ANALYSIS – The USWNT’s relentless pressure was a big reason why they came up with the win against the CANWNT. This, along with their big defensive plays and ability to take the ball away from Canada, were big reasons for the result on Wednesday.
The USWNT’s Relentless Pressure Worked in ScottsMiracle-Gro Field
The USWNT Had Relentless Pressure Throughout the Game
The USWNT had ruthless pressure and did not give Canada’s defence much room to breathe.
This forced Canada to make some fantastic defensive plays, such as:
- Vanessa Gilles made a fantastic defensive play in the fifth minute of play.
- Jade Rose had to be sharp and clear the ball in dangerous situations to prevent the U.S. from getting a good scoring chance.
There were also some misses, with Rose Lavelle’s header, which was uncontested, and happened because of a fantastic pass from Sam Coffey, but she was unable to convert on the scoring chance. Also, Kailen Sheridan was forced to make a diving stop to prevent Alyssa Thompson from scoring and doubling the USA’s lead.
In addition, Ally Sentnor had a golden opportunity to score late in the first half.
However, their relentless pressure did help the USWNT to get the game-winning goal. Following a corner with Rose Lavelle’s cross, Sentnor scored the lone and only goal of the game.
This was Sentnor’s seventh international goal in 13 months. She talked about having a blast representing the national team, and that she does not take this for granted, according to Melanie Anzidel of The Athletic:
“I’m living the dream. Like, it’s crazy,” Sentnor said. “Every time I step on the field with this team, I really just try to play with joy.”
Of course, part of the reason for this was Canada giving up possession a bit too easily. This allowed the U.S. to remain aggressive and have possession of the ball.
The CANWNT Gave Up Possession of the Ball Too Many Times
There were many instances that Canada had possession but gave it straight away to the U.S. An example would be:
- Sydney Collins gave up the ball in the 83rd minute of play.
- Julia Grosso gave up the ball in the 86th minute of play.
These were just a few examples of possessions given up. It also meant fewer scoring opportunities for the Canadians. The CANWNT overall did not have many scoring chances, with the U.S.’s defence also playing a factor in that.
The U.S. Played Well Defensively
Whenever Canada looked like they were going to get a scoring chance/opportunity, the U.S. was there to stop it. Some examples include:
- Thompson got to the ball before Marie-Yasmine Alidou and cleared the ball out of danger in a dangerous scoring position.
- Evelyne Viens was fouled in the 19th minute to prevent her from advancing on the field.
- Nichelle Prince passed the ball to Cloé Lacasse in the 50th minute. Lacasse could not get a shot off in a dangerous scoring position because of the U.S.’s defence.
In fact, a big reason for the U.S.’s win was its ability to limit Canada’s scoring chances. The Canadians had only one shot on goal, a Simi Awujo shot early in the game. This shot was easily stopped by the USWNT goalkeeper, Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
Other Factors: A Much-Improved Effort from the CANWNT/CANXNT
There were a lot of positives from the CANWNT/CANXNT with the game on Wednesday. There was a great level of improvement with the national team compared to when they lost 3-0 to the USWNT last year. This is what CANWNT/CANXNT head coach, Casey Stoney, said about the game, according to the OneSoccer Instagram Account:
She also stated the difficult situation the team was in after Jessie Fleming did not play due to illness. This was the exact same reason why Simi Awujo came out of the game and was replaced by Mimi Alidou in the 37th minute of play.
READ MORE: Kaylee Hunter: Promising Canadian Teenager for AFC Toronto
What might make people excited about the CANWNT/CANXNT is that AFC Toronto forward teenager Kaylee Hunter could be getting some playing time in the last SheBelieves Cup game on Saturday against Argentina.
Games Coming Up For Both Teams
READ MORE: 2026 CANWNT SheBelieves Cup Roster: Three NSL Forwards
For the USWNT, they close their 2026 SheBelieves Cup journey against Colombia at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, on March 7 at 12:30 pm EST. This is while the CANWNT/CANXNT will play at the same venue at 2:30 pm EST. All the U.S. has to do is at least draw with Colombia to win the 2026 SheBelieves Cup trophy.
The CANWNT/CANXNT game will be shown live on TSN and OneSoccer.
Photo Credit: USWNT X Account on March 4, 2026.
