A clear core group emerges as USWNT defeats Canada: ‘I love winning football matches like this’
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The 22-year-old had been relentless in her pursuit of a goal all match against rival Canada, and her stubbornness finally paid off in the 55th minute.
When U.S. midfielder Rose Lavelle delivered a powerful corner kick that flew past Trinity Rodman, Emily Sonnett and Claire Hutton, Sentnor knew she could capitalize, scoring her seventh international goal in 13 months to lift the U.S. to a 1-0 win over Canada.
“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.”
The USWNT’s tenacious win in Columbus, Ohio, brings the team one step closer to its eighth SheBelieves Cup title. The team now heads to Harrison, N.J., where it faces Colombia in the tournament’s finale at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday. The team with the most points of the four participating teams takes home the title, and the U.S. is in pole position with 6 points from two wins with just one game to go.
This win was an example of just how far this group of players has come under coach Emma Hayes over the past two years, with the former Chelsea manager describing Wednesday’s match as one of her “favorite performances” by the team.
“There are so many different ways to win a football match,” Hayes said. “I love winning football matches like this.”
The U.S. controlled possession for the majority of the match and pressed so high that the Canadiens were often left scrambling in their defensive end. The Americans had 18 shot attempts, and Canada had only six. There were moments of individual brilliance, but each was overshadowed by how much control the U.S. had.
“Our control the last 10 minutes of the game — that, for me, is indicative of maturity in the performance,” Hayes said. “It was one of my favorite performances because they’re growing up.
“That includes Ally Sentnor. I mean, she was menacing all evening, pressing really different. She made it really difficult for them to settle on the ball.”
It was, as Hayes said, a testament to her development. It wasn’t that long ago that Sentnor scored her first USWNT goal, also in the SheBelieves Cup, last year. Few could forget her rocket from outside the box. At the time, Hayes cautioned reporters that this was just the beginning for the then-21-year-old.
Wednesday’s match was another glimpse into Hayes’ vision, a preview of who she might be considering for that core group she is looking to identify as the U.S. prepares for World Cup qualifiers. What’s certain is that Hayes has plenty of players to choose from.
The lineup Wednesday against Canada featured an entirely different cast of players from the 11 who started the match against Argentina over the weekend in Nashville, Tenn. Only 20-year-old Gisele Thompson featured in both starting 11s. Yet, both lineups were able to deliver a game-winning performance against very different opponents.
The starting 11 against Canada featured a veteran core with players like Sonnett, Lavelle, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma and Sam Coffey. Rodman was also a starter, playing 69 minutes, a promising sign after a hard foul that saw her exit the match against Argentina prematurely on Sunday. But what remains one of the USWNT’s biggest flexes is the players who sometimes come off the bench.
In the 79th minute, longtime captain Lindsey Heaps and 18-year-old Lily Yohannes subbed on and elevated the control of the match in a way that makes the USWNT dangerous.
“To be able to bring on Lindsey and Lily Yohannes — just incredible players that are so good on the ball (and) can calm the game, can lead the team — like, this team has endless depth, and I’m just so grateful to be a part of it,” Sentnor said on the TNT broadcast.
The midweek performance was not without its flaws, however. There were missed connections, shots off target and some visible rust in players’ performances. But this is also the first time in more than a year that Hayes has focused on the development of this core group together rather than developing her wider player pool. With SheBelieves, the individual pieces are finally coming together into a cohesive unit.
Hayes pointed to many players being in their NWSL preseasons. It’s worth noting, too, that this camp remains without players like Chelsea’s Catarina Macario, who is working back from an injury, and Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson, who are still working their way back to the pitch following their pregnancies.
Still, there were some individual moments of brilliance in Columbus on Wednesday. Sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson were reunited on the pitch and, apparently, for the first time on the left side of the field. Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who could be a front-runner for Hayes’ starting goalkeeper position, earned another clean sheet. And the team’s lone goal was off a set piece, which is something Hayes and the players have actively been working on improving.
The team now looks ahead to its third and final match of the SheBelieves Cup on Saturday, when it will face a strong Colombian side that is fresh off a 1-0 win over Argentina.
It will be another moment for this team to put its learnings over the last year to good use.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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