Sentnor scores in 1-0 USWNT victory over Canada in the SheBelieves Cup

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ally Sentnor scored in the 55th minute and the United States beat Canada 1-0 on Wednesday in the SheBelieves Cup tournament, the Americans' seventh straight shutout.

Sentnor scored her seventh international goal off a corner from Rose Lavelle, gathering the ball on a bounce before punching it past two defenders and Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

The U.S. hasn't allowed a goal since a 3-1 win over Portugal last October, a stretch of 714 minutes.

“Honestly, our goal was just to win the game,” Sentnor said. “I think going into a rivalry game, we knew what was going to happen. It was going to be on the line and Canada gave us an incredible performance, and we really had to work for this win.”

The United States sat atop the SheBelieves table with two wins, ahead of Canada and Colombia with one each. The Colombians defeated Argentina 1-0 in the early match Wednesday at ScottsMiracle-Gro Stadium.

The United States is 55-4-9 against Canada since their first meeting in 1986. The U.S. won the last meeting 3-0 in July.

The Canadians' last win in the series came at the Tokyo Olympics. Jessie Fleming converted a penalty in a 1-0 semifinal victory. Canada went on to win the gold medal.

U.S. coach Emma Hayes included Trinity Rodman in the starting lineup despite Rodman taking a hit in the back late in Sunday's 2-0 SheBelieves victory over Argentina in Nashville. Rodman struggled with a nagging back injury last year.

Canada, which defeated Colombia 4-1 in the tournament opener, was without captain Fleming because of an illness.

The game was scoreless after the first half despite the United States dominating possession by nearly 70%.

Sentnor, who plays professionally for the Kansas City Current, broke the stalemate with her third goal of the year. The 22-year-old was named U.S. Soccer's young player of the year in 2024.

Canada coach Casey Stoney felt her team showed “huge progress” from the last time the Canadians faced the United States, but was disappointed about conceding on a set piece.

“I think we were competitive throughout the game. I think we kept our distances better, we had good discipline,” Stoney said. “I think we had moments in their box where we can have a little bit more composure."

Colombia will play the United States on Saturday in the tournament finale in Harrison, New Jersey. Canada plays Argentina in the early game.

It is the 11th annual SheBelieves Cup hosted by the United States. Canada was making its fourth appearance in the tournament.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer