The U.S. Women`s National Team (USWNT) is set to conclude their summer international window by facing long-time regional rival Canada on Wednesday. The match will take place at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., where the Stars and Stripes aim to achieve a clean sweep of their opponents during this window.
Coming off two convincing victories against Ireland, where the USWNT outscored their opponents 8-0, head coach Emma Hayes rotated her squad significantly, fielding entirely different starting elevens in each match. However, the encounter with Canada represents the most significant challenge of this series, serving as a key evaluation opportunity before the next international break in October.
The coaching staff is expected to utilize players who were more rested in the previous games, potentially including defender Naomi Girma and midfielder Rose Lavelle. Defenders Gisele Thompson and Kerry Abello are not with the team, having departed the training camp due to injuries.
With the next international window scheduled for October, Hayes and her staff are using this game to finalize player evaluations. This assessment will help narrow down the player pool for future cycles, with a particular focus on planning for the 2027-28 period.
How to Watch and Odds
- Date: Wednesday, July 2
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Audi Field — Washington D.C.
- TV: TNT
- Live stream: Max
- Odds: USA -154; Draw +270; Canada +350
Last Meeting
These two rivals share a long history, with the USWNT holding a significant advantage, having won 53 of their 66 previous encounters. Their most recent clash was during the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, which ended in a 2-2 draw in regulation time before the USWNT secured a dramatic 5-4 victory on penalties. Key moments included goals from Sophia Wilson for the USWNT and Adrianna Leon for Canada, and former goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher making a crucial save and scoring a penalty in the shootout.
What the USWNT Coach Says
Emma Hayes has been clear about the timeline for her squad`s development towards the 2027-28 cycle. She indicated that the expanded player pool tested over the past six months will likely be reduced after the Canada match. Hayes regards Canada as a top-tier opponent and an ideal test for some of the USWNT`s less experienced players.
“I look at the Brazil games, I look at the Japan games, for example, tier one, opponents, tier A opponents, I think Canada are in that category,” Hayes stated. “I am curious how much we have learned from playing a tier one opponent… I think we have an opportunity to show how much we`ve closed the gap on the details, and not just six or seven senior players. I mean, more numbers being able to do that.”
Hayes and her staff are also concentrating on improving the team`s technical and tactical execution. While impressed by the team`s goal-scoring against Ireland, data suggested even more opportunities could have been converted. She emphasized the importance of evaluating players` decision-making, execution of game plans, and efficiency in attacking situations against Canada.
“Are we getting into the right areas? Yes. Are we taking the right decision when we`re in the right areas sometimes, are we executing at the top level in the right situations? Still indifferent for me,” she commented. “I still feel there is another level to close the gap for the volume of opportunities we get and converting them.”
Hayes also highlighted the importance of movement and maintaining defensive structure to minimize opponent threats. She warned, “Canada are very good in their transitions, and if you give them too much transition space, they have pace to hurt you. So I think we need to get those details right, but this is really about improving all the things I`ve just previously mentioned, but those are one or two that I think can be next steps.”
What the Canada Coach Says
Canada`s head coach Casey Stoney named a 23-player squad for their summer friendlies against Costa Rica and the USWNT. Like Hayes, Stoney views these matches as a crucial benchmark for her team against top international competition.
“This window is an important step forward for our group as we continue building toward our goals,” Stoney said in a statement. “We step up to a world-class challenge against the world`s top-ranked team, the USA, which is exactly where we want to be.”
This will be Stoney`s first time on the sideline managing Canada against this specific rival, although many players on her roster have ample experience facing the USWNT. Appointed in January, Stoney is still in the initial phase with the team.
“I think, first probably five months, really have been about exploring, about getting to know the players, getting to know the staff, understanding the skill sets of what we`ve got available, making sure the team plays the strengths of the players, rather than getting the players to adapt to something that we want to do,” she shared last month.
Stoney also spoke about rebuilding trust within the squad. “I`ve got to be honest, the first two camps, at least, has been about building trust in coaching and the technical team,” she explained. “I think the players lost trust over the last year, which is absolutely understandable… what I`ve gotten to know is there`s some incredible people, some incredible talent, and if we can, just fine-tune things we can give the players the right tools to be able to be successful, then we can go up a gear.”
Predicted Lineups
USWNT:
- Mandy McGlynn
- Avery Patterson
- Emily Sonnett
- Naomi Girma
- Lily Reale
- Sam Coffey
- Rose Lavelle
- Ally Sentnor
- Michelle Cooper
- Alyssa Thompson
Canada:
- Kalien Sheridan
- Ashley Lawrence
- Jade Rose
- Vanessa Giles
- Gabrielle Carle
- Julia Grosso
- Jesse Flemming
- Simi Awujo
- Marie-Yasmine Alidou
- Janine Sonis
- Evelyne Viens
Prediction
This match has the potential to be a tight contest, with both coaching staffs likely focused on evaluation and strategic adjustments for their programs. While a draw seems plausible given the context, rivalry games often surprise. Hopefully, the injection of newer players will bring excitement.
Pick: USWNT 2, Canada 1
