Canada plans pre-Olympic international matches against Czech Republic and Brazil

Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team will have another opportunity to build on their team chemistry this June as they continue their preparations for the Olympic Games. As part of the last window on the FIFA Women’s International Match, Canada will face both the Czech Republic and Brazil in a pair of international friendly matches in Cartagena, Spain.

Canada will first face Czech Republic on Friday 11 June at 17.00 local (11.00 ET / 08.00 PT), followed by Brazil on Monday 14 June at 21.00 local (15.00 ET / 12.00 PT). Both matches will take place at Estadio Cartagonova. Fans will find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter featuring the social media hashtag #CANWNT.

“This camp will provide us with similar conditions to what we will face in an Olympics, with two very different opponents within a three-day window, so it is a great opportunity to see how we cope in those circumstances as well as in the heat,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach. “Another two games under our belt before the Tokyo Olympic Games is critical and again will provide another opportunity to assess players, test and develop player partnerships, and build on the work we have done to date. With more players in season now, I’m excited to see how players come in more and more ready for Tokyo and hope we can build on a successful April window.”

The Friday match will be the first-ever meeting between Canada and the Czech Republic at the international “A” level. The Czech Republic recently reached the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 qualifying playoff, but were eliminated on kicks from the penalty mark after a two-leg series with Switzerland.

Canada most recently played Brazil at the 2021 SheBelieves Cup in February 2021, which ended up in a 2:0 win for Brazil. Five years ago, Canada defeated host nation Brazil in the bronze medal match at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to secure back-to-back podium finishes at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Canada earned the distinction of becoming the first Canadian team to win back-to-back medals at the Summer Olympic Games since 1908 as well as the first-ever women’s Canadian team to repeat on the podium.

Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team is scheduled to face host Japan, Great Britain and Chile in the group phase of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament this summer. Canada are one of just five nations in the world that have qualified for each of the past four Women’s Olympic Football Tournaments. Canada are also the only nation in the world to reach the podium at both London 2012 and Rio 2016 in women’s football.

OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNERS & CONCACAF CHAMPIONS
Canada are two-time Olympic bronze medal winners (2012 and 2016) and two-time Concacaf champions (1998 and 2010). In all, Canada have participated in seven consecutive editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (1995 to 2019) and three consecutive editions of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (2008 to 2016). At Rio 2016, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team were the first Canadian Olympic team to win back-to-back medals at a summer Olympic Games in more than a century.

Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Youth Teams, meanwhile, have won four Concacaf youth titles: the 2004 and 2008 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, the 2010 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship, and the 2014 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship. Canada have qualified for seven editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (including a silver medal at Canada 2002) and all six editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (including a fourth-place finish at Uruguay 2018).