USWNT vs. Canada: USA soccer players to watch as Emma Hayes continues player pool experimentation

The national team of American women will close their friendly competitions on Wednesday with some extra sizzle. The team comes from a few dominant victories against Ireland, every match a 4-0 victory, prior to their regional fight against old Concacaf-Rivalen Canada. While the eight goals brought excitement over two games, Canada will be different challenges against a younger USWNT selection that would like to leave an impression on the coaching staff, with the effort higher than the previous six months of the year.

This will be the 67th encounter of all time between the two countries, and the storylines around this upcoming match are not only about who will be in line against the neighbors of the US in the North, but how the last six months of players’ debut and breakthrough have re-creates the core of the USWNT player pool that improves. After the match against Canada, the USWNT will then gather in the fall during international windows. That is about 13 months from the Concacaf W championship of November 2026, which serves as FIFA world cup qualifications for the region.

There is plenty to prove that players are hopeful to be part of the team’s plans on their way to the 2027-28 cycle, so let’s see who is up to stay around and whoever needs a final test against Canada to determine their interests under the swimming pool:

Why so many new faces?

There is an argument about how generation turnover helped to reform USWNT, with huge quantities of players retirement in the past two years in combination with new head coach Emma Hayes and a staff prepared to meet the moment by completely tearing the plaster since their historic 2023 World Cup elimination. An Olympic gold medal from 2024 has put the USWNT on top of the stage, but 2025 has been a year of extension and experiments of player pool with different members of the Golden Medal team that are largely not available for selection for the past six months.

The attacking line of “Triple Espresso” with Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman has not been to the team nearly 2025. Rodman played in Kampen against Brazil, but has since been excluded without a timetable for return, because she manages a permanent back lot. In the meantime, Wilson and Swanson are gone on pregnancy leave and this year it is not expected to return this year. In addition to Hayes’ ideal forward trio, there are defender Naomi Girma and midfielder Rose Lavelle, who each returned to the schedule in May and June respectively.

What’s at stake?

There have been many new additions with so many regulars that are not available for selection, and two eruption victories against an injured Ireland mean that a measuring stick is still needed, so Canada is the perfect choice. The physical, hardened solution and fight tested players of the regional rivals offer the ultimate stress test.

Emma Hayes has been transparent about reducing her extensive pool of players into a select core of players after the summer window. It is part of the larger timetable for the coaching staff and the structure of the cycle of 2027-28. Some players this year are only six months of the Senior National Team program, while others have been with the group since last fall.

Must see against Canada

The reality is stains on a selection for third, fourth or fifth options outside of an ideal start of 11 games, and Canada is an optimal test for players fighting for those depth positions.

Here are five players we want to see, get the start against Canada on Wednesday:

Avery Patterson: The outdoor ridge has been impressive during its five performances with the USSWNT. Her efforts against China in May were an improvement after the first minutes against Brazil in April, and her start against Ireland came up with her first national team goal. Although Hayes was the improvement of fullback and her listening skills for free, she also noted that Patterterson had to be necessary. She will get that against Canada.

Michelle Cooper: The wing player has taken the most out of her performances and has been in most national team camps this year. Her game has been noticed and it is hard to miss if it functions as a jeep driven by a Viper. She goes after opposing backlines with a fearlessness of her game that may seem reckless for others, but with more minutes and matches it can be the exact type of energy that is needed.

Yazmeen Ryan: Another option under the forward core that can offer a cunning wing game, but a club that is to the Houston -Dash is not completely destroyed next to an persistent injury. She scored her first national team goal against Ireland on Thursday after having spent time in USSWNT camps since last fall.

Mandy McGlynn: No consecutive start was given in 2025, except for Phallon Tulis-Joyce. With Canada as the top-ranged opponent this window, we could see McGlynn start in the goal as the most covered goalkeeper on the Roster with five starts. But her moments against top teams in Brazil, she showed some room for improving some mistakes. A run-out against Canada will be a great test to assess its growth.

Giselle Thompson: The fullback has a great club season alongside sister Alyssa Thompson with Angel City FC, and the defender has compiled respectable versions to the point that the coaching staff wanted to see more about attacking lines. Earlier this month she received a call-up as part of the forward core, but injury pulled her from Kampen. Now she is back in action with a chance to make problems with a formidable enemy.