Emma Hayes Gets The Best of Casey Stoney in Border Battle: Fifth Straight Shutout Win

Young American squad delivers commanding performance at sold-out Audi Field to extend perfect winning streak

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Women’s National Team delivered a masterclass performance against FIFA’s No. 8-ranked Canada, cruising to a 3-0 victory in the annual Allstate Continental Clásico at a sold-out Audi Field on July 2, 2025. The commanding win marked the USWNT’s fifth consecutive shutout and extended their perfect record to 18-0 across their last five matches.

Historic Night for Young Stars

The evening belonged to the next generation of American soccer talent. Claire Hutton, just 19 years old, scored her first international goal in only her sixth cap, heading home a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the 36th minute. The milestone moment capped off a dominant first-half performance that saw the Americans take control early and never relinquish it.

“This was a special night for so many of our young players,” said head coach Emma Hayes after the match. “To see Claire get her first goal and the way this group has responded throughout this window shows the depth we’re building.”

Coffey Continues Hot Streak

Sam Coffey opened the scoring in the 17th minute with her fourth career international goal, capitalizing on a deflected free kick from Rose Lavelle. The defensive midfielder has been in exceptional form, tallying three goals this year alone and providing the steady presence that has anchored the USWNT’s recent success.

The goal came after early pressure from the Americans, who nearly scored twice in the opening minutes through Lynn Biyendolo and Michelle Cooper on blistering counterattacks down the right flank.

United States coach Emma Hayes said that her veteran players “made sure we played the way we wanted to play; we didn’t play another game.”

Birthday Magic for McKeown

The night’s final goal carried special significance as Washington Spirit’s Tara McKeown, celebrating her birthday in her club’s home stadium, provided the assist for Yazmeen Ryan’s 89th-minute strike. McKeown’s driving run down the right wing drew multiple defenders before she found Ryan, who calmly slotted home her second goal in as many matches.

“Playing at home on my birthday and getting an assist – it doesn’t get much better than that,” McKeown said post-match. “The crowd was incredible tonight.”

Dominant Performance Across the Board

The statistics tell the story of American dominance. The USWNT outshot Canada 22-7, controlled 66% of possession, and earned six corner kicks to Canada’s zero. Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, earning just her second cap, made three crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet, including a spectacular stop on Jordyn Huitema in the 18th minute.

The defensive unit, anchored by captain Naomi Girma, limited Canada’s dangerous attack to just three shots on target despite the visitors’ recent form that included three straight wins.

“Talk is cheap,” Stoney said. “We can keep talking about winning the World Cup, we can talk about the things that we are going to do. We can keep talking about what we’re going to do, or we can actually put things into action.”

Building Toward the Future

Perhaps most impressive was the youth of the American squad. Hayes made 10 changes from the previous match against Ireland, with Lynn Biyendolo the only holdover. The starting XI featured several players earning their first significant international experience, yet the team showed remarkable cohesion and tactical discipline.

“What we’re seeing is the depth of American soccer,” noted Hayes. “These players are ready to step up when called upon, and that bodes well for our future.”

“I think we looked two yards short on everything,” Stoney said. “We gave the ball away too many times. I’ll reflect here first — that’s my job. I believe in this team — on how I set the team up. I think too many individual poor performances, collectively poor.”

Historical Context

The victory marked the USWNT’s 54th all-time win over Canada in 67 meetings, the most wins against any opponent in program history. Canada has never defeated the United States when trailing by two goals, a statistic that held true once again as the Americans controlled the match from the moment Coffey found the net.

Perfect Window Concludes

The win capped off a flawless three-match FIFA window for the Americans, who defeated Ireland twice before dispatching Canada. The combined 18-0 goal differential across the last five matches represents one of the most dominant stretches in recent USWNT history.

With European-based players largely absent from this roster, the performance sends a clear message about the depth Hayes is building ahead of FIFA World Cup Qualifying next year. The blend of youth and experience, tactical flexibility, and clinical finishing suggests the USWNT is well-positioned for future challenges.

The sold-out crowd of 19,215 at Audi Field witnessed history in the making, as a new generation of American stars announced themselves on the international stage while maintaining the winning tradition that has defined USWNT soccer for decades.

Press Conference

Quote from Canada Manager Casey Stoney: Stoney took exception with her players’ fitness levels, and said on multiple occasions that they would need to find better solutions with their clubs.

“I think you can tell, every single one of their players is starting every single week for their clubs,” Stoney said. “I have a problem: my players aren’t. Some of them are out of season, which it showed, and not playing enough minutes for their clubs, so that needs to change.

“That’s going to be a strong message moving forward: Get playing or you won’t get picked, because we can’t have that. We want to try to build toward 2027; we need to be a hell of a lot better than we were tonight.”