WASHINGTON — United States head coach Emma Hayes said in the buildup to Wednesday’s clash with Canada at Audi Field that she wanted to see her team to show the progress it has collectively made against a top opponent.

Her players provided a resounding answer. The USWNT defeated Canada 3-0 in a game that was never in doubt from the early stages. Two early goals put the Americans ahead, and they controlled large stretches of the game as Canada wilted in the summer heat.

Moments after Canada head coach Casey Stoney lamented an “inexcusable” performance that strayed from the gameplan she gave the players, Hayes lauded her senior players for ensuring that the Americans imposed their style of play.

Wednesday was another USWNT victory over a Top 10 world opponent, but it was the team’s attention to details that marked progress. Hayes saw the nuance she had craved from her team.

“There were, I felt, things that I’ve been looking for in terms of dictating tempo, controlling the game from start to finish, finishing strongly,” Hayes said. “All the messaging, all the learnings — especially from Brazil, from Japan — I felt we dictated, and we played the way we wanted to. It’s not about the opponent; it’s about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant.”

Wednesday’s dominant victory over Canada was another mark of progress for the collective USWNT as Hayes continues her unprecedented stretch of testing new and uncapped players, but the match also showed the type of individual consistency required to be a player she relies on.

Midfielder Rose Lavelle, in her first international window since December, was exceptional again both in open play and on set pieces. She created the USWNT’s first two goals from dead balls, and she was electric in transition moments, like the successful nutmeg she pulled off in the 35th minute to lead to the corner kick and the team’s second goal.

Hayes spoke ahead of the match about how difficult it is for new players to break into the USWNT, and how the team’s No. 10 — a spot that Lavelle has made hers for years when healthy — means making the right pass and decision every time for 90 minutes, not just occasionally.

“I say this to our players: There might be a lot of our players that can get into a lot of national teams, but it doesn’t mean you get into ours,” Hayes said prior to Wednesday’s match. “You have to be a cut above to get into ours.”

On Wednesday, Hayes said the veterans up the spine of her team, including Lavelle “ran the show,” but she also saw progress from a group of young players who she has thrown into the deep end over the past few months. The team will not assemble again for four months, and by then, Hayes has said she will narrow down the playing pool and stop experimenting at such a great volume. Her lineup on Wednesday was an indication of who she felt made up her strongest available 11 — and they largely impressed.

Defender Avery Patterson was exceptional once again against Canada and looks like she could be a long-term option at full-back. She defends well in open spaces and frequently gets high into the attack to create chances for the USWNT.

“I think I’m definitely getting used to what is expected, and the expectation and standard around here,” Patterson said.

Claire Hutton, 19, started alongside veteran Sam Coffey in the double pivot in on Wednesday. Both players scored — a first international goal for Hutton — and the midfield partnership between them, and Lavelle, looks capable of standing up to top opponents both now and in the future.

Hutton and Patterson are among the group of players who will almost certainly be part of Hayes’ plans going forward. Their performances on Wednesday, and in other recent games, reaffirmed Hayes’ suspicion that they can contribute at the 2027 World Cup.

“Being able to come out with a 3-0, dominant win against a really great side like Canada is a huge step in our development,” Coffey said. “We want to continue to be a consistent team that wins big games.”

The USWNT put in a convincing performance on Wednesday. It was a test the Americans passed with flying colors, another indication that Hayes’ long-term plan is on the right track (if last year’s Olympic gold medal weren’t proof enough).

As Hayes cautioned after the victory, the Americans haven’t won anything yet. The World Cup is two years away, and there will be setbacks. The victory over Canada at Audi Field, however, was an emphatic confirmation that the Americans are on the right track.