In the most competitive rivalry in international women’s soccer, the USWNT narrowly defeated Canada 1-0. The Canadians have not beaten the Americans since 2001, but the intense competition between the neighboring nations is always exciting.

To the shock of many, Goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe did not start for Canada. Sky Blue FC’s Kailen Sheridan got the nod but her time was short-lived. Unfortunately for Sheridan, a groin injury took her out in the opening minutes of the match, prompting 34 year old Labbe to come on.

Early on, neither side was able to make much of its chances. Both teams left the far posts open, wasting opportunities that could have been capitalized on had players been there to finish. In the 38th minute, Canadian forward Janine Beckie tried to pass a ball near post but Alyssa Naeher denied her the easy tap in. Moments later, Labbe pushed Lynn Williams’ strike aside, setting the tone for a back and forth match. Aside from the scoring opportunities that resulted in impressive saves from Naeher and Labbe, the first half was relatively unsuccessful for both sides. Canada had two great opportunities in quick succession early in the second half but failed to score. Both sides have had multiple chances but neither could decide when to shoot. At the half, there were zeros on the board thanks to a major defensive clearance from Allysha Chapman on the Canadian goal line in stoppage time.

As the second half began, Canadian midfielder Sophie Schmidt subbed in, earning her 200th cap. Schmidt is just the third Canadian to reach 200 caps. A few minutes later, the USWNT showed their unmatched depth when Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski subbed in Christen Press, Alex Morgan, and Rose Lavelle. Immediately, Christen Press had a shot on goal, bringing her goal scoring prowess into the last third of the match. An infusion of energy and connectivity resulted in Horan’s volley off the crossbar in the 77th minute, propelling the USWNT forward. Lavelle made a significant impact on the match. Her speed and energy were contagious and the team began to connect and create more as a whole, resulting in a Lavelle goal in the 79th minute off of a Press free kick and a USWNT win.

Ultimately, Canada was the biggest challenge the USWNT has faced in a while. With a new coach and missing seven players due to club restrictions and injury, Canada’s ability to hold off the likes of Christen Press and Carli Lloyd for 79 minutes was impressive. Canada was missing Christine Sinclair and Diana Matheson, two of the best athletes the country has ever seen due to injury. In 2020, Sinclair beat Abby Wambach’s record of the most international goals scored by a man or woman with 186. Samantha Mewis and Tobin Heath suffered ankle injuries, ruling them out of the tournment as well. Four players were denied release by their clubs. Canada’s Kadeisha Buchanan (Olympique Lyonnais), Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint-Germain), and Jordyn Huitema (Paris Saint-Germain) stayed in France as did Alana Cook (Paris Saint-Germain) of the USWNT.

Despite Canada’s best efforts, the best team in the world was able to pull out a win.

The USWNT will return to play on Sunday at 3PM EST against Brazil on FS1 and TUDN

Canada will face off against Argentina on Sunday at 6PM EST on FS2 and the TUDN App