USWNT vs. Canada: Start Time, Live Stream, More for 2021 SheBelieves Cup

The United States women's national team continues its progression toward the Olympics with three games in the SheBelieves Cup over the next week.

The USWNT kicks off the annual four-team tournament against continental rival Canada at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday. Brazil and Argentina are the other participants in the competition.

Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd are among the top names on the USWNT roster for the tournament, and it is expected to beat a Canada side without some of its top players.

Canada's roster is not as stacked as it would be for the Olympics because of injuries and some club teams' refusal to release their players. Christine Sinclair, Kadeisha Buchanan and Jordyn Huitema are among Canada's notable absences.

The USWNT will not be at full strength, either, with the injured Tobin Heath and Sam Mewis not in the squad. But it still has enough firepower to open with a victory and conquer the other opponents in the tournament.

USWNT vs. Canada Info

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET 

TV: FS1

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

Preview

The returns of Morgan, Rapinoe and Lloyd to the USWNT camp should boost the already high quality of the USWNT. Morgan had her first child in 2020, Lloyd recovered from an injury and Rapinoe spent some time away from the squad.

Rapinoe scored twice in the second of two January friendlies against Colombia, while Lloyd chipped in with an assist in each of the two contests. The USWNT won those friendly matches by a combined 10-0, but the three-game gauntlet of Canada, Brazil and Argentina represents a step up in quality.

Since the USWNT has already qualified for the Olympics, the SheBelieves Cup is one of the best opportunities for head coach Vlatko Andovoski to test his squad at a high competitive level before the summer tournament.

While the Americans have had the chance to play friendlies recently, Canada hasn't hit the pitch since March 2020 for a 2-2 draw against Brazil in the Tournoi de France. In October, the Reds hired a new head coach in Bev Priestman, who joined from England's women team.

The absences of Sinclair, Buchanan and others dampens the hype around the rivalry matchup just a bit since Canada will not be at full strength. However, it is a good opportunity for the Canadians to test some of the newer players in the squad. Eight of the 23 women on the SheBelieves Cup roster have fewer than 10 international appearances.

Look for the midfield duo of Sophie Schmidt and Desiree Scott, who have 355 caps between them, to be the driving forces over the SheBelieves Cup. With no Sinclair up top, Canada will rely on Janine Beckie, Jessie Fleming and Nichelle Prince to put pressure on the American back line.

Andonovski acknowledged that the USWNT will have a different approach to facing Canada without its top stars in the fold but that his side will not change too much for Thursday, per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle:

"Our strategy may change in terms of how we're going to defend now, since [Sinclair] is not there, or how we're going to attack since Buchanan is not there. So there are certain tweaks that we may have in our strategy, but the approach is not going to change from the mental standpoint."

The key for the USWNT's established stars over the next week will be to solidify their positions in the Olympic roster while fending off competition from younger stars such as Catarina Macario.

At 21, Macario is among the youngest players in the squad. She bypassed the NWSL and chose to sign with Lyon in France, and she should have a chance to impress in a loaded midfield.

Even without Mewis, the USWNT has the potential to control every contest through some combination of Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Kristie Mewis and Macario.

If Canada were at full strength, Thursday's match would have more pop to it, and it still might have some dramatics, but the USWNT is expected to roll to a comfortable victory to kick off its quest for a fourth SheBelieves Cup crown.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from USSoccer.com.