Swanson leads the way: 3 takeaways from the USWNT’s triumph over Canada

The USWNT got off to an electric start in the 2023 SheBelieves Cup, building momentum for the World Cup coming this summer.

When the 2023 SheBelieves Cup schedule came out in early December, everyone’s eyes quickly turned to the first match between the two juggernauts of CONCACAF — the USWNT and Canada. With the news of Canadian soccer showing a lack of support for both national teams, the meeting between the No. 1 and the No. 6 team in the FIFA rankings became one defined by unity.

After all the togetherness shown by both sides and the celebration of Alex Morgan’s greatness, there was still a 90-minute match to be played. Given the circumstances that Christine Sinclair and her teammates had to play through, Canada came out understandably sluggish. Two first-half goals by Chicago Red Stars’ striker Mallory Swanson sealed the deal for the USWNT as Vlatko Andonovski’s side bested Brazil’s result from earlier in the day to jump to the top of the SheBelieves Cup standings after one game.

The U.S. has now won four out of its last five meetings with its neighbors to the north, with the only loss coming in the semifinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The preparation for the World Cup is on, and with the United States taking on three of the world’s best, this is a chance to feel out its potential opposition down the line in August.

Andonovski’s roster has the benefit of consistency, and this competition’s opening lineup reflected that. Rose Lavelle was quite possibly the only regular name missing from the starting XI, but that was only due to an injury. Two more matches await the USWNT against two quality opponents before the team can claim its fourth consecutive SheBelieves Cup, and sixth all-time.

Here are the 3 biggest takeaways from a night that began with solidarity, and concluded with yet another positive result for the USWNT against its biggest rival: