The USWNT is solidly in the driver’s seat to take home the 2026 SheBelieves Cup. After making easy work of Argentina, the Stars and Stripes passed their biggest test in the tournament beating Canada 1-0. While the matches so far have seen the USA play dominant soccer, there has been something missing. The wins against Argentina and Canada had the quality of a team that can crush an opponent’s spirit by not letting them hope to score, much less win. What’s been absent is the sense that the Americans
can score at will regardless of how organized or physical a defense plays. Winning the tournament will be satisfying, doing it in a way that is devastating would be delightful.
Against Canada, the Americans did nearly everything they could have wanted. The team controlled 65% of the possession, created 16 shots, and limited their opponents to one shot on target. If there was anything else that could have been asked for, perhaps a second goal would have been nice. Still, a win against Canada with national pride on the line can’t be discounted.
As far as what to expect against Colombia, the tactics will likely look the same from Emma Hayes but personnel changes won’t be a surprise. Except for Gisele Thompson, Hayes played two totally different lineups in the tournament. It seemed like the team she put out against Canada was the strongest she could have fielded, so it might be a chance to see how player combinations that are different from the Canada and Argentina matches mesh.
For Colombia, the team suffered a 4-1 loss to Canada to open the tournament before bouncing back to beat Argentina 1-0. There’s a chance, albeit a low one, that the team could win the tournament by beating the USA. While trying to hold back the Americans might be the objective for the game, Colombia will surely have that in their minds heading into the match. However, nine players have started both matches for Colombia and going into a game with tired legs against the USA is not usually a recipe for success.
Linda Caicedo will play a big role in any surprises that the Las Cafeteras have in store for the USA. According to the Guardian, she will be the best player on the field and it’s hard to argue that an athlete scoring goals and creating assists for Real Madrid while pushing her national team deep into the Copa America isn’t worthy of that distinction. She scored the lone goal against Argentina and will be a player the American defenders need to contain in order to ensure a win.
