The United States Women’s National Team returns to action July 2 for a meeting with Canada in the Allstate Continental Clásico in Washington, D.C. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET at Audi Field.
Fresh off winning the program’s 600th win on Sunday, the USWNT will look to close out this three-match window on a strong note against a Concacaf rival. Here are five things to know before the United States faces Canada on Wednesday.
1. A storied rivalry
The matchup between top-ranked United States and No. 8 Canada will mark the 67th time the neighboring countries have met on the pitch. The United States owns the all-time series, recording 53 of the program’s 600 wins against Canada, the most against any opponent in history.
This matchup has been full of memorable moments in the past and is sure to bring more in the future, including Wednesday night. This was the theme of this week’s episode of the U.S. Soccer Podcast released Wednesday morning with featured guests veteran Lynn Biyendolo and 18-year-old Jordyn Bugg. The pair joined hosts David Gass and Megan Klingenberg, who also faced Canada during her international career, to share their different perspectives on the rivalry.
2. Firepower in the attack
Two of the United States’ eight goals scored so far this window belong to Alyssa Thompson. The Angel City FC forward scored in each of the USA’s most recent matches against the Republic of Ireland, once as a starter and once off the bench. If Thompson continues the trend against Canada, at 20 years, 237 days old, she’ll be the second-youngest player to score in three straight USWNT appearances. Only legend Mia Hamm has done so at a younger age in separate three-game streaks as an 18-year-old in 1990 and a 19-year-old in 1991.
Biyendolo is also coming off a strong performance. On Sunday against Ireland, the veteran forward captained the USWNT for the first time in her career as she led a young starting XI that without her had only 41 caps combined. Like Thompson, Biyendolo has scored in two of the United States’ three most recent matches – the opening goal against Ireland in the 11th minute and a second-half brace off the bench in the 4-0 win over Jamaica in early June.
3. On The Hunt for Clean Sheet No. 5
Consecutive wins brought a lot of scoring for the United States; the team has also kept their opponents off the board. The squad under head coach Emma Hayes enters Wednesday night’s contest coming off back-to-back clean sheets against Ireland. Dating back to the early June friendlies, the USWNT has strung together four straight shutouts against three different opponents – Jamaica, China PR and Ireland.
In those matches, the USWNT has outscored their opponents by a total of 15-0, the largest margin in a four-match span in the last three years. The last time the USWNT displayed that kind of control in a four-match span was in 2022 when the team won four games with a combined score of 17-0.
4. Canada in good form
Canada, the opponent Wednesday, will be a strong challenge as head coach Casey Stoney’s team has also been in good form as of late. FIFA’s eighth-ranked team is the midst of a successful stretch of their own, winning three straight games dating back to May 31. Most recently, Canada scored four goals in 16 minutes to beat Costa Rica 4-1, then went on to earn back-to-back victories over Haiti.
The United States and Canada faced off twice in 2024 – in the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup Semifinal and the SheBelieves Cup Final. The USWNT won both meetings on penalty shootouts to extend their four-year unbeaten streak against their northern rivals.
The two head coaches have approached this window similarly, seeing it as a chance to develop their programs and build toward larger goals. That said, the Canada team that the U.S. will see in this edition features some regular starters such as Jessie Fleming, Ashley Lawrence, Adriana Leonand and Kailen Sheridan. Another player to look out for is Holly Ward. The 21-year-old has scored in back-to-back matches for Canada.
5. NWSL representation
Heading into the three-match window, Hayes required European-based based players in the national team pool to sit out this window to rest, with the exception of Naomi Girma who missed part of the season at Chelsea FC due to injury. The result was a young and less experienced camp roster, but one brimming with NWSL talent ready to make the most out of their opportunities at the national team level.
The site of Wednesday night’s match is the club soccer home for two players on the U.S. roster. Midfielder Croix Bethune and defender Tara McKeown play for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL and know Audi Field, the Spirit’s home pitch since 2023. Both players started the USWNT match on June 29 against Ireland.
The Washington Spirit is also owned by Michele Kang, one of the most steadfast champions and committed investors in women’s soccer. Last fall, Kang made a historic $30 million, five-year pledge to U.S. Soccer to advance the sport and was recently named this year’s Sports Philanthropist of the Year Honoree at the Sports Humanitarian Awards as part of ESPN’s ESPYs Week.
