The US Women’s National Team (USWNT) are set to square off against Canada in the SheBelieves Cup. The match pits the two North American rivals against each other. It provides head coach Emma Hayes with an ideal opportunity to build on the players’ tournament experience.
Hayes wants this 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.
High Stakes in Columbus, Ohio
The USWNT are coming off a 2-0 victory over Argentina. Canada lead the tournament table after a 4-1 win over Colombia. The match against Canada sets the stage for a meeting that will likely determine this year’s champion, with a final game against Colombia to come for the USWNT on Saturday.
The Americans are expected to have Trinity Rodman available. She had an injury concern in the opener.
- Date: Wednesday, March 4
- Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
- Location: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field — Columbus, Ohio
- TV: TNT
- Stream: HBO Max
A History of Rivalry
The rivalry between the two North American giants dates back to 1986. The United States lead the all-time series. The USWNT holds a commanding advantage through 67 previous meetings, with 54 wins, four losses, and nine draws. They have outscored their regional rivals 189-42.
Recent versions of the rivalry have taken dramatic turns, often in tournament settings. The sides have often got the better of each other. These include penalty shootouts in the 2024 Gold Cup and 2024 SheBelieves Cup, and 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 Seek to Turn the Page
Canada head coach Casey Stoney is officially in year two of her tenure. The squad is eager to turn the page on a lacklustre 2025 that featured plenty of growing pains.
Canada are 10th in the official FIFA rankings, their lowest since 2018. They were in fourth place then. 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. They also managed respectable wins in a string of friendlies.
However, they closed out the year on a terrible skid. They suffered losses to Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Stoney named a 24-player roster for the SheBelieves Cup. This raised 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.