Sports Mole previews Saturday’s International Friendlies clash between USA and Paraguay, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Meeting for the first time on the international stage since 2018, the USA and Paraguay square off in a friendly on Saturday at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.
In their last outing, the Yanks came from behind to defeat Australia 2-1 last month, while Paraguay were beaten 2-0 by South Korea in their previous affair.
Match preview
The 2026 World Cup is drawing closer, and with it, fewer and fewer opportunities for the US to find the right players that can perform on the grandest stage and get into good form heading into the finals.
Since their disappointing defeat to Mexico in the Gold Cup final (2-1), this team are unbeaten in three of their previous four internationals, avoiding defeat in those last three outings.
Mauricio Pochettino has seen his side come from behind to claim a result in two successive friendlies, while finding the back of the net in nine of their previous 10 competitive encounters.
The US are unbeaten in their last two friendlies played at home versus South American opposition, drawing Ecuador 1-1 last month and defeating Venezuela 3-1 in January.
Saturday will mark just their second ever match at the home of the Philadelphia Union, and they won in Chester the last time around, in a 2018 friendly against Bolivia (3-0).
Heading into this contest, the Americans have won their previous two outings against Paraguay, by a 1-0 score, one of which took place in 2019 in the Philadelphia area at Lincoln Financial Field.
For the first time since 2010, Paraguay will feature at the World Cup next summer, claiming the final automatic berth in the CONMEBOL region.
Gustavo Alfaro has a lot of work to do to get this team ready for the finals, with this side winning just one of their previous five matches across all competitions (1-0 over Peru).
His team have failed to find the back of the net in three of those encounters, though the former Costa Rica boss has never suffered consecutive defeats since taking charge of this team.
They are unbeaten this year when netting the opening goal, emerging victorious in four of those five instances, while posting three clean sheets.
This weekend they have an opportunity to win their first match on American soil since August 2022 when they came away with a 1-0 triumph in a friendly with Mexico.
Los Guaranies have not beaten the US since a 2011 friendly in Nashville, winning that contest by a score of 1-0 thanks to an 18th-minute strike.
USA International Friendlies form:
USA form (all competitions):
Paraguay International Friendlies form:
Paraguay form (all competitions):
Team News
A hamstring injury will keep American Christian Pulisic out of this game, Tyler Adams is unavailable after suffering a head collision in a recent match with his club side Bournemouth and Sean Zawadzki has a knock.
Meanwhile, Chris Richards, Timothy Weah, and Weston McKennie are missing, as well as Antonee Robinson, while Jonathan Klinsmann and Roman Celentano are seeking their first caps with the senior squad.
Haji Wright had both goals in their previous match last month, while this upcoming game will be a homecoming of sorts for Matt Freese, Brenden Aaronson, Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty, who all came through the Philadelphia Union academy.
Three Paraguayan players selected for their window are without an international senior cap, including Lucas Romero, Alexis Duarte and Aldo Sebastian Perez Ramos.
At the same time, three of their players feature in Major League Soccer, two in the United States, with Miguel Almiron currently at Atlanta United, Braian Ojeda with Real Salt Lake and Andres Cubas playing for Canadian club the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Gustavo Gomez can move all alone in eighth regarding all-time caps for the national team this weekend, which would surpass Celso Ayala, with the two men currently tied at 85 each.
USA possible starting lineup:
Freese; M. Robinson, McKenzie, Trusty; Freeman, Morris, Tessmann, Reyna; Wright, Balogun, Aaronson
Paraguay possible starting lineup:
Fernandez; Benitez, G. Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; Cubas, Ojeda; Cuenca, D. Gomez, Almiron; Sanabria
We say: USA 0-0 Paraguay
Paraguay are a well-drilled side who focus on defence first, and without numerous chance creators, including Pulisic, we have trouble believing the Americans can find a way to break through.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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