Canada ‘excited’ ahead of third-consecutive Cyprus Cup final

Canada will take on England at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus on Wednesday 13 March (18.00 local; 12.00 ET / 09.00 PT) as the team takes part in its third-consecutive final at the 2013 edition of the Cyprus Women’s Cup.

Fans will be able to follow the Cyprus Cup final live on Twitter: @CanadaSoccerEN. Complete pre and post-match video coverage, including full match highlights, will be available on CanadaSoccerTV.

The Canadians qualified for the tournament final by winning Group B with a perfect record of three wins in three matches featuring victories over Switzerland (2:0), Finland (2:1) and the Netherlands (1:0).

England earned their place in the championship game by winning Group A with a record of two wins (4:2 v Italy; 3:1 v New Zealand) and one draw (4:4 v Scotland).

“It’s a real privilege to be taking part in another cup final,” said Head Coach John Herdman ahead of Wedneday’s clash.

“We have prepared for this match in a way that should ensure that we are fresh for the final – as we had the opportunity to rest some key players in our final group fixture against the Netherlands.”

Canada recently defeated a Great Britain side 2:0 in the quarter-finals of the London 2012 Olympics – a team that was made-up of largely of English players – but Herdman is adamant that his team will be in for a tough final with the Cyprus Cup title on the line.

“England have proven they can step up in big games as they came from behind to beat New Zealand and qualify for the final here in Cyprus.

“They are top-10 team in world football and we know they will be working their hardest to disrupt our game.”

“This will be an important challenge for us to see if we can keep our composure and continue to play the way we want to play when England puts us under pressure.

“The players and the staff are excited for it.”

After wining the 2011 Cyprus Cup 2:1 in extra time against the Netherlands; Canada were defeated 2:0 by France in the 2012 final.

Canada defeated England 2:0 in the last fixture between the two teams on 7 March, 2011 at the 2011 Cyprus Cup.

Notes:

• Canada WNT has an all-time record 4W-0D-2L against England in six matches dating back to 1995.