Huitema heads home Hallowe’en winner in Halifax

Story by Richard Scott – Photos by Audrey Magny

Jordyn Huitema scored the second-half match winner as Canada won 2:0 over Brazil at sold-out Wanderers Ground on Tuesday night in Halifax. Huitema scored the match winner in the 70th minute from a headed goal on an Ashley Lawrence cross before Deanne Rose scored the second goal in the 89th minute.

MATCH CENTRE: https://canadasoccer.com/national/matches/national-team-match-live/?matchId=4654

Brazil won the first match of the series in Montréal on a last-minute goal by Débinha and the two sides were scoreless after 45 minutes in Halifax. Canada made some changes at the break – both in terms of tactics and mentality – and they beat Brazil with their two goals in the last 30 minutes. On the Huitema header, it was substitute Jessie Fleming who won the ball in the midfield and played Ashley Lawrence wide on the right. Huitema outjumped her defender towards the back post to scored her 18th international for Canada.

“Definitely we had a tactical shift in the second half, with our pressing and build up,” said Huitema, who earned Gatorade Performance of the Match honours. “Getting more pressure, winning it higher up, we thrive on that. We like to win the ball high and that gives us energy, so those little shifts in the second half made all the difference for us.”

Huitema has scored seven of her international goals on headers, including the last two on crosses by Ashley Lawrence (she recently scored the 2:1 winner against Jamaica in Toronto when Canada qualified for the Olympic Games). She now leads Canada with three international goals this year and she’s been involved in the build up on three of Canada’s six goals since the FIFA World Cup.

Still on 22 years old, Huitema has 18 goals, six assists and has been involved in the build up on 30 Canada goals in 71 international “A” appearances. She currently ranks sixth amongst active players in goalscoring behind Jessie Fleming (19), Sophie Schmidt (20), Adriana Leon (30), Janine Beckie (36) and of course Christine Sinclair (190).

Huitema actually has the third-most Canada goals before her 23rd birthday, now on equal terms with Beckie who scored her first 18 goals before she turned 23. Only Kara Lang (33) and Sinclair (55) scored more goals at a younger age. On a side note, Charmaine Hooper was 23 years old when she scored her first Canada goal, Silvana Burtini was 24, and Melissa Tancredi was 25.

With the Tuesday win, Canada improved their 2023 record to five wins, one draw and five losses in 11 matches (including a 2-0-1 record at home). Canada have played in front of three-straight sell out matches at Toronto, Montréal and Halifax since September and their next home match at Langford’s Starlight Stadium on Vancouver Island has also sold out for early December.

“Overall I was pleased with our resilience, especially when you’re trying things it may be easy to give up, but in that second half the team stuck with it and it paid off,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach.

On the day, goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo posted her seventh career clean sheet (in 14 matches) and she set the play in motion for Canada’s second goal, a long goal kick headed forward by Cloé Lacasse and then slotted home by Rose in the 89th minute. Lacasse herself nearly scored in the 61st minute, but she hit the post.

On the two-match series, coach Priestman featured 22 different players with notably both Bianca St-Georges (Montréal) and Emma Regan (Halifax) both making their home debuts for Canada. Sinclair meanwhile made her 50th and 51st career home appearances in the penultimate series of her international career with Canada.

As Canada continues preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, they will play their next two home matches against Australia starting with a sold-out Friday 1 December match on Vancouver Island followed by Christine Sinclair’s last international match on Tuesday 5 December at Vancouver’s BC Place. Tickets to that last match of 2023 are available now at CanadaSoccer.com.