The United States and Canada secured their spots in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, but still have one final matchup waiting on Sunday afternoon for regional bragging rights at BBVA Compass Stadium (4 p.m. CT; TICKETS).
In the early match, forward Christine Sinclair lifted the Canadians with a pair of goals against Costa Rica to send them to their third consecutive Olympic tournament. The Canadians picked up the bronze medal in the 2012 Games after falling to the United States 4-3 in extra time of a memorable semifinal match. Despite having already qualified, Canada seemed eager to prove a point in Sunday's final, with the common refrain among players and coach John Herdman being "the job's not done yet."
"I'm excited. This is my first meaningful game against the U.S. that I've played in," Canada and Houston Dash defender Allysha Chapman told reporters on Friday night. "So I'm excited for the challenge and I think we'll give them a good fight."
The United States cruised past Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 in the second match to qualify for their sixth consecutive Olympics, aiming to win their fourth consecutive gold medal and become the first nation to win the Olympics in the year after claiming the World Cup. Alex Morgan tallied a hat trick in Friday's match, with Tobin Heath and Dash midfielder Carli Lloyd adding one goal each. Dash midfielder Morgan Brian added two assists on her home field, and had another corner kick that led to a goal.
"I know this game on Sunday is going to be a really wide-open game," Lloyd said following the match. "It's going to be tough, gritty, but overall just want to get better personally and help the team in any way possible."
