina 0

   

Read 0 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)