The USWNT is leaving no stone unturned in pivoting this lull in domestic action into a festival of brilliance. For their ongoing June/July window, the American ladies are on a scoring spree, having defeated the Republic of Ireland 4-0 twice in three days. But even after scoring eight goals against the same team, the challenge for Emma Hayes and Co. doesn’t end here as they gear up to face their North American rivals, Canada.

Overall, many view it as a friendly international window, also evident from a pure-domestic 25-player squad that Hayes called up, even including 76% of players who have less than 10 caps. However, this is exactly the misunderstanding that the English boss wants to clarify, insisting the game is more than just an exhibition contest.

“I don’t believe in friendlies,” Hayes began in the press conference. “I believe it’s an important game, as are all of them. It’s an opportunity to show the progress we’ve made in these five months. There’s been a lot of work that’s gone into developing the playing pool.”

The 48-year-old insisted that the 2-1 defeats against Japan and Brazil, where less experienced players and youngsters had the chance to grow and gain valuable international exposure, were no less than a learning curve for these talents. She also expressed gratitude for how they have evolved in their style of play.

“I think we’re in a really good place as a team. I know it means a lot to the team to continue to raise the level, regardless of who the opponents are, but I also know it’s a very important game for this country,” concluded the former WSL manager, insisting that the team will give their everything against Casey Stoney-led Canucks.

Notably, the last time the Stars and Stripes ft. ladies faced CanWNT was in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup. At that time, interim manager Twila Kilgore, who was under Emma Hayes’ continuous contact, took the USA to finals after defeating Japan 2-1 in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Canada, then coached by Bev Priestman, who was dismissed in the Paris Olympics 2024 over a cheating scandal, reached the final by defeating Brazil 2-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

In the final, USWNT’s Sophia Wilson and Canada’s Adriana Leon scored a brace each to save either of their teams from an upset, taking the match to the penalties, where the 4x World Champions secured a closely contested 5-4 win. Hence, it’s only natural for Canucks to look for a potential win. Then again, there’s no denying how desperate Hayes would also be to secure the win!

Will Emma Hayes and Co. succeed in a potential hat trick of wins?

So far, the type of lineup that Emma Hayes has called up for this window suggests she is experimenting for the big leagues, a.k.a. the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Fortunately, that proved favorable at least against the Republic of Ireland, where they ended up finding the back of the net for a whopping eight times. Not to mention that Sunday night’s victory was the USWNT’s 600th win, in which more than half of them, close to 318, have come with a margin of at least three goals.

Such a performance only saw Hayes admit that things are indeed, going on the right track. “I feel like everybody is not just trusting the process, but they are carrying out all the things we asked them to do,” said the London-born manager. This only means that Wednesday’s clash against Canada is also about following the same path to glory. Not to mention the sheer optimism that both the team and the coach have been buzzing with.

Admit it, the way Hayes had sent a no-mercy warning to Ireland even after initially defeating them 4-0 is enough to send a subtle message to Canada that USWNT is ready for any challenges. Yet, that doesn’t rule out how good the opponents are, as Casey Stoney’s side enters the match with their own 4-1 victory over Costa Rica. Either way, it looks promising for both sides. May the best team win.