[[ Time: 10:15 p.m. ETPlace: Snapdragon Stadium– San Diego, Calif. Stream: Paramount+
Players to watch
Canada
Adriana Leon. The forward is tied with Mexico’s Lizbeth Ovalle as the leading tournament goal scorer with five goals. The Aston Villa winger will be a focal point of Canada’s attack. Ashley Lawrence: She’s shown no limits in new formations from head coach Bev Preistman. The wingback has earned three consecutive starts for Canada in the tournament.
USA
Trinity Rodman: The 21-year-old winger put in a shift during the quarterfinal against Colombia within the attacking third and off the ball during defensive recovery. She earned a yellow for her efforts and recorded an assist before getting subbed off at halftime. Tierna Davidson: The defender had a stealthy good game alongside center back Naomi Girma during the quarterfinal. She conceded the penalty during the Tokyo semifinal and this could be an opportunity for a redemption song.
Storylines
USWNT: The squad never let their foot off the gas against Colombia and they’ll strive for similar energy against Canada. They might not have the early success on goal as they did during the quarterfinal but an even bigger response to their group loss against Mexico will be if they can handle some of Canada’s new tactics. If player rotation is only part of the equation, hopefully, it means the coaching staff will let the kids play.
Canada: After dominating group play in points and goal differential, the Canadians are coming off an extra-time quarterfinal battle against Costa Rica where they were held to a one-goal victory. It took bench depth to pull off the victory with substitute Evelyne Viens scoring the game-winning goal. No longer a squad that lulls opposing teams to sleep, they will face their biggest test of the tournament against long-time rivals the United States with a chance to really show off their new era of play.
Prediction
As the tournament goes further, the deeper bench might be the difference maker. Time to show off the best roster and not just best 11. Pick: USA 2, Canada 1.
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