Carlsberg Moments of the Month – September 2023

CANWNT QUALIFY FOR 2024 PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES

Canada’s Women’s Soccer Team has secured their fifth consecutive qualification for the Olympic Games after defeating Jamaica in a two-match series. They won 2-0 in Jamaica and 2-1 at home in Toronto, clinching the series 4-1 on aggregate. Goals came from Nichelle Prince, Adriana Leon, Cloé Lacasse, and Jordyn Huitema. Canada joins France, USA, Brazil, and Colombia as the first five nations to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The team expressed immense pride in achieving this feat, especially in front of a record-breaking home crowd of 29,212. Canada, the reigning Olympic champions, have a strong history in women’s soccer, with multiple Olympic and Concacaf titles. Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach, praised the crowd’s support and the team’s resilience in crucial moments. Forward Cloé Lacasse and Jordyn Huitema shared their excitement and aspirations for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

2024 OLYMPIC PLAY-IN MATCH TORONTO ATTENDANCE BREAKS CANADA SOCCER RECORD IN ONTARIO

With a sold-out crowd, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team played in front of their largest home crowd since the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015. With 29,212 fans in attendance, the Tuesday 26 September match also the largest crowd ever for Canada Soccer’s National Teams in the province of Ontario, eclipsing the mark set last March when the Men’s National Team qualified for the FIFA World Cup on 27 March 2022.

MAURO BIELLO NAMED INTERIM CANMNT HEAD COACH

Mauro Biello, who was most recently the assistant head coach under John Herdman since 2018, will remain the interim coach until a new permanent coach is hired. Biello is a former Canadian international and was the head coach of the Montreal Impact from 2015-2017.

Biello, who was appointed interim head coach of the Men’s National Team program on 28 August 2023, has spent the first few weeks filling vacancies on his coaching staff and connecting with members of the Men’s National Team. Canada continues to prepare for their upcoming International Friendly against FIFA number 20 ranked Japan on 13 October 2023.

CANM17 DRAW SPAIN. UZBEKISTAN AND MALI IN GROUP STAGE OF U17 FIFA MEN’S WORLD CUP

Canada will face Spain, Mali and Uzbekistan in Group B of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023. The four nations were drawn together for the 24-nation biennial competition that runs 10 November through 2 December.

Canada will face Spain on Friday 10 November, Uzbekistan on Monday 13 November and Mali on Thursday 16 November. From there, either two or three nations will advance to the Round of 16 depending on the results from the other groups.

Canada qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023 through the Concacaf Under-17 Championship in February at Guatemala. Canada qualified with a 3:0 win over Puerto Rico in the Quarterfinals.

CANADA SOCCER ANNOUNCES NEW LEGACY FUND LEADERSHIP

John Montalbano, former CEO of RBC Global Asset Management, has been named chair of the Canada Soccer Legacy Fund. The fund aims to raise resources for grassroots and youth development programs, particularly benefiting marginalized groups. Montalbano, recognized for his philanthropic leadership, expressed gratitude for the positive impact of community soccer in his own life. The Legacy Fund seeks to expand access to soccer in Canada, supporting inclusive programming, national youth teams, and opportunities for coaches and referees. Sara McConaghy has also been appointed as the Director of Community and Fund Development to lead Legacy Fund initiatives.

CANWNT DEFEAT JAMAICA 2-0 ON THE ROAD IN LEG 1 OF OLYMPIC PLAY-IN

Canada have taken a 2-0 lead in their 2023 Concacaf W Olympic Play-In series after the opening leg away win in Kingston, Jamaica. With the return leg scheduled for Tuesday in Toronto, Canada are just 90 minutes away from their fifth-consecutive qualification to the Olympic Games.

Nichelle Prince and Adriana Leon were the Canada goalscorers in the opening leg while Kailen Sheridan posted the clean sheet with the help of her backline. The away match (and win) was Canada’s first-ever in Jamaica and their first in the Caribbean region since 1991. It was also Canada’s second-straight win and clean sheet against Jamaica under the leadership of Head Coach Bev Priestman.