#friendlies

#friendlies

The test is very useful for us; it shows us that all our rivals are tough. All our opponents play at 100%. Venezuela played a good game. We won, but that's not the important thing. We wanted to see how the team was doing and get some playing time under our belts. I wanted to try the 5-3-2 option, which is an interesting variation, and we have the players to do it. There are times when defensive solidity is needed.

The Albiceleste have already qualified for next year's World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, as they gear up to face Venezuela on Friday, before taking on Puerto Rico next Monday. The reigning world champions beat Friday's opponents in September, before losing 1-0 to Ecuador in their most recent outing, though they were without an injured Lionel Messi.

The United States will play Ecuador and Australia in October as part of its preparation for the 2026 World Cup, according to U.S. Soccer.

Hayes has left out most Europe-based players to prioritize their rest, enabling the team to focus on domestic players ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

We were down maybe five or six other players in March and the team got very young.