Canada Soccer
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The Matildas have put on a clinical performance to smash Olympic champions Canada 4-0 in the Women's World Cup. Hayley Raso scored the opening two goals in the first half, while another Mary Fowler goal was ruled out for offside, before Fowler got her reward with a second-half strike. Captain Steph Catley sealed the win from the penalty spot in the dying minutes. The victory means Australia will top its group, after Nigeria and Ireland drew in their clash in Brisbane. Importantly, star striker Samantha Kerr, who sat on the bench, was not needed in the match, giving her extra time to rest her troublesome calf. The Matildas will face the second-placed team in Group D in Sydney on Monday, August 7, with England, Denmark and China all possible opponents.
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MELBOURNE, Australia - The exit door at the FIFA Women's World Cup could swing open for Canada on Monday. Or the Canadians could use it to usher out co-host Australia. The stakes couldn't be higher on the final day of Group B play. “We know it's going to a fight (Monday). They're fighting for their life,” veteran Canadian midfielder Sophie Schmidt said of the 10th-ranked Matildas. “But we're prepared as best we can be for what they have to offer. We know what we have to do to get the result.” “I think that we have a long World Cup run ahead of us,” she added. “(Monday) is a massive big step for us. But we're up for the challenge.” Australia coach Tony Gustafsson also described the game as massive, calling it “a crossroads moment, for sure.” Nigeria (1-0-1, four points) leads Group B ahead of Canada (1-0-1) by virtue of having scored one more goal. Australia (1-1-0) is one point behind with Ireland (0-2-0) already eliminated from advancing. Only the top two in the group move on. The permutations favour seventh-ranked Canada, which will advance with a win or draw while the Matildas need to win to be certain of advancing. “We know the fate's in our hand,” said Canada coach Bev Priestman. The Canadians can still keep going with a loss, providing Nigeria loses to Ireland in Brisbane and ends up on the wrong end of a tiebreaker. And Australia could advance with a draw if Nigeria is beaten and the tiebreakers favour the Matildas. What may decide the outcome is which versions of Canada and Australia show up Monday. Both had their issues getting past No. 22 Ireland and stumbled against upstart Nigeria, with Canada drawing the 40th-ranked Super Falcons 0-0 and Australia losing 3-2. “Ultimately if we turn up - and we turned up in the second half for sure in the last game (against Ireland), then we can go and get three points,” said Priestman. “And it's got to be about us bringing what we bring and getting the best out of the group in front of us. That is the focus, is to be brave and be what we bring and bring it well.” Priestman said Canada will go for the win despite the fact a draw will suffice, saying if you play for a single point “you're not playing on your strengths.” Gustafsson, meanwhile, said his team will have to be careful not to allow the Canadians counterattacking opportunities as the Matildas press for a result. Both teams came to the tournament with high expectations. The Canadians looked to translate their gold-medal performance at the 12-country Tokyo Olympics into success at the 32-country World Cup, having exited in the round of 16 four years ago in France. Australia had the weight of a nation on its shoulders, knowing no host team has ever failed to make the knockout rounds at the eight previous editions of the tournament (co-host New Zealand became the first Sunday when it tied Switzerland to finish third in Group A on goal difference behind Norway). Canada is no stranger to high-pressure games. Priestman's team also had to recover from a tournament-opening draw (1-1 with Japan) in Tokyo's Olympics before dispatching Brazil in a quarterfinal penalty shootout, the world champion U.S. in the semi-final and Sweden on spot kicks in the final. There are injury question marks over both teams. Star striker Sam Kerr missed Australia's first two games with a calf injury, but told reporters Saturday that she is available for the Canada game. Just how much of a role the Matildas captain will play remains to be seen. Gustafsson said a meeting was planned for later Sunday to discuss Kerr's status, with the team's medical staff and the player involved, with fitness tests scheduled for Monday. One concern is the risk of aggravating the injury and losing her for a longer time. “So there's a lot on the table to discuss,” Gustafsson said. “We probably won't know how exactly we're going to use that (information) until we come here to the stadium (Monday).” Canadian midfielder Jessie Fleming said her team is ready for whatever lineup Australia fields. “I think she's just one player,” said Fleming, who plays alongside Kerr at England's Chelsea. “We're preparing for the game the same regardless of whether or not she plays, how much she plays. I think they have a very good team with or without her. “Myself and the whole team are familiar with the quality she brings. She's a threat in the (penalty) box but our backline has dealt with her before. I think we feel confident that we can deal with her again if she comes on the pitch.” Kerr's status has gripped Australia. Australian rugby coach Eddie Jones even weighed in on the issue Saturday night after the Wallabies' 38-7 loss to the All Blacks before an announced crowd of 83,944 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, when asked if he would risk one of his players if they were 50-50 health-wise. Jones referenced Gustafsson in his answer. “If I was him, I would be playing her, mate,” Jones told his post-game news conference. “Because they've got to win. They've got to roll her out, strap her up. Whatever they need to do. Because she can play. She can play.” Kerr is the Matildas' all-time leading scorer with 63 goals in 120 appearances. Canada captain Christine Sinclair, playing in her sixth World Cup, limped off the field after making an impactful appearance off the bench against Ireland, while centre back Kadeisha Buchanan, battling illness, exited in the dying minutes of the first half. But the two took part in the portion of practice open to the media with Sinclair wearing SpiderTech tape on her right knee. Priestman said both will be available Monday. Both attacks have yet to hit top gear. While Canada completed 790 of 969 passes over its first two outings, only nine of 30 shots were on target - seven of which were in the Ireland game. The Canadian setup has also been lacking with just 13 of 45 crosses completed. The Matildas have been equally wasteful, putting just nine of 40 shots on target and completing 13 of 41 crosses. Gustafsson, however, disagreed saying the attacking football against Nigeria was the top game out of his team's last 15, But having said that, he conceded his team's conversion rate was not efficient enough. Still Australia has failed to score in just one of its last 22 Women's World Cup group matches. Three of Canada's backline - Vanessa Gilles, Ashley Lawrence and Buchanan - and forward Evelyne Viens are on yellow cards, meaning they face a one-game ban if they collect another Monday. Canada is 8-7-3 all-time against Australia and has won the last three meetings, including last year's 1-0 and 2-1 victories in Brisbane and Sydney, respectively. So playing before a hostile crowd in Australia is nothing new to this Canadian team. Adriana Leon scored all three goals in the two most recent victories, which upped Canada's record against the Matildas to 6-2-2 this century. The Group B winner will face the Group D runner-up and vice versa in the round of 16. No. 4 England currently tops Group D with No. 13 Denmark in second, ahead of No. 14 China on a tiebreaker. “At this point anything can happen,” said Priestman, asked whether avoiding her native England was motivation. “Right now it's just abut getting three points. If we want to be the best, we've got to beat the best. Ultimately we'll just be aiming for three points (Monday) and get that job done and (then) face the team in front of us.” The showdown at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, better know to locals at AAMI Park, kicks off at 8 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET in Canada).
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Canada survived an early Katie McCabe wonder goal Wednesday, climbing out of a deep hole to defeat Ireland 2-1 and boost its hopes of advancing at the FIFA Women's World Cup. The Canadians seemed dead and buried for most of the first half after McCabe scored directly off a corner in the fourth minute. The Irish had their tails up and Olympic champion Canada looked shell-shocked. But a Megan Connelly own goal in first-half stoppage time and 53rd-minute strike by Adriana Leon turned the tables. Tied 1-1 after a first half dominated by Ireland, Canada coach Bev Priestman sent in the cavalry to start the second half. She brought on Christine Sinclair, Sophie Schmidt and Shelina Zadorsky with Sinclair becoming the tip of the Canadian spear, leading the attack. The trio arrived with a combined 635 caps under their belts. The changes produced an immediate effect with Sinclair finding Jordyn Huitema at the edge of the box. Huitema swivelled and hammered a shot on target, forcing to make a superb diving save from goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan. Schmidt then unlocked the Irish defence with a perfect pass to Leon in the Irish penalty box. Leon sliced between two defenders and poked the ball past Brosnan. The Canadians looked like a different team in an entertaining, wide-open second half. Ireland pressed in the final minutes but Canada held firm With four points from two games, seventh-ranked Canada now faces No. 10 Australia in its final group game Monday in Melbourne with top spot in Group B likely at stake. The Matildas can assure themselves of advancing with a win over No. 40 Nigeria on Thursday in Brisbane. No. 22 Ireland can celebrate its first-ever goal at the tournament but will rue the sudden change of fortune in the game. Its dream of making the knockout round is over after a second straight loss. The Irish never stopped coming in a first half that saw rain come down in sheets periodically. But then it was Canada's turn. The Irish fans made their voice heard during the pre-game team line-up announcements. While Dublin might have been 14,900 kilometres away, Perth Rectangular Stadium had clearly gone green for the night. The announced crowd of 17,065 was chanting "Ole Ole" before the teams took the field. And it took just four minutes for the Irish, who boast a well-drilled defence and dangerous set pieces, to give the fans something to really cheer about. After an Irish counterattack led to a corner with Canadian 'keeper Kailen Sheridan having to bundle the ball out of bounds, McCabe produced a moment of magic. The Arsenal midfielder curled the ensuing corner high into the air and into the far corner of the goal, with Sheridan frantically trying to back up to get a hand to the ball. The Irish star faced the stands and threw up her arms, drinking in the moment. And why not. In contrast, Sheridan hurled the ball away and slammed a mea culpa hand on her chest as teammates tried to console her. The Olimpico, a name that originates from a goal scored by Argentina's Cesareo Onzari against reigning Olympic champion Uruguay from a corner kick in 1924, was Ireland's first-ever goal at the tournament. As the Irish celebrated, the Canadians gathered in a huddle in a bid to regain their composure. It was the earliest goal of the tournament and it hit Canada hard. The Canadians seemed out of kilter with passes going long. Ireland looked faster and more determined, winning 50-50 battles in just its second ever World Cup outing. But the Canadians were thrown a lifeline deep into first-half stoppage time when Connolly's attempt to clear a Julia Grosso cross went directly into the Irish goal. It was about the only thing that went right for the Canadians in the first half. The Canadians were frustrated in their-tournament opening scoreless draw with Nigeria in Melbourne. The Irish, in their first ever appearance at the soccer showcase, proved to be a tough nut to crack for Australia, which needed to convert a second-half penalty and withstand a late Irish surge to win 1-0 in Sydney. Sinclair was left out of the starting 11 in a tactical move. Evelyne Viens and Jessie Fleming came into the starting lineup with Sinclair, the world's all-time leading scorer with 190 goals, and Nichelle Prince shifting to the bench. Fleming, who missed the Nigeria game with a calf injury, captained the side. It was a damp, breezy 12 degrees Celsius at Perth Rectangular Stadium for the 8 p.m. local time start (8 a.m. ET in Canada). The 20,500-capacity stadium, better known as HBF Park, is home to soccer's Perth Gory and rugby union's Western Force. The rain started coming down during warm-ups to the musical accompaniment of Drake's "Started From the Bottom" and Dropkick Murphys' "I'm Shipping Up to Boston." Irish centre back Louise Quinn, sporting a black eye and wearing a protective boot in the wake of the Australia game, did make the starting line-up. Lucy Quinn, not related to Louise, came in for Marissa Sheva, who conceded the penalty against Australia. Canada's Quinn, who goes by one name, made it a third Quinn on the pitch. There was a late Irish change with Aine O’Gorman coming in for Heather Payne, who felt a tweak in her hamstring during warm-ups. The Canadians had a glorious chance in the 30th minute after Ireland failed to clear a corner. Kadeisha Buchanan flicked a header towards goal that fellow centre back Vanessa Gilles got a foot to, only to send the ball over the bar. Irish midfielder Ruesha Littlejohn shadowed Fleming, denying her space to create behind the strikers. Buchanan looked shaky, beaten several times and forced to take a yellow card when she was on the wrong end of an Irish attack. Both teams have had difficulties scoring of late. The Canadian women were held scoreless in three of their previous five outings this year, outscored 7-3. But at the other end of the pitch, they had kept five clean sheets in their last previous group‑stage outings at the tournament. Ireland had scored in just one of its last six matches, outscored 9-3 over that period with the lone goals came in a 3-2 win over No. 77 Zambia last month in Dublin. And while the Irish outscored their opposition 26-4 over eight matches in their World Cup qualifying group, 20 of those goals came in two matches against No. 126 Georgia. Ireland booked its ticket to the tournament by beating No. 23 Scotland 1-0 in a playoff after finishing runner-up to No. 3 Sweden in its qualifying group with a 5-1-2 record. Canada and Ireland had met just once before with Canada rallying for a 2-1 win in the fifth-place game at the 2014 Cyprus Cup thanks to a 90th-minute goal by Schmidt.
Nathan Saliba and Mathieu Choinière should definitely be in the mix for the men’s senior team. [@canadasoccer](https://lemmy.ca/c/canadasoccer)
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After a frustrating scoreless draw with Nigeria, Canada now turns its attention to a well-drilled Irish side at the Women's World Cup. Ranked 22nd in the world, tournament debutante Ireland is coming off a 1-0 loss to Australia. But the 10th-ranked Matildas had to work hard, needing a 52nd-minute penalty to get past Ireland in their Group B opener in Sydney. Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum's team faces the Australians next. And his take on the tournament co-host's struggles with Ireland and its well-organized defence unwittingly shone some light on seventh-ranked Canada. "I can't speak for them … But I'm sure they was some frustration that they couldn't break through and score in the run of play," said Waldrum. "But good teams find ways to win and they found the penalty and got the result they needed." Defender Steph Catley, wearing the captain's armband in place of the injured Sam Kerr, confidently hammered her spot kick shot high into the corner of the Irish goal in the 52nd minute before an announced crowd of 75,784 at Stadium Australia. It was just her fourth career goal in 110 international appearances. Canada could not match that breakthrough against 40th-ranked Nigeria, despite dominating play for chunks of the game. And Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie produced a world-class save to deny Canada captain Christine Snclair's spot kick in the 50th minute. The way both coaches reacted to the single-point haul at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium spoke volumes. "We've got to move on very quickly. You can get lost and be really down on that," Canada coach Bev Priestman said of the result. "Of course the team and I are devastated we didn't get three points. But at the end of the day, we got one (point) and we took two from another team." The glass was definitely more than half-full for Nigeria. "The group is so difficult every point's vital … We wanted three but getting the point keeps you in it and keeps you alive for advancement," said Waldrum. "So yeah it's a very positive feeling right now." Canada, which had an off-day Saturday with no availability, looked out of sync against the Super Falcons, perhaps not surprising given its bumpy journey to the tournament with the ongoing labour dispute with Canada Soccer and ongoing injury issues. Nichelle Prince, Deanne Rose and Jayde Riviere came to the tournament with little or no playing time due to injuries. Influential midfielder Jessie Fleming watched from the bench Friday as Priestman opted not to exacerbate an undisclosed injury, in the hope she would be ready down the line. While Priestman said Sinclair was one of the team's three designated penalty-takers for the match, Fleming would likely have been tasked with the spot kick had she been on the field. The Canadians won two penalty shootouts en route to Olympic gold in Tokyo, dispatching Brazil in the quarterfinal and Sweden in the final. Fleming scored in both shootouts and also was good on penalties in regulation time against the U.S. and Sweden. Sinclair did not convert her penalty attempt against Brazil and had been substituted by the time the Olympic final went to spot kicks. The Canadians also endured penalty kick heartbreak at the 2019 World Cup in France when Sinclair yielded the ball to Janine Beckie (who is missing this tournament through injury) in the round of 16 against Sweden. Beckie was stopped by goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl — who had saved a Sinclair penalty earlier that year in the third-place game at the Algarve Cup — and Sweden went on to win 1-0. With a world-record 190 international goals to her credit, Sinclair has carried Canada on her back for many years. And she has no need to apologize for having been denied by a remarkable save. "I just picked a side and I was happy at the end I got it right," said Nnadozie, who plays her club football in France for Paris FC. But at the age of 40, Sinclair's game and role on the team have changed. "She makes critical passes, is critical to this team,'' Priestman said prior to the tournament. "But what I do know is this team is no longer just about Christine Sinclair. I think we've got the depth across the forward line, the midfield line, to not rely on anyone for every single minute across the tournament and I think that's what you'll see (at the tournament)." Priestman needs that forward depth to step up. Margins are slim in tournament football and points are at a premium now in Group B. Going into the tournament, Canada had scored just three goals and had been outscored 7-3 in its four previous outings in 2023. Three of those games came at the SheBelieves Cup in February when the team's attention was split amidst a threat of downing tools due to the labour unrest. Priestman elected to play just one game (a 2-1 loss to No. 5 France) in the April international window in order to give the team time in camp to refind its focus and to renew relationships on and off the field. With Prince and Rose still finding their feet after injury layoffs and Adriana Leon coming off a season that saw limited playing time, Jordyn Huitema started up front against Nigeria. Cloe Lacasse and Evelyne Viens both sparked the team in coming off the bench in the second half, giving Priestman food for thought for Wednesday's matchup with Ireland in Perth. While the statistics favoured Canada, Nigeria managed to weather the storm and hit back on counterattacks. There was chaos in both penalty boxes as the game wore on. But no clinical finishing. The Canadians completed 384-of-459 passes compared to 125 of 221 for Nigeria, and launched 26 crosses to Nigeria's 11. Canada won 23 aerial duels, almost double the Super Falcons' 12. Canada held a 14-10 edge in shots but only led 2-1 in shots on target. Six of the Canadian shots were off target with another six blocked before they got there. One stat that the physical Nigerians led was fouls committed, with 16 to Canada's six. Nigerian midfielder Deborah Abiodun had a yellow card upgraded to red upon video review in stoppage time for a nasty studs-up tackle that bent Ashley Lawrence's lower leg at a seemingly impossible angle. But the Canadian fullback finished out the game, to the amazement of many on social media, and looked none the worse for wear as she walked through the post-game mixed zone. "Look away now," England's ITV said about a video clip of the foul. "Is Ashley Lawrence's foot still attached to her body after last night?" wondered one Canadian viewer on Twitter. Prior to almost having her leg broken, Lawrence had a field day going down the left flank and gave the Nigerian defence fits in the first half. The Canadians miss Beckie, back home recovering from knee surgery. Like Lawrence, Beckie is a difference-maker. Canada will need to find a way to unlock the Irish defence and, at the other end of the field, withstand Ireland's set pieces. The margin for error at the tournament is all but gone.
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Canada was not able to convert a second-half penalty and had to settle for a scoreless draw against Nigeria in their 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Group B opener from Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Thursday. Captain Christine Sinclair had her penalty attempt saved by Nigerian keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie in the 50th minute, after the spot kick was awarded by VAR. Sinclair was fouled by Nigerian defender Francisca Ordega in the box, the referee initially waved off the penalty claims, but was then asked to review the play by the Video Assistant Referee. Nigeria’s Deborah Abiodun was sent off after a VAR check in stoppage time for a dangerous foul on Ashley Lawrence. Australia currently leads Group B after defeating Republic of Ireland 1-0 in their opening match.
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In the wake of a busy June, the Canadian men have moved up two places to No. 43 in the latest FIFA world rankings. The top 11 teams are unchanged with World Cup champion Argentina at No. 1. France, Brazil, England, Belgium, Croatia, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal and Spain complete the top 10. There were 62 matches played since the last edition of the world rankings in June with Canada taking part in six of them. John Herdman's team went 2-2-2 during that time period, with both losses coming to the 11th-ranked U.S. The Americans beat Canada 2-0 in the CONCACAF Nations League final and 3-2 in a penalty shootout in the Gold Cup quarterfinal. Canada moved into third place among CONCACAF teams, overtaking Costa Rica. The Canadians' highest-ever ranking was No. 33, reached in February 2022. Gold Cup champion Mexico jumped two places to No, 12, with Switzerland and Morocco each falling one spot to No. 13 and No. 14, respectively. Gold Cup runners-up Panama made the biggest climb, vaulting 12 places to No. 45, after defeating the U.S. in a penalty shootout in the semifinal. Jamaica moved up five places to No. 58 after reaching the Gold Cup semifinal, where they fell 3-0 to Mexico. Costa Rica fell four rungs to No. 46th — and dropped to No. 5 in CONCACAF behind Panama. Guatemala moved in the other direction, up nine spots to No. 107. At the lower end of the table, there was upward progress for the Cayman Islands (No. 193, up four places), Gibraltar (No. 198, up four), Aruba (No. 199, up four) and Liechtenstein (No. 200, up four).
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The Canadian women's national team is preparing for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand. After winning gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Canada enters the tournament as one of the favorites to claim the title. However, the team's roster has undergone some significant changes since the Olympics, which could impact their chances of success. Key players like Janine Beckie and Desiree Scott will be sidelined due to injuries, while Stephanie Labbé and Erin McLeod have retired. On the other hand, the team welcomes new talent in rising stars Olivia Smith, Simi Awujo, Julia Grosso, and Adriana Leon, who are eager to make their mark on the World Cup stage. Injuries have dealt a blow to Canada's World Cup campaign, with Janine Beckie, a key forward, sidelined due to an ACL tear suffered during a pre-season match. Desiree Scott, a veteran known for her aggressive play, will also be absent due to knee surgery. The retirement of goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé, who played a crucial role in Canada's Olympic success, leaves a void that will be filled by Kailen Sheridan, an accomplished goalkeeper who is regarded as one of the best in the women's game. Erin McLeod, another goalkeeper, has also retired, passing on her role as a reliable backup to Sabrina D'Angelo. Despite these challenges, Canada introduces new talent in Olivia Smith, an 18-year-old rising star who has chosen to forgo her NCAA eligibility to play professionally. The upcoming Women's World Cup will provide an opportunity for emerging talents like Olivia Smith and Simi Awujo to shine on the international stage. Smith's lethal finishing ability and game-winning mentality make her a valuable addition to the squad, while Awujo, a promising young player, aims to make her mark and secure a spot for the Paris Games next summer. Rising star Julia Grosso, who scored the game-winning penalty in the Olympic final, will now transition from a substitute to a starting player, utilizing her speed and skill to contribute to Canada's attack. Adriana Leon, who had limited minutes in Tokyo, is now in top form and will join the starting lineup, using her goal-scoring prowess and dribbling ability to create opportunities. As Canada heads into the Women's World Cup, the team will need to adapt to the changes in its roster. The legendary Christine Sinclair, one of the greatest players in Canadian history, may take on a playmaking role due to her age, while younger talents step up in the starting lineup. The team's Group B matches against Nigeria, Ireland, and Australia will provide tough competition, and Coach Bev Priestman emphasizes the importance of adapting to different styles of play while leveraging their strengths. With a blend of experience and fresh talent, Canada's performance in the tournament will be eagerly watched as they aim to make their mark and contend for the title.
With the Women's Fifa world cup starting shortly, how far do folks here think Canada will progress? Any particular teams we would like to avoid meeting in the knockout rounds?
I watched Canada v. Guadeloupe live last night. It was first time I've seen the men's team play and wanted to share some impressions. I follow European club football very closely and rarely watch international games/tournaments. Consequently, don't know almost *any* of these players. - BMO Field is a great stadium. Good view of the pitch from most seats, even the cheap bleachers behind the north-side goal. Atmosphere improved over the match, sound echoes and is amplified by the half-roof, and the regular supporters behind the south-side goal were great! Side note: also fun to see planes take off from the Island airport nearby. - Gold Cup security/organization was not great. I mean this sincerely: pre-match media and attempts to hype the game made me feel embarrassed to be there. - This was not a skilled game, but entertaining. The pitch was slick (rained for hours beforehand) so there were lots of slips and some unexpected chances. - The last-minute goal for Guadeloupe was heartbreaking and probably not deserved, on the balance of play. - **Guadeloupe**: 10-Phaeton and 9-Ambrose had very good chemistry, especially in the first half. They played defensively throughout the match, but Phaeton was really strong up the wing when he had the opportunity. They deserved their early goal. - **Canada**: 11-Millar was arguably Canada's best player on the pitch. (22-Laryea also did well). Millar was often in "acres of space" on the wing in the first half, but rarely received service. Constantly looking to get behind defenders, but service to him was inexcusably bad. Tracked back defensively and made a few important recoveries/stops. It didn't make any sense to substitute him early in the 2nd half, unless there was a fitness issue. 13-Shaffelburg was good from the moment he came on; unfortunately, had the same problem as Millar re: bad service. He also tracked back well and seemed to be a crowd favorite. - **Canada**: The midfield was very poor and, despite what post-match reports suggest, 20-Ahmed was possibly Canada's worst player on the pitch. Tons of energy, but not much else. Poor passing and even worse decision-making, especially from midfield positions when Canada really needed to push up the field. Frequently lost the ball, both with and without pressure. Would often (unsuccessfully) try little give-and-go passes on the wing with 22-Laryea when surrounded by Guadeloupe players, rather than find the open man. I couldn't understand why he returned in the second half and it was even more baffling that he played the whole match. Hometown bias, maybe? If you also attended/watched this match, let's talk about it! (edited to fix formatting issues)
**CANADA** GK- Milan Borjan | SRB / FK Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) GK- Tom McGill | ENG / Brighton & Hove Albion FC GK- Dayne St. Clair | USA / Minnesota United FC CB- Moïse Bombito | USA / Colorado Rapids CB- Scott Kennedy | GER / SSV Jahn Regensburg CB- Zachary Mcgraw | USA / Portland Timbers CB- Steven Vitória | POR / GD Chaves CB- Dominick Zator | POL / Korona Kielce FB- Samuel Adekugbe | TUR / Galatasaray SK FB- Zachary Brault-Guillard | CAN / CF Montréal FB- Richie Laryea | CAN / Toronto FC FB- Kamal Miller | USA / Inter Miami FC M- Ali Ahmed | Vancouver Whitecaps FC M- Stephen Eustáquio | POR / FC Porto M- Victor Loturi | SCO / Ross County FC M- Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC M- David Wotherspoon | Unattached / sans club F- David Junior Hoilett | ENG / Reading FC F- Charles-Andreas Brym | NED / FC Eindhoven F- Lucas Cavallini | MEX / Club Tijuana F- Liam Millar | SUI / FC Basel F- Jacen Russell-Rowe | USA / Columbus Crew F- Jacob Shaffelburg | USA / Nashville SC
Canada fell 2-0 to the United States in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League, the second edition of a tournament which replaced international friendlies in the region and put another trophy in the mix for men's national teams. But in the moments after the loss, a frustrated John Herdman, the Canadian men's coach since 2018, challenged the country's soccer organization to be better as it prepares to co-host the men's World Cup in 2026. "We've got to get serious about winning a World Cup [in 2026]. When you play at home you get a chance to win it," Herdman said in reference to Canada Soccer, which has undergone a complete overhaul of its leadership. "We've brought a World Cup to our country and we're not serious about winning it," he added, his voice rising. "And you see how close that team is tonight. Tactically, we were there. Chances, shots, we were there. The margins were so tight tonight, so tight. We've got to get real. We've got to get real. And quick. "Because these players, they deserve it. They deserve their shot. The country deserves it. All the people that worked to bring it [the World Cup to Canada] deserve the shot. Let's get after it. We're close."
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Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson calls an end to his distinguished playing career Sunday. He's looking to leave with a trophy. The 40-year-old midfielder has already said goodbye to his longtime Turkish club team, via a social media post this week saying: "Thank you Besiktas, forever in my heart." He will close his Canadian chapter at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas where the 47th-ranked Canadian men take on the 13th-ranked U.S. in the CONCACAF Nations League final. The winner lifts a cup and collects a cheque worth around US$1 million.
**20:30 PM EST** **Location:** Allegiant Stadium,Paradise, Nevada **Notes:** - Canada defeated Panama 2-0 in their semi final - USA defeated Mexico 3-0 in their semi final
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Sunday is D-Day for the Canadian men's national team. A win in the Concacaf Nations League final on Sunday would clinch the program's first trophy in 23 years, and it would be even sweeter knowing it came against the U.S. in Las Vegas. A victory would not only be a crowning achievement for this group of players, it would also be a massive boost looking ahead to a home World Cup in 2026.
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Jonathan David had a goal and an assist while Alphonso Davies also scored to help lift Canada to a 2-0 victory over Panama in the semifinals of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Finals on Thursday evening at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The win sends Canada to Sunday’s Final where they will attempt to win their first Concacaf title since the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup.
19:00 EST Referee: Juan Gabriel Calderón Pérez (Costa Rica) Location: Allegiant Stadium,Paradise, Nevada Notes: - Winner goes on to Play the winner of Mexico v USA in the final - Panama undefeated in CONCACAF Nations League group stage
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