USA vs. Canada, Concacaf Championship: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, and Match Thread

Welcome to your live thread for the United States Women's National Team against Canada in the final match of the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship (8 p.m., FS1/FS2 depending on MLB playoffs, UDN). The USWNT has qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Sunday’s 6-0 win over Jamaica, and has its sights set on the confederation title against its neighbor and arch-rival from the north.

The United States and Canada have both bullied their way to this final match. The USWNT is 4-0 and has out-scored its opponents by a 24-0 margin. Canada has won all four of its games by a 24-1 aggregate score, although half of those goals came in one match against hapless Cuba.

Canada is the foe with which USWNT fans are most familiar. The neighbors from the north feature legend Christine Sinclair, who has well over 250 appearances with Canada and more than 175 international goals to her credit. The talented Canadians also boast attacking stars Adriana Leon, Janine Beckie, Nichelle Prince, and Diana Matheson.

The USWNT holds a 48-3-7 advantage in the all-time series and the teams last met in November of 2017 in a pair of friendlies. The home-and-home series saw the sides draw 1-1 in Vancouver on Nov. 10, 2017, and the U.S. won by a 3-1 final score in San Jose two days later. Orlando Pride striker Alex Morgan scored the winner and assisted on an insurance goal by Carli Lloyd in that match. Julie Ertz scored the opener. Morgan also scored the USWNT’s goal in the 1-1 draw, but her strike was canceled out by Leon. Coincidentally, Morgan and Leon are currently tied for the Golden Boot in the 2018 Concacaf Championship with six goals apiece. Morgan has scored three braces in her three appearances in the tournament.

The United States will have to be a bit more patient against Canada than in the previous matches in the tournament. Neither side has really been challenged so far, although Canada has started slowly in a couple of games. The Canadians cannot start slow in this one, as the U.S. has jumped on opponents early and often throughout the tournament with a ruthlessness we haven’t seen in quite some time.

Canada, FIFA’s fifth-ranked team in the world, will pose the greatest counter-attacking threat the Yanks have seen since the Tournament of Nations so being disciplined will be important and transition defense after losing the ball will also be vital. Canada can hurt you on the counter with players like Leon, Beckie, Prince, and Sinclair. If the U.S. can continue to pressure and score like it has, this should go the way of the Stars & Stripes. However, Canada is capable of pulling off the upset.

The biggest question marks for the United States will be the availability of Ertz and Morgan Brian, who both took knocks on Sunday and left the game. Ertz finished out the first half after a collision but Brian went to the locker room after getting hit in the head in the second half.

The USWNT is 36-1-1 all-time in the Concacaf Championship, 15-0-2 in 2018, and 22-0-3 since the 2017 Tournament of Nations.

Rosters

USWNT (Caps/Goals)

Goalkeepers (2): 18-Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride; 18/0), 1-Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 36/0).

Defenders (7): 7-Abby Dahlkemper (North Carolina Courage; 27/0), 19-Crystal Dunn (North Carolina Courage; 72/24), 20-Hailie Mace (UCLA; 3/0), 5-Kelly O’Hara (Utah Royals FC; 111/2), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals FC; 146/0), 14-Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars; 26/0), 2-Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC; 24/0).

Midfielders (5): 6- Morgan Brian (Chicago Red Stars; 81/6), 8-Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 70/18); 9-Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 60/7), 16-Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit; 17/5), 3-Samantha Mewis (North Carolina Courage; 40/8).

Forwards (6): 17-Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns; 141/25), 10-Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC; 262/105), 13-Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride; 150, 96), 12-Christen Press (Utah Royals FC; 106/46), 11-Mallory Pugh (Washington Spirit; 40/12), 15-Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC; 143/41).

Canada

Goalkeepers (2): Stephanie Labbe ( Lejonflocken Linköping), Erin McLeod (SC Sand).

Defenders (7): Lindsay Agnew (Houston Dash), Kadeisha Buchanan (Olympique Lyonnais), Allysha Chapman (Houston Dash), Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint-Germain), Rebecca Quinn (Washington Spirit), Emma Regan (University of Texas), Shelina Zadorsky (Orlando Pride).

Midfielders (5): Jessie Fleming (UCLA), Julia Grosso (University of Texas), Diana Matheson (Utah Royals FC), Sophie Schmidt (FFC Frankfurt), Gabrielle Carle (Florida State University).

Forwards (6): Jordyn Huitema (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite), Adriana Leon (Seattle Reign FC), Nichelle Prince (Houston Dash), Deanne Rose (University of Florida), Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns), Janine Beckie (Manchester City).                                                   

How to Watch

Match Time: 8 p.m. (ET).

Venue: Toyota Stadium — Frisco, TX.

TV: FS1/FS2 depending on MLB playoffs, UDN.

Streaming: FOX Sports GO.

Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow @StarsStripesFC, @ussoccer_wnt, and @TheManeLand.

Match Thread Rules

This is your live thread for posting comments on the match. So use our comments section below to talk about the game in real time with other supporters. If you’re new, welcome to our happy home! While you’re here, please observe a few basic rules:

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Enjoy the match! Go America!