Five Things to Know: USWNT vs. Canada
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup match against Canada on Wednesday, March 4 in Columbus, Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The U.S. Women’s National Team is set to face Canada on Wednesday, March 4 for their second match of the 2026 SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa. Both teams began the tournament with a win, raising the stakes even higher for the mid-week matchup.
Here’s everything you need to know heading into Wednesday’s game:
1. A Storied Rivalry
Canada is the USA’s most frequent opponent with this 2026 SheBelieves Cup clash marking the 68th meeting between the two sides. The U.S. has dominated this rivalry and holds a 54W-4L-9D draw record since the teams first played each other in 1986. Goals from Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton, and Yazmeen Ryan secured a 3-0 USA win over Canada when they last met in July 2025. Canada was last victorious in the series in the semifinal of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when a penalty kick from Jessie Fleming earned a 1-0 win. It was just one of two shots on goal for Canada in that match as the USA piled up a 17-5 overall shot advantage.
There is even history among head coaches as Emma Hayes and Canada’s Casey Stoney competed against each other when they were club managers in the English Women’s Super League for Chelsea FC and Manchester United, respectively.
“I think rivalries are so important in sports,” said USWNT midfielder Claire Hutton. “Having Canada as a rival and to play in the SheBelieves tournament setting is super special. It gives it a little bit more power to it, and hopefully the fans are going to bring a bit more energy.”
2. Back in the Buckeye State
Ohio is a frequent and long-standing destination for the USWNT dating back to the 1990s. This match will be the 25th in Ohio and the 13th in Columbus, where the team holds a 9W-1L-2D record. Coincidentally, the last time the U.S. played at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field was against Canada in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup Final. Following a 2-2 draw through regulation, the U.S. won 5-4 in the penalty shootout that saw goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher make three saves and convert her own kick.
It’s also a homecoming for Ohio natives Emma Sears and Rose Lavelle. Sears, who recorded her third international assist on Sunday against Argentina, hails from Dublin, Ohio, a suburb roughly 30 minutes outside of Columbus, while Lavelle grew up in Cincinnati.
“Rose is such a role model for me, and she's someone that I definitely look up to and have for a very long time,” Sears said. “To have the opportunity to build a relationship and connection with her, it's definitely very special to me. We always love to say that we're Ohio girls, and representing Ohio means a lot to the two of us.”
3. Milestone Goals
Lindsey Heaps and Jaedyn Shaw not only secured the win in the USA’s SheBelieves Cup opener, but both of their goals marked milestones that demonstrated Heaps’ longevity and Shaw’s youth. The U.S. captain has now scored in 12 consecutive calendar years, the longest such streak by any player currently on the team. She is the seventh player in USWNT history to score in at least 10 consecutive calendar years, joining Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd, Tiffeny Milbrett, Shannon Boxx, and Alex Morgan. Meanwhile, Shaw became the fifth-youngest player in USWNT history to reach 10 career goals at 21 years, 101 days old. She was behind only Hamm, Cindy Parlow Cone, Mallory Swanson and Christie Welsh.
4. SheBelieves Debuts
Jameese Joseph, Maddie Dahlien, Kennedy Wesley and Claudia Dickey were named to the starting lineup against Argentina, all making their first SheBelieves Cup appearances. Lilly Reale also made her SBC debut off the bench; however, she left the match soon after sustaining a foot injury and has since departed camp.
Riley Jackson, Avery Patterson and Phallon Tullis-Joyce are the other three players on the roster who are competing to make their SheBelieves Cup debuts.
5. Clean Sheet Streak
The 2-0 win over Argentina marked the sixth-consecutive shutout for the U.S. dating back to 2025. The team has gone 625 minutes without conceding a goal, which it last did in the 3-1 win against Portugal on Oct. 26, 2025. Sunday was the seventh clean sheet for Dickey, and it was the first time in the three matches this year that the team faced a shot on target. The U.S. was the only nation to not concede a goal in the first match day of the tournament.
Game 😤 2 😤
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) March 4, 2026
sbc x @Visa pic.twitter.com/1PKM9qh36D