Ally Sentnor takes another big step forward as Alyssa Thompson’s pace devastates - Winners and losers from the USWNT's win over rivals Canada

The 2024 U.S. Young Female Soccer Player of the Year earned all her stripes against Canada on Wednesday night in Columbus, scoring the game's only goal and adding her seventh international strike to date. 

Sentnor has played numerous positions for the national team, but only recently has been added to Emma Hayes' No. 9 mix. It's a position she is familiar with, having played there growing up and also for college at UNC Chapel Hill. Sentnor scored a brace to open the year on Jan. 24 against Paraguay and leads the team with three goals so far in 2026.

She mentioned on the broadcast postgame that she wants to be seen as a different kind of No. 9, one that's a bit more fun with it beyond just posting up and holding the ball. Sentnor's game is certainly fun, as she not only approaches every game with zero fear, but also takes her chances in front of the net, and nine times out of ten, executes.

 "Honestly, our goal was just to win the game. I think going into a rivalry game, we knew what was going to happen. It was going to be on the line, and Canada gave us an incredible performance, and we really had to work for this win," Sentnor said to Turner Sports. 

Thompson caused Canada all kinds of trouble, constantly driving at them, getting off shots and just wreaking havoc on a very experienced backline. 

While Thompson didn't score, she was the center of pretty much every opportunity for the USWNT. The speedy forward has been absolutely rapid for Chelsea during club play, scoring a team-leading eight goals on the season. For the USWNT, she started Tuesday alongside her sister, Gisele, and the two were lethal down the wing. Thompson helped the USWNT get off 18 shots to Canada's six. Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan pulled off some wild extension dives to keep Thompson's far-post strikes from curling in. 

Despite not getting a goal of her own, Thompson was vital to the USWNT's attacking front line and continues to make her case for leading the attack out-wide.

To Canada’s credit, they limited the USWNT to just one goal. Still, the back line had its share of nervy moments - the kind that, on another night, could easily have produced two or three more for the Americans.

Canada lined up with a familiar back four of Janine Sonis, Vanessa Gilles, Jade Rose, and Sydney Collins, with Gilles wearing the captain’s armband. For stretches, that group did well to keep U.S. forwards Alyssa Thompson, Ally Sentnor, and Trinity Rodman from finding clear-cut chances, even as pressure steadily mounted.

Looking ahead, though, Canada still faces a bigger challenge: turning defensive resilience into an attacking threat. If the program hopes to make a real splash - and first navigate qualification - ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, it will need to find more ways to move the ball out of its own half and generate goals. That task has only grown more pressing following the retirement of longtime talisman Christine Sinclair in 2024.

On Wednesday, Canada struggled to keep possession, holding just 35 percent of the ball compared to the USWNT’s 65. The defensive pressure showed up in other ways, too. The U.S. repeatedly forced set-piece opportunities - finishing with 11 corners to Canada’s two - and ultimately broke through early in the second half after sustained pressure around the box.

It was only right to give a shoutout to Canadian keeper Sheridan, who was absolutely sensational in a game that saw the USWNT completely rocket opportunities at her. 

Sheridan, who's been Canada's No. 1 keeper for years now, made three key saves, one of the most important being in the 42nd minute when she extended for a diving save to deflect a shot. Then, at the end of the game, made another proactive extension dive to deflect Thompson's curling shot. There wasn't much she could have done in the moment when Sentnor scored, as she was screened in the goal and not many players would have been able to settle that kind of service and then bury it left-footed. Positionally, Sheridan was in all of the right spots and helped her squad keep the USWNT to just one goal, in their 18 shots.