The US women’s national team are set to face Canada in the SheBelieves Cup. The match on Wednesday will see head coach Emma Hayes’ squad continue to build tournament experience. Hayes wants this experience replicated for a large portion of the roster.
Eight players from the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning team are on the SheBelieves Cup roster. Plenty of others are experiencing their first or second SheBelieves Cup competition.
USWNT Look to Continue Winning Ways
Following a 2-0 victory over Argentina in Sunday’s opener, the USWNT now face a Canadian side that lead the tournament table after a 4-1 win over Colombia. With a final game against Colombia on Saturday, the match against Canada sets the stage for a meeting that will likely determine this year’s champion.
The Americans are expected to have Trinity Rodman after an injury concern in the opener.
- Date: Wednesday, March 4
- Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
- Location: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field — Columbus, Ohio
- TV: TNTStream: HBO Max
A Long-Standing Rivalry
The rivalry between the two North American giants dates back to 1986, with the United States leading the all-time series. The USWNT holds a commanding advantage through 67 previous meetings, with 54 wins, four losses, and nine draws, and has outscored the regional rivals 189-42.
Recent versions of the rivalry have taken dramatic turns, often in tournament settings. The sides have frequently gotten the better of each other. There have been penalty shootouts in the 2024 Gold Cup and 2024 SheBelieves Cup, as well as Olympic semi-final showdowns.
In 2012, the USWNT’s come-from-behind extra-time semi-final win over Canada in London paved the way for a fourth gold medal. Canada’s 1-0 semi-final win in the 2020 Tokyo Games secured their first-ever gold medal. The 2020 Summer Games remain the most recent win against the USWNT to date.
Canada’s Perspective
Canada head coach Casey Stoney is officially in year two of her tenure with the program. The squad is eager to turn the page on a lackluster 2025 that featured plenty of growing pains.
Canada are 10th in the official FIFA rankings, their lowest since 2018, when they held fourth place. Despite the positive headlines Canada Soccer received upon hiring Stoney, following a drone scandal that led to the dismissal of Bev Priestman, the Canadians picked up a Pinatar Cup win and managed respectable wins in a string of friendlies. However, they closed out the year on a terrible skid, with losses to Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Stoney named a 24-player roster for the SheBelieves Cup, raising eyebrows with key players missing. Veteran players Adriana Leon, Shelina Zadorsky, Ashley Lawrence, and Sabrina D’Angelo were omitted, along with Jayde Riviere. Rising star attacker Olivia Smith had to withdraw following a concussion, and defender Megan Reid was called in.
The match against Canada sets the stage for a meeting that will likely determine this year’s champion.