Canada ready for FIFA World Cup battle against Ireland

Canada and the Republic of Ireland will be seeking their first victory at this year’s FIFA World Cup when they meet on Wednesday at the Perth Rectangular Stadium in Perth, Australia. The two sides are expecting a tough battle when they go head to head in their second of three group matches, but Canada aims to take full advantage of the opportunity with a chance to move to the top of the group, even if only for the day before leaders Australia play their second match against tough Nigeria on Thursday.

So far, only a single goal separates the four nations in Group B at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. Canada are scheduled to meet the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday 26 July (20.00 local / 08.00 ET / 05.00 PT) while co-hosts Australia will meet Nigeria on Thursday 27 July in Brisbane. Canada drew their opening match 0:0 with Nigeria while the Republic of Ireland lost their tournament opener 1:0 to Australia.

“Whenever we have come up against a team that really pushes us to our limits in trying to get that result, it can really get the best out of us,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach. “We won’t underestimate them because they have got where they are for a reason and they have really pushed some top-tier teams, but at the end of the day, there are three points on the line here for us. We know exactly why we came to this FIFA World Cup and that’s to take those three points (on Wednesday).”

Across Canada, every match will be broadcast live on CTV, TSN and RDS, with extended coverage of Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team from CanadaSoccer.com to Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Twitter and Youtube featuring the hashtags #CANWNT and #WeCAN. There are 24 Carlsberg’s Official Canadian Supporter Locations at pubs and bars across Canada to support the Women’s National Team at the FIFA World Cup. On the day before each match in Australia, Canada Soccer House events presented by CIBC in Melbourne and Perth will create a vibrant rallying point for all those supporting Canada in Australia.

This will be just the second time that Canada and the Republic of Ireland have met in an international “A” match, with the last encounter a 2014 Cyprus Cup match in which Ireland’s Ruesha Littlejohn scored the opener before Diana Matheson got the equaliser and Sophie Schmidt scored the winner.

Since the last FIFA World Cup in 2019, both Canada and the Republic of Ireland have appointed new managers in charge, with Vera Pauw appointed to the Republic of Ireland in 2019 and coach Bev Priestman appointed to Canada in 2020 ahead of winning an Olympic Gold Medal in 2021. Pauw previously faced Canada three times in charge of other nations between 2002 and 2006 (with Scotland a loss to Canada in 2002; then with Netherlands a draw in 2005 and a loss to Canada in 2006).

With their 0:0 draw against Nigeria on 21 July, Canada are unbeaten in three successive FIFA World Cup opening matches since 2015. They have also now posted at least one clean sheet in three successive tournaments, with the recent Friday result a first career FIFA World Cup clean sheet for Canada’s goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

“We’ve created opportunities and got in the final third and we do have the players with the ability to put the ball in the back of the net, but we also pride ourselves on getting clean sheets because that’s part of our DNA,” said fullback Ashley Lawrence in the FIFA press conference ahead of Canada’s second match.

Beyond Wednesday, Canada will face the co-hosts Australia back in Melbourne on Monday 31 July (20.00 local / 06.00 ET / 03.00 PT). From Group B, the Round of 16 matches are Monday 7 August (Brisbane or Sydney), the Quarterfinals are Saturday 12 August (Brisbane or Sydney), the Semifinals are Wednesday 16 August (Sydney), and the Final is Sunday 20 August (Sydney).

CANADA SOCCER’S WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM
Canada are Olympic champions (Tokyo 2020), two-time bronze medal winners (2012 and 2016), and two-time Concacaf champions (1998 and 2010). In all, Canada have participated in eight consecutive editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (1995 to 2023) and four consecutive editions of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (2008 to 2021). At Tokyo 2020, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team became the first Canadian team to win three consecutive medals at the Summer Olympic Games and just the third nation in the world to win three medals in women’s soccer.

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 nine editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (including a silver medal at Canada 2002) and all seven editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (including a fourth-place finish at Uruguay 2018).