“We are Olympic champions!” exclaimed Canada’s head coach Bev Priestman at halftime against Ireland at the Women’s World Cup in soccer on Wednesday. It was obviously a reminder that his players needed.
Dumbfounded, complexed and anxious, the Canadians saw a catastrophe gradually approaching: that of another early elimination from the World Cup. It was a threat that began to loom after they were cleared and limited to a draw against the Nigerians in the curtain raiser. A layer was added when Canada conceded a goal in the fourth minute against the Irish.
The alarm was immediately sounded in the Canadian camp when the Irish captain, Katie McCabe, found the back of the net directly with a corner kick – an olimpico in the jargon. There was panic for the next 40 minutes. Game bosses? To the trash cans.
It was an own goal for the Irish a few seconds before half-time, appropriate changes and, perhaps, a timely speech from the coach that allowed Canada to come from behind and win 2-1, Wednesday, at HBF Park. Adriana Leon scored the decisive goal in the 53rd minute of play. The Canadians virtually took the lead in Group B.
And as the head coach herself pointed out, it would be “the turning point of this competition” for her troops. This time, it was the contribution of substitutes like Sophie Schmidt and Cloé Lacasse, again, who helped Canada take the lead. Entries from veterans Christine Sinclair and Shelina Zadorsky also contributed to the success.
“It was their experience that made all the difference,” concluded Ireland coach Vera Pauw. We don’t have that. This experience showed how to react to these good times. »
Despite the tireless efforts of Arsenal star McCabe, the defeat spelled the end of Ireland’s first World Cup appearance. She had lowered the flag 1-0 against Australia as a curtain raiser.
The Irish, however, gave the Canadians a lot of trouble. In the first half, the services simply did not go to Quebec forward Évelyne Viens, who was isolated from her teammates.
It was the same observation for Jessie Fleming, the star of the Canadian team. The one who was returning to the game hardly touched the ball until Schmidt entered. However, the second half was very convincing and Canada can certainly learn from these much more conclusive 45 minutes.
And especially not that of the first half. This type of performance against the Australians, host country of the competition, will not be enough. Canada’s fate is still unsettled for the knockout phase, but a victory would ensure it qualifies and aims for the first podium in its history at the World Cup.
Indeed, if there’s one thing Canadian women have proven in recent years, it’s that they “know how to win” and do it when it “counts most”, as said Priestman. We will have to prove it again and again in the coming weeks.
His entry for the second half completely turned the tide. The midfielder had struggled in the first half to bridge the gap between defense and attack. It was then that Schmidt filled this gap. She also served caviar for Adriana Leon for the Canadians’ second goal. The veteran will be difficult to dislodge for the match against the Australians.
A very complex match for one of the best central defenders in the world. It should be noted that he was absent from training the day before due to a virus. Obviously, she was not at the top of her form and that benefited many, including Kyra Carusa who easily overwhelmed Buchanan a few times. The lesson will be that a crippled Buchanan is not worth a healthy Shelina Zadorsky.
This is the number of minutes that had elapsed since the last goal scored by a Canadian in the phase of play during a major tournament. Since Adriana Leon’s goal against Great Britain in the group stage at the Olympics in 2021, Canada had only hit the mark on penalties in the knockout stage. Then, nothing since the start of this World Cup. It was finally Leon, again her, who put an end to the ordeal and this streak which spanned the equivalent of more than five games in the 53rd minute.