Larnaka, Cyprus | GSZ Stadium
Attendance: 40
if (is_null($match_action['action_player1'])) { ?> Ejection: Player Carded ( Italy ) } else { ?> } ?>
if (is_null($match_action['action_player1'])) { ?> Caution: Player Carded ( Italy ) } else { ?> } ?>
if (is_null($match_action['action_player1'])) { ?> Caution: Player Carded ( Italy ) } else { ?> } ?>
Nkem Ezurike
Josée Bélanger
if (is_null($match_action['action_player1'])) { ?> Caution: Player Carded ( Italy ) } else { ?> } ?>
Quinn
Marie-Eve Nault
Brittany Timko Baxter
Sophie Schmidt
if (is_null($match_action['action_player1'])) { ?> Italy Goal: Goal Scorer. Assist: Goal Scorer } else { ?> } ?>
if (is_null($match_action['action_player1'])) { ?> CAN WNT Goal: Kyle, Kaylyn. Assist: Wilkinson, Rhian } else { ?> Kaylyn Kyle } ?>
Kaylyn Kyle
Adriana Leon
if (is_null($match_action['action_player1'])) { ?> CAN WNT Goal: Leon, Adriana. Assist: Matheson, Diana } else { ?> Adriana Leon } ?>
if (is_null($match_action['action_player1'])) { ?> CAN WNT Goal: Matheson, Diana. Assist: Goal Scorer } else { ?> Diana Matheson } ?>
After finding their scoring touch in their opening game of the Cyprus Cup, Canada’s Women’s National Team didn’t let up as they scored three goals for the second game in a row on Friday to pick up a 3:1 victory over Italy.
Diana Matheson opened the scoring, then provided the second for Adriana Leon as Canada went up two goals by halftime, much in the same was that they started the tournament in their 3:0 win over Finland.
Rhian Wilkinson kept up her offensive contributions as she provided the cross to Kaylyn Kyle, who scored her first goal of the tournament early in the second half. Kyle then had a back pass intercepted two minutes after scoring by Italian player Cristiana Girelli, who was in alone on goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe and got Italy’s lone goal of the evening and first of the tournament.
It was a pretty even opening as both teams put together bits of possession, albeit nothing that troubled either team’s back line.
Labbe had to be sharp early to tip a header over her crossbar and Matheson showed some early influence by forcing a fine, diving save from Italian goalkeeper Sara Penzo on a shot from outside the 18-yard box.
But it was just past half an hour that Matheson was the beneficiary of a Sophie Schmidt cutback, and she picked her spot and curled home her shot.
10 minutes after the opener and just before halftime, the Italian back line gave Matheson some space on the right side and this time she was the provider as she crossed in and Adriana Leon was unmarked and she volleyed home from close range into an open goal.
Canada’s had a tremendous success operating on that right side through two games of the tournament and Wilkinson led another rush up that side four minutes into the second half for Canada’s third with Kyle getting the all-important third goal.
Kyle had just some on as a substitute to start the second half.
With Italy’s lone goal of the evening, Canada needs a point in their final game against England on Monday to book a spot in the tournament’s final. Both Canada and England are level on six points but Canada has more goals scored, which would be the tiebreaker.
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