No. 4 USWNT defeats No. 9 CanWNT for fifth consecutive SheBelieves Cup title

The GIST: The No. 4 USWNT launched a strong comeback to defeat No. 9 CanWNT 5–4 on penalties and clinch their fifth consecutive SheBelieves Cup title last night, while No. 10 Brazil took third over No. 7 Japan.

• Winning hardware is always nice, but the real benefit of this friendly tourney is learning about the Paris-bound squads with just 107 days until the upcoming Summer Games. Fantastique.

Championship recap: This one was a back-and-forth battle. CanWNT forward Adriana Leon capitalized on a turnover and exposed an American defensive error to put the red and white up 1–0, a lead that was answered by American forward Sophia Smith’s two second-half goals.

• Canada eventually equalized late on a questionable foul call, but in the end, the red, white, and blue prevailed, with goalie Alyssa Naeher recording three saves in the shootout and scoring a penalty kick of her own. Swear it’s déjà vu.

No. 4 USWNT’s keys to success: The Americans maintained possession for most of last night’s game but struggled to sustain their attack until the second half. That’s when, after a few months of inconsistent performances, Smith re-asserted herself as a top offensive option and won the tourney’s MVP award.

• SheBelieves marked the end of interim head coach Twila Kilgore’s successful tenure, as the Emma Hayes head coaching era now begins in earnest. Ch-ch-changes.

No. 9 CanWNT takeaways: The defending Olympic champs played with a combination of patience and tenacity last night, first waiting to capitalize on American mistakes and then moving quickly after turnovers to apply offensive pressure, which resulted in their two goals.

• Unlike the USWNT, whose pace dropped once they were leading in the second half, CanWNT was ready to strike at all times. You can never count the red and white out.