After scoring six goals in six matches this year, Canada’s women’s soccer team is looking to increase its offense in the CONCACAF W Championship.
And there’s a lot more on the line as Canada, the defending Olympic champions, currently ranked sixth in the world, opened on Tuesday night against No. 76 Trinidad and Tobago in Monterrey, Mexico.
The eight-team tournament, which runs until 18 July, serves as a qualifier for both the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and the 2024 Olympics in Paris in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
The first World Cup and the Olympics were different in the qualifying area.
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Canada Women are coming out of a disappointing 0–0 draw with No. 18 South Korea in Toronto on 26 June. In February, Canada scored just three goals against elite opposition at the Arnold Clark Cup in England, where Priestmann’s team drew 1–1 to No. 8 England, 1-0 to No. 5 Germany and No. 7 Spain. Lost 1-0.
There was more firepower on display in April, with a total of four goals in a win and tie with No. 39 Nigeria.
Canada relied on a skimp on their way to Olympic gold last summer in Tokyo, beating the opposition 6-4 in six matches, two of which ended in penalty shootouts.
In the 10 games since the Olympics, Canada has scored more than one goal just three times, posting a 4-4-2 record.
“I know this group can do anything when it really matters,” said Canada coach Bev Priestman.
“If we do us better than any other team, I’m really comfortable that this team can go in with the right mindset, with the right attitude and do what represents the talent in the group.” does,” she said. added.
“And I think I’ve seen it in the last three days. We feel ready. We can’t wait for that ball to roll. The goals will come, I have no doubt, with the right people on the pitch and the right partnerships.” together. “
Canada and Trinidad are playing 37th in Pool B along with Costa Rica and 57th Panama. Group A is made up of the top-ranked US, No. 26 Mexico, No. 51 Jamaica and No. 60 Haiti.
The top two teams from each of the two groups advance to the semi-finals, which qualify directly for the 2023 World Cup. The two third-placed teams advance to the World Cup Intercontinental Playoffs.
The CONCACAF W champion qualifies for both the 2024 Olympics and the inaugural CONCACAF W Gold Cup, also scheduled for 2024. The runner-up and third-place teams will meet in the CONCACAF Olympic playoffs, scheduled for September 2023, with the winner taking their place. Booking. Tickets for the 2024 Olympics and Gold Cup.
Priestman said 39-year-old captain Christine Sinclair, who did not play against South Korea, will be ready if needed
“It will be a matter of getting ready for Christine during the group stage, when it really matters. I think that is the important part,” she said.
“I’m happy to say that people will see Christine in this first game,” she said.
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Canada Women won all eight matches with Trinidad and Tobago defeating Soca Warriors 34–0.
The last time they met, Canada won 6–0 at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in Houston. Sinclair scored her 159th international goal in that game, moving her previous Mia Haim to second place on the world’s all-time scoring list.
Trinidad coach Kenvin Jones expects a tough challenge from the Canadian players.
“It is no secret what their talent is and how good they are. But at the same time, in order to reach the goal that we want to achieve, these are the teams that had to play,” said the former Trinidad international striker .
He said, “For any team, for any player, such challenges are gratifying. “That’s how you test yourself, and to see how well you can stand the test and what you might need to do to get better. Football is won on the field, day after day. ” And anything can happen.”
Trinidad won their way into the W Championship, finishing Group F with a 3–0–1 record with fullback Liana Hinds (Hibernian, Scotland) and midfielders Karen Forbes (Police FC, Trinidad), Chelsea Ralph (Ball State University) and Hope. Qualified. I stayed on top. James (West Texas A&M University) led.
It is a youth team with 16 of the 23 players born in or after 1998.
He said, ‘The team itself needed to freshen up. It needs to add new blood and move on,” said Jones, who took over the team last November after a short stint as interim coach.
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Jones’ club career, 37, included stints with England’s Southampton, Sunderland, Stoke City and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United.
Canada has won the CONCACAF Championships twice (1998 and 2010) and was runner-up five times (1991, 1994, 2002, 2006 and 2018). It has participated in 10 CONCACAF tournaments, except the 2014 event, as it was the host of the 2015 World Cup. Canada’s career record in CONCACAF competition is 29-9-1.
Ten of Sinclair’s world record 189 international goals at the CONCACAF Championships have come.
Trinidad and Tobago is the only team to have competed in each of the CONCACAF W Championships. Its best performance was third in 1991, with fourth-place performances in 1993, 1994 and 2014. Its career record in the tournament is 7-21-5.
Canada roster
Goalkeeper: Sabrina D’Angelo, Vitsjo GIK (Sweden); Lycian Proulx, Unattached; Callen Sheridan, San Diego Wave (NWSL).
Protector: Kadisha Buchanan, Chelsea; Elisha Chapman, Houston Dash (NWSL); Vanessa Giles, Angel City FC (NWSL); Ashley Lawrence, Paris Saint-Germain; Jayde Riviere, AFC Ann Arbor (USL W-League); Bianca St. George, Chicago Red Stars (NWSL); Shelina Zadorsky, Tottenham; Zoe Burns, University of Southern California (NCAA).
Midfielder: Jesse Fleming, Chelsea; Julia Grosso, Juventus (Italy); Quinn, NWSL (NWSL); Sophie Schmidt, Houston Dash (NWSL); Desiree Scott, Kansas City Current (NWSL).
ahead: Janine Becky, Portland Thorns (NWSL); Jordan Huitema, Official Language Government (NWSL); Chloe Lacasse, Benfica (Portugal); Adriana Lyon, West Ham (England); Nickel Prince, Houston Dash (NWSL); Dean Rose, Reading (England); Christine Sinclair (Captain), Portland Thorns (NWSL).