With this win, Canada now has four points after a 1:1
\u200bdraw with host Japan in the opening match of the Women’s Olympic Football
\u200bTournament and is well positioned to progress to the knockout phase with one
\u200blast match to play in the group phase.
“Overall, happy because we came here to get three points and that’s exactly what we did. The game was exactly what we expected it to be. It was never going to be easy.” said Head Coach Bev Priestman. “You had Olympic debuts for Jayde Riviere and Julia Grosso who came through the youth system, and I was really proud of both of those performances. We will take the positives and now it is about moving on and heading towards a big game against Great Britain.”
Canada is the only nation in the world to reach the
\u200bpodium at both London 2012 and Rio 2016 in women’s football. The team is hoping
\u200bto make history by getting back on the podium for a third consecutive time.
“As a forward, it’s my job to put the ball in the back of
\u200bthe net so to come back after a less than ideal performance in the first game,
\u200bto win, is what we wanted.” said Janine Beckie. “Tournaments are about winning
\u200band it’s about three points and that’s what we did today so I’m just happy to
\u200bdo my job for the team.”
Canada will wrap up the group stage against Great Britain
\u200bin Kashima on 27 July at 20.00 local (07.00 ET / 04.00 PT). From 12 nations in
\u200bthree groups, the top-eight nations advance to the Olympic Quarterfinals from
\u200bwhich winners advance to the Semifinals and then a chance to win a medal. The
\u200bWomen’s Olympic Football Tournament runs 21 July through 6 August 2021, with
\u200bthis year’s gold medal match at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium.
Canada opened the match with high pressure. Nichelle
\u200bPrince had an early chance at the back post on a Canada corner kick in the 5’. Just a minute later, Kadeisha Buchanan scored
\u200bbut the goal was deemed to have been a handball as it ricocheted off Christiane
\u200bEndler and onto Buchanan’s hand before finding the back of the net in the 6’.
Canada earned a PK in the 19’ after Christine Sinclair
\u200bwas taken down in the area. Janine Beckie stepped up and hit the post with her
\u200bspot kick. Ashley Lawrence played a cross into the box in the 26’ that Prince
\u200bstepped over to create an opportunity for Sinclair who put it just wide. Chile
\u200bmade things sticky in the midfield for a spell in the first half, but Prince
\u200bgot to the goal line and played a ball in to Sinclair in the 39’. Endler
\u200bcleared the cross, but it fell to Beckie at the top of the area and Beckie
\u200bpowered it home to give Canada a 1:0 lead.
Canada opened the second half on the front foot. Just two
\u200bminutes into the half, Prince once again delivered a ball through to Beckie
\u200bafter Shelina Zadorsky picked Prince out. Beckie took a touch to draw Endler
\u200band put the ball behind the Chilean goalkeeper for her second goal of the
\u200bnight, and sixth multi-goal game of her career. Chile made it 2:1 in the 57’
\u200bafter a Zadorsky foul in the box was deemed worthy of a PK after VAR review.
\u200bChile came close again in the 73’ hitting the crossbar. Canada was able to shut
\u200bthe door for the remainder to earn the vital full three points.
Canada’s starting XI featured Kailen Sheridan in goal,
\u200bAshley Lawrence at right back, Shelina Zadorsky and Kadeisha Buchanan at centre
\u200bback, Jayde Riviere at left back, and Desiree Scott, Jessie Fleming, Julia
\u200bGrosso, Janine Beckie, Christine Sinclair and Nichelle Prince from the midfield
\u200bup through to the attack. Head Coach Bev Priestman replaced Grosso with Quinn
\u200band Prince with Deanne Rose (61’). Both Grosso
\u200band Riviere made their Olympic debuts.
OLYMPIC
\u200bMEDAL WINNERS & CONCACAF CHAMPIONS
Canada
\u200bare two-time Olympic bronze medal winners (2012 and 2016) and two-time Concacaf
\u200bchampions (1998 and 2010). In all, Canada have participated in seven
\u200bconsecutive editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (1995 to 2019) and three
\u200bconsecutive editions of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (2008 to 2016).
\u200bAt Rio 2016, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team were the first Canadian
\u200bOlympic team to win back-to-back medals at a summer Olympic Games in more than a
\u200bcentury.
Canada
\u200bSoccer’s Women’s National Youth Teams, meanwhile, have won four Concacaf youth
\u200btitles: the 2004 and 2008 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, the 2010
\u200bConcacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship, and the 2014 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15
\u200bChampionship. Canada have qualified for seven editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s
\u200bWorld Cup (including a silver medal at Canada 2002) and all six editions of the
\u200bFIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (including a fourth-place finish at Uruguay 2018).