Ally Sentnor strike helps US top Canada, extending dominant defensive record

Columbus, Ohio — A 55th-minute strike from Ally Sentnor lifted the United States women’s national team to a 1-0 victory over Canada on Wednesday night, sealing a seventh straight clean sheet and preserving the Americans’ iron grip on the SheBelieves Cup standings.

Sentnor’s seventh international goal came courtesy of a cleverly worked corner kick. Rose Lavelle delivered a low, curling ball from the left that skipped through the penalty area and found the 20-year-old forward unmarked at the far post. After settling the bouncing ball, Sentnor calmly slotted her shot beyond goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan to decide a tight contest that rarely veered from a one-goal margin.

The sequence proved enough to extend the USWNT’s shut-out streak to 714 minutes, dating back to a 23 October concession against Portugal. It also stretched Canada’s winless run against their neighbors to six matches, a stretch that began after Canada’s memorable extra-time triumph in the 2021 Olympic semi-final.

Emma Hayes’ side dominated the opening 45 minutes, monopolizing 68 percent of possession and outshooting Canada 9-2. Sentnor, promoted to the starting line-up after appearing as a substitute in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Argentina, combined fluidly with Alyssa Thompson, Rose Lavelle, and Trinity Rodman to pin the visitors deep. The best chance of the half arrived moments before the whistle, when Sentnor darted around Jade Rose to meet a loose ball, only to steer her near-post effort into the side netting.

Canada emerged with renewed intent after the break, repeatedly isolating 20-year-old left-back Gisele Thompson on the counter. In the 49th minute Nichelle Prince threaded a pass to Cloé Lacasse inside the six-yard box, but a wall of American defenders smothered the chance before a shot could materialize.

Once Sentnor broke the deadlock, the match settled into a tactical chess match. Both sides found intermittent shooting lanes yet neither could craft a decisive second goal. Rodman, building fitness after a back complaint limited her 2025 minutes, completed 69 before yielding to hometown debutant Emma Sears.

The loss is Canada’s seventh in an 11-game stretch that has also seen them fail to record a clean sheet since 4 April 2025. Bev Priestman’s squad will attempt to halt that slide in Saturday’s early kick-off against Argentina, while the United States close the tournament against Colombia in the afternoon feature.