CARLSBERG MOMENTS OF THE MONTH — APRIL 2024

CANWNT Competes in SheBelieves Cup 

Alongside Canada, the 2024 SheBelieves Cup featured the United States, Brazil, and Japan. Canada defeated Brazil in Atlanta, GA on 6 April in the Semifinal. Canada’s victory came in thrilling fashion, scoring a late equalizer and winning on penalty kicks to advance to the championship match. On 9 April, Canada took on hosts USA in Columbus, OH. After scoring first, the Americans would score twice to take a lead. For the second time in six weeks, a late goal from Adriana Leon leveled the match, resulting in a penalty shootout to decide the champion. Canada fell just short on penalties but had their best finish ever in the SheBelieves cup as the Americans lifted the 2024 SheBelieves Cup.

This competition proved to be valuable preparation ahead of this summer’s Olympic Tournament in Paris where Canada will meet New Zealand, Colombia, and hosts, France.

Successful TELUS She CAN Coach events in Halifax and Calgary

TELUS She CAN Coach is a national coach recruitment, development, and training project designed for women to address the challenges they face regarding soccer participation. In April, successful She CAN Coach events were held in Halifax, NS and Calgary, AB, aiming to inspire and support women to coach soccer.

Canada Soccer selected eight clubs from Nova Scotia and 12 clubs from Alberta to participate in the program. The event in Halifax saw 27 coaches attend, while 51 coaches attended the following week’s event in Calgary.

Canada Soccer Announce CANMNT Friendly Match against FIFA World-Ranked #2 France 

Canada Soccer and the France Football Federation announced that Canada’s Men’s National Team will play an international friendly against France in the upcoming June window. The match will take place on Sunday 9 June at The Matmut Atlantique, in Bordeaux, France. 

This will mark Canada’s second-ever meeting with the French. Canada lost 1-0 to France in the opening group stage match of the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico. The match is added to the already scheduled friendly against seventh-ranked Netherlands on 6 June, to round out the Men’s June FIFA window. The two matches will serve as key preparation for the upcoming 2024 Copa América.

Ontario’s 9 de Octubre and Saskatchewan’s Saskatoon Green and White win 2024 Futsal Canadian Championships

Canada Soccer’s 2024 Men’s Futsal Canadian Championship ran 11-14 April in Calgary with all 16 matches played at the 7 Chiefs Sportsplex in neighbouring Tsuut’ina Nation. This year marked the seventh edition of the men’s competition. Ontario’s 9 de Octubre FC emerged victorious in the final, defeating Sporting Montréal FC 5-3.

In the second edition of the Women’s Futsal Championship, Saskatoon Green and White emerged as the national champions with a definitive 7-1 victory over Winnipeg Legacy FC. It was a nine team competition this year with the format featuring three groups of three. Saskatoon had great wins against tough opponents in United Dartmouth FC (5-4) and Native Indian FA Pacific FC (5-2) en route to the final. It is the first national futsal championship for Saskatchewan. 

Canada Soccer Announces CANWNT Summer Send-Off Series

Canada Soccer announced a special ‘Summer Send-Off Series’ featuring two Women’s National Team matches against Concacaf rival Mexico on home soil in early June. The two-match series, co-presented by CIBC and Visa, will form a key part of Canada’s preparations for this summer’s marquee women’s international football competition, the Olympic Tournament in Paris.

Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team will open the series against Mexico on Saturday 1 June (14.00 ET) in Montréal, Quebec before shifting to Toronto for the second match on Tuesday 4 June (19.30 ET). 

TELUS Canadian Championship Begins with Preliminary Round Action

The Preliminary Round of Canada Soccer’s 2024 TELUS Canadian Championship kicked off in late April as the annual Battle of the North for the Voyageurs Cup opened with a pair of mid-week matches in Calgary and Toronto. ​

Cavalry FC met Vancouver FC at ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows, marking the first time the two clubs have met in the competition. Cavalry FC emerged with a 1-0 victory to advance to the TELUS Canadian Championship Quarterfinals. Toronto FC hosted first-time participants Simcoe County Rovers FC at BMO Field, emerging victorious in a 5-0 fashion. 

The following week, Forge FC edged York United FC in 3-1 Hamilton, while Atlético Ottawa defeated Valour FC in 7-0 Ottawa. On the West Coast, TSS Rovers nearly pulled off the upset against Pacific FC, falling in penalty kicks. CS Saint-Laurent were able to successfully upset the favoured HFX Wanderers in Halifax, winning 3-2 on penalties.