USA vs. CANADA
Date:
Oct. 17, 2018
Venue:
Toyota Stadium; Frisco, Texas
Broadcast:
FS2 & UDN
Kickoff:
7 p.m. CT
Starting XI vs. Canada: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 5-Kelley O’Hara, 7-Abby Dahlkemper, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 19-Crystal Dunn; 8-Julie Ertz, 16-Rose Lavelle, 9-Lindsey Horan; 17-Tobin Heath, 13-Alex Morgan (capt.), 15-Megan Rapinoe
Substitutes Available: 2-Emily Sonnett, 3-Samantha Mewis, 6-Morgan Brian, 10-Carli Lloyd, 11-Mallory Pugh, 12-Hailie Mace, 14-Casey Short, 18-Ashlyn Harris, 20-Christen Press
U.S. Team
- U.S. head coach Jill Ellis is starting the same lineup she put out against Mexico in the opening game of the tournament on Oct. 4, against Trinidad & Tobago on Oct. 10 and in the semifinal against Jamaica on Oct. 14. She made nine changes on Oct. 7 against Panama, and Alyssa Naeher, Kelley O’Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, Crystal Dunn, Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe did not see minutes in that second game.
- All 20 players on the U.S. roster have seen minutes through the first two matches of the tournament. No player has played the total of 360 minutes, but defender Abby Dahlkemper has been on the field the most (347 minutes).
- Ten different players have scored the 24 goals in this tournament thus far: Morgan (6), Heath (4), Carli Lloyd (3), Rapinoe (3), Rose Lavelle (2), Julie Ertz (2), Dunn, Lindsey Horan, Christen Press and Samantha Mewis. Nine players have assists, with Lindsey Horan leading the way with four.
- Four players have seen action in all four games of the tournament so far: Abby Dahlkemper, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle. They are all starting tonight.
- The USA is 15-0-2 in 2018, with wins against Denmark, Germany, England, Mexico (thrice), China PR (twice), Japan, Brazil, Chile (twice), Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica; and ties against Australia and France.
- The USA is unbeaten in its last 25 matches (22-0-3), and has outscored its opponents 89-17 through that stretch, scoring in all 25 games.
- The USA is 31-1-0 all-time in World Cup qualifying, including 17-0-0 at home.
- The U.S. WNT hasn’t conceded a goal in 10 straight WCQ games (963 minutes) dating back to 2010. The last goal allowed came in the 27th minute against Mexico on Nov. 5, 2010. Under Jill Ellis in World Cup qualifying the USA has a record of 9-0-0 with 45 goals scored and 0 against.
- The WNT hasn’t conceded a goal in 614 minutes in 2018, with the last one coming against Brazil during the Tournament of Nations on Aug. 2.
- The U.S. women have won five of six of WCQ tournaments, finishing first in the qualifying competitions for the 1991, 1995, 2003, 2007 and 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cups. The USA finished third in the qualifying tournament for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and had to go through a two-game playoff against Italy to qualify for Germany 2011. The USA played Canada in the championship game of each of the first four tournaments in which both participated (the USA did not have to qualify as host in 1999).
- The USA has scored 182 goals in WWC qualifying (an average of 5.7 per game) while allowing five.
Starting Lineup
- Alyssa Naeher has 19 career shutouts and will earn cap No. 37 tonight and her 14th in 2018.
- Kelley O’Hara will earn her 112th cap tonight in her eighth start and appearance of 2018.
- Abby Dahlkemper will earn her 28th cap tonight. It will be her 15th appearance and 14th start of 2018.
- Becky Sauerbrunn will earn her 147th cap tonight. Sauerbrunn is in 20th place on the all-time caps list.
- Crystal Dunn came off the bench to play outside back against France on March 4 and has been playing in that position ever since. Dunn will earn cap No. 73 tonight and make her 13th start of 2018.
- Julie Ertz will earn her 71st cap and has scored 18 international goals, most recently against Jamaica on Oct. 14.
- Lindsey Horan, the 2018 NWSL MVP, has played in every game for the USA this year. She will make her 15th start tonight and has scored three goals with seven assists in 2018, second most on the team.
- Rose Lavelle will earn her 18th career cap tonight and makes her seventh start this year. She has scored five international goals, most recently her first career brace vs. T&T on Oct. 10.
- Tobin Heath will make her eighth start for the U.S. WNT tonight. She has scored 25 career goals, the most recent with her second career brace vs. Jamaica on Oct. 14. Heath will earn cap No. 142 and is in 22nd place on the USA’s all-time caps list. She has six assists in 2018.
- Alex Morgan, who comes into the match with 96 goals after scoring her 22nd career brace against Jamaica on Oct. 14. She will earn her 151st cap tonight. At age 29, she sits in sole possession of seventh place on the USA's all-time goal scoring list and is third all-time in two-goal games (22), behind only Abby Wambach (37) and Mia Hamm (28). With her hat trick against Japan on July 26, the fourth of her career, Morgan is now tied with Michelle Akers for third all-time in multi-goal games (26) behind Abby Wambach (45) and Mia Hamm (38). She’s scored 23 goals over her last 23 WNT matches. She leads the WNT with 16 goals in 2018.
- Megan Rapinoe has scored 41 international goals and is 15th on the all-time goals list. Rapinoe leads the USA with 12 assists on the year and now has 56 for her career, good for sixth place in the U.S. all-time assists list. Seven of Rapinoe's 12 assist this year have come on Alex Morgan goals.She will earn cap No. 144 tonight and make her 15th start of 2018. She has scored seven goals in 2018.