Canada Soccer wrap up Arnold Clark Cup on four points after narrow 1:0 loss to Spain

Canada have wrapped up a positive international break at the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup following a draw, a win and a loss against top-10 European sides England, Germany and Spain. Following a 1:1 draw with England and a 1:0 win over Germany, Canada lost 0:1 to Spain in the group finale in Wolverhampton, England on Wednesday 23 February. Spain’s Alexia Putellas was the lone goalscorer in the first half before both Canada’s Jordyn Huitema in the first half and Putellas in the second half hit the crossbar.

Across the tournament, Janine Beckie scored the equalizer in the opening match against England and Vanessa Gilles scored the winner in the second match against Germany. Canada’s win against Germany was their first-ever clean sheet victory against the former FIFA World Cup and Olympic champions.

LINK TO HIGHLIGHTS (video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dbokciUzqM
LINK TO PHOTOS (for editorial use) :
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=46765827%40N08&view_all=1&text=20220223

“There were lots of positives from this tournament that we can take forward,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach. “We came here to get that experience against European opponents and we got that experience that we can take forward when it really matters in the future. We showed in this tournament that we are moving forward as a group and that’s important.”

Canada’s starting XI featured Kailen Sheridan in goal, Jayde Riviere at right back, Vanessa Gilles and Kadeisha Buchanan at centre back, Ashley Lawrence at left back, and Marie-Yasmine Alidou, Desiree Scott, Jessie Fleming, Janine Beckie, Jordyn Huitema and Deanne Rose from the midfield up through to the attack. In the second half, Head Coach Bev Priestman replaced Sheridan with Sabrina D’Angelo (46′), Alidou with Quinn (46′), Riviere with Gabrielle Carle (53′), Scott with Desiree Scott (53′), Huitema with Nichelle Prince (64′), and Beckie with Cloé Lacasse (77′).

MATCH REPORT:

Canada was unable to score in its final match of the Arnold Clark Cup, losing 1:0 to Spain in Wolverhampton, England.

Canada came out of the gate on the attack, with a great opportunity in the first minute of the match. Deanne Rose played in an early cross which was knocked down beautifully by Janine Beckie to Jordyn Huitema, but Huitema’s shot took a deflection off a Spanish defender on the way through.

In the 7’, Jayde Riviere made a great overlapping run forward and played in a cross towards Rose and Huitema but it was too strong for Rose to direct on target.

After a period of more sustained pressure and great ball movement, it was Spain who took the 1:0 lead when Alexia Putellas was picked out with a pass into the middle of the penalty area and slotted it into the Canada net (21’).

Canada came inches away from tying the score in the 28’ as Huitema got a strong header to a Beckie free kick, hitting the crossbar. Kadeisha Buchanan was just unable to connect with the rebound and it bounced away from danger.

In the 63’, Putellas nearly doubled the Spanish lead with a header that struck the crossbar. The ball bounced around dangerously in the Canadian penalty area before finally being cleared away.

After just entering the match, Cloe Lacasse’s first involvement was to pick out a pass to Nichelle Prince at the top of the Spanish box. Prince turned and fired a shot but pulled it wide of the net (77’).

In the 79’, Ashley Lawrence drove forward from her fullback position and then played a pass wide to Lacasse on the wing. Lacasse cut inside towards the goal and took a shot that was smothered by the Spanish keeper.

Canada continued to attack late in the match as they searched for the equalizer. In the 84’ an in-swinging corner kick found Prince with all alone, but a slight touch on it’s way to her off the head of Quinn through Prince’s header off slightly and it went over the net.

In the 90’, Lawrence again made a driving run forward and played in an extremely dangerous cross through the six-yard box into the path of the on-rushing runs of both Prince and Rose, but neither were able to get the crucial final touch to bury it in the back of the net.

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 seven consecutive editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (1995 to 2019) 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 seven editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (including a silver medal at Canada 2002) and all six editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (including a fourth-place finish at Uruguay 2018).