The United States Women’s National Team heads to Paris on the hunt for a fifth Olympic gold medal and first since the 2012 Games. Prior to the tournament, the program is contesting two tune-up friendlies, with the first against Mexico. The regional rivals failed to qualify for the competition but are on a decent run of form and should provide a firm test. The match is scheduled for Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, a 25,000-seat “state-of-the-art facility” with a locally grown Kentucky Bluegrass surface. This is the 44th all-time meeting between the two nations, with the USWNT holding a 40-2-1 advantage but dropping the most recent match at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup.
Ranked 29th internationally by FIFA, Mexico opened the year with a strong finish at the aforementioned competition with a 2-0-1 record in the group stage, a victory over Panama (3-2) in the quarterfinal, and a loss to Brazil (0-3) in the semifinal. In successive friendlies, El Tri Femenil fell to Colombia (0-1), lost to Australia (0-2), and picked up a defeat and a tie against Canada (0-2, 1-1).
Pedro López was appointed to the manager role in September of 2022 after a successful decade-plus run with Spain’s youth teams, winning several European Championships and the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The 45-year-old Spaniard has a reputation of “fostering and developing young teams” and believes that the program is on a “good path” to regular World Cup and Olympic qualification. His objective is to steward in a “top-10 national team in the world,” believing that the current group is much better than suggested by the current rating.
López named a 23-player roster for the friendly, which was preceded by five training sessions. Notable veterans such as Stephany Mayor, Pamela Tajonar, Kenti Robles were left out of the group. The overwhelming majority of the squad (19 call-ups) competes in the Liga MX Femenil spread across six clubs, while the remaining four talents are on the books in the National Women’s Soccer League
GOALKEEPERS (3): Esthefanny Barreras (Pachuca), Celeste Espino (Guadalajara), Blanca Félix (Guadalajara)
DEFENDERS (9): Rebeca Bernal (Monterrey), Greta Espinoza (UANL), Cristina Ferral (UANL), Jocelyn Orejel (América), Kimberly Rodríguez (América), Nicolette Hernández (América), Reyna Reyes (Portland Thorns), Karen Luna (América), Karla Martínez (Guadalajara)
MIDFIELDERS (8): María Sánchez (San Diego Wave), Jacqueline Ovalle (UANL), Karla Nieto (Pachuca), Alexia Delgado (UANL), Scarlett Camberos (Bay), Maricarmen Reyes (UANL), Mayra Pelayo-Bernal (Tijuana), Nicole Pérez (Monterrey)
FORWARDS (3): Kiana Palacios (América), Diana Ordóñez (Houston Dash), Myra Delgadillo (Monterrey)
López has alternated between three- and four-player back lines but appears to have mostly settled into a 4-2-3-1 formation. Against the USWNT, he used a “zonal marking system with every player aware of their opponent and either blocking a pass or ready to engage when [errors] are made.” While most managers endeavor to achieve a high level of passing accuracy and recoveries in advantageous areas, his specialty is drilling sides in “remarkable handling of the ball” and “quick organization after turnovers,” providing much needed stability for a program looking to climb the ladder.
Projected Mexico Starting XI
Esthefanny Barreras appears to have claimed the number-one role, benefitting from a “change in mentality” that led to a rise in form. The 27-year-old Pachuca goalkeeper was born and raised in Phoenix and competed at Eastern Florida State College, Phoenix College, and West Florida before hitting the professional ranks. She uses her 5’10” frame to cover the length and width of the net, making the expected stops with a composed style that shields her limited athleticism. Her brilliant double-save against Paraguay at the Gold Cup is an encapsulation of her abilities: the size and reading on the ball to prevent the penalty followed by the presence to block the second opportunity.
Tigres UANL centre-back Cristina Ferral is praised as “an empress in the defense” and has established herself as one of Mexico’s top performers. The 31-year-old is physically in the tackle and composed when playing out of the back with an extended passing range along with the occasional input in the final third. Her club teammate, Greta Espinoza, had a strong 2023 with four international goals while displaying intelligent touches when working out of pressure. She can line up in a variety of positions and is a dangerous target on set pieces.
Illinois-born Nicolette “Nicki” Hernández has thrived as a fullback at the professional level with Club América after switching over from playing forward at the University of Michigan. The 25-year-old is noted for her possession recovery and serves as one of the primary facilitators of possession while also providing an additional scoring option in the attacking third. Karen Luna earned her first call-up during the Gold Cup and quickly repaid the manager’s faith with multiple starts and a goal in the 8-0 romp over the Dominican Republic. She overlaps on the outside of the formation and moves centrally to win headers or launch a shot from outside of the box.
Praised as “technically excellent,” Alexia Delgado had a strong first season with Tigres UANL after moving over from Cruz Azul. The holding midfielder and former Arizona State Sun Devil displays intelligent movement along with a smooth first touch that enables her to control the pace of play and dispense incisive passes. Karla Nieto has “the understanding to switch roles” and rotate marking assignments, covering the entirety of the field with heavy tackling and quick transitions. She uses her low center of gravity to fight off contact and has a dangerous shot from long distance, particularly when given space around the top of the box.
There are also the key contributions of Rebeca Bernal, who has been praised as “vital to Mexico” due to her plethora of progressive distribution and long runs that “break down the opponent’s shape.” The 26-year-old from Tampico can drop deep into centre-back or be dangerous in the attacking third with accurate finishing, powerful headers, and “deft navigation through crowds.”
NWSL star María Sánchez sent shockwaves through the league after requesting a trade and subsequently joining San Diego Wave FC. The 28-year-old from Nampa, Idaho is “known for her left-footed service and strong technical ability on the ball” while also creating space, linking up with teammates, and serving as a playmaker in “the focal point of the attack.” Tigres UANL winger Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle was named to the Best XI at the Gold Cup after scoring five goals, including the opener in the 2-0 victory over the USWNT. She has “a mastery of ball control, a very good sense of positioning, [and] excellent passing” along with the ability to find the back of the net from anywhere within 35 yards, blasting a long-distance shot or dribbling her way through defenders.
There is also Scarlett Camberos of Bay FC, who “brings pace, energy, and the ability to create” on the outside along with heavy pressing and involvement on the defensive side of the game. Total Football Analysis praises her ambidexterity, crossing, and potential to punish opponents when given space on the outside or making inwardly cutting runs that are completed with a curved finish.
Former University of California, Irvine Anteater Kiana Palacios received several starts over the past year. She is a terrifyingly productive finisher at the club level with Club América after beginning her professional career with Real Sociedad in Spain. The 27-year-old is an intelligent poacher with an accurate read on the ball when pursuing crosses and quick reactions that enable her to regain possession before the opponent. While hardly an imposing physical presence at 5’6”, teammates seek her out on crosses and set pieces due to her impeccable timing and natural feel for the game, both of which pair with above-average speed and accurate shooting from anywhere in the final third.
While the USWNT has a clear talent advantage over the opponent, that same gap existed at the Gold Cup and was meaningless in the final result. However, the underdogs are unlikely to surprise the favorites again, particularly with Emma Hayes settled into the manager role. Friendlies tend to loosen in structure over the course of 90 minutes as mass substitutions occur, with squad…
