US women's team to host rivals Canada in Continental Clasico

NEW YORK :The top-ranked United States women's national soccer team will face long-time rivals Canada in Washington, D.C. for the Continental Clasico on July 2.

The Olympic champions have played Canada more than any other opponents and beat them in a penalty shootout in both of their previous two meetings last year, the CONCACAF W Gold Cup semi-final and the SheBelieves Cup championship match.

The meeting, the 67th between the two teams, will close out a three-match window for the United States, who are also playing Ireland in a pair of friendlies in late June.

"As this game will end a three-match window, we’ll get a good chance to see our whole roster in training and hopefully game action before selecting a team to start in Washington, D.C.," U.S. coach Emma Hayes said in a statement.

The match will give former England captain Casey Stoney a chance to burnish her credentials as head coach of the Canada team after taking the reins this year in the fallout from an embarrassing drone scandal that engulfed the programme.

Canada are also set to play Argentina in a pair of friendlies next month.

July's game - a stone's throw from the White House at Audi Field - comes at a politically charged moment between the United States and Canada after U.S. President Donald Trump levied tariffs on their longstanding trade partner to the north.