MATCH CENTRE: CANADA 1:0 SWEDEN
\u200b“It’s a great result to beat Sweden, in Sweden,” said Head Coach John Herdman after the match. “We knew it was going to be a tough game, but I think the team played very well. We came out strong in the first half, and the second half was all about game-management – when you are a goal up at halftime, our job is to ensure we come away with the points.”
\u200bCanada had several strong chances, including a blistering shot from Sophie Schmidt that forced the Sweden keeper to make an leaping, outstretched save. Despite the many chances, Canada’s control of the ball stood out for it’s continuity and precision.
\u200b“It was a real team performance tonight,” said Herdman. “It was arguably some of the best possession play I’ve seen from our team. We’ve been working on that as a team and have made it our intent to move forward in that space. I’m proud of what they put out there tonight against a really physical Sweden team.”
\u200bCentreback Shelina Zadorsky, was likewise pleased with the team’s control and possession. “In the first half we had some really good passages of play, and the goal was amazing,” she said. “We struggled to find our rhythm a bit in the second half, but I am proud of everyone for grinding out that win and getting a clean sheet.”
\u200bCanada now will look forward to another difficult match as it prepared to take on Germany, the top ranked team in the world, 9 April in Erfurt, Germany at 15:00 local (09:00 ET / 06:00 PT).
\u200b“Coming out of this match the team will be a bit bruised and battered, but we knew how physical it would be. We will be focusing on recovery and we’ll be fresh and ready for Germany on Sunday,” said Herdman.
\u200b“It’s a bit of a revenge match, you could say,” added Zadorsky. “Meeting them twice in the Olympics was huge and we learned a lot from those games. It’s going to be a challenge, but we are looking forward to it.”
\u200bCanada will return home to play a two-game series in June with matches in Winnipeg and Toronto. T ickets are on sale now.
\u200bCanada Soccer’s Women’s National Team
\u200bCanada recently made history with back-to-back podium finishes at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. At the last three major women’s tournaments, Canada finished third at the London 2012 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, sixth at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, and third at the Rio 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.
Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team are the first Canadian team to win back-to-back Summer Olympic medals since 1908, and the first-ever women’s Canadian team.
Fans can relive Canada Soccer Women’s National Team journey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram through highlights and team commentary videos.
\u200bCanada Soccer’s Women’s National Team’s next home matches takes place 8 June in Winnipeg and 11 June in Toronto. Tickets are on sale now. Complete ticket information can be found at CanadaSoccer.com/Tickets.
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