USWNT opens 2026 with 6-0 win over Paraguay as Rodman returns and Sentnor scores twice
The U.S. women’s national team began its 2026 schedule with a 6-0 friendly win over Paraguay in Southern California, featuring a strong debut performance from Reilyn Turner and a productive return from Trinity Rodman.
The United States women’s national team launched its 2026 calendar with a runaway 6-0 victory over Paraguay in a friendly at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The match served as both a tune-up and a measuring stick for a squad mixing emerging players with returning stars. ([timesunion.com](https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/uswnt-game-paraguay-trinity-rodman-christen-press-21311555.php?utm_source=openai))
Reilyn Turner, making her first international appearance and start, opened the scoring just before halftime. After the break, the U.S. attack accelerated: Ally Sentnor scored twice, and Trinity Rodman — back from injury and captaining the side — added a goal as part of a dominant second-half surge. ([timesunion.com](https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/uswnt-game-paraguay-trinity-rodman-christen-press-21311555.php?utm_source=openai))
The U.S. controlled the match territorially and statistically, posting heavy possession and a lopsided shot margin. Paraguay also conceded an own goal as the Americans kept pressure on with pace and quick interchanges around the box. ([timesunion.com](https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/uswnt-game-paraguay-trinity-rodman-christen-press-21311555.php?utm_source=openai))
The game included tributes connected to Christen Press, who retired in 2025, and it also highlighted the national team’s transition work: integrating new names into key attacking and midfield roles while maintaining the tempo and defensive structure expected of the program. ([timesunion.com](https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/uswnt-game-paraguay-trinity-rodman-christen-press-21311555.php?utm_source=openai))
Looking ahead, the U.S. is scheduled to continue its slate of friendlies, including another match in this window and a later set against Japan in April, as preparation ramps toward major regional competition and the longer arc of World Cup qualification. The coaching staff will likely treat these matches as auditions, evaluating which younger players can hold up under international pace and physicality. ([timesunion.com](https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/uswnt-game-paraguay-trinity-rodman-christen-press-21311555.php?utm_source=openai))
A lopsided friendly doesn’t answer every question — opponents, tactics, and stakes will all intensify — but performances like this matter for building depth. When a debutant scores, a returning leader produces, and finishing is clinical across multiple scorers, it creates internal pressure and healthy competition that can sharpen the squad before harder tests arrive.