Since winning gold at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, the Canadian women’s crew has been walking around with a rather large bull’s-eye on its back.
Every adversary now brings their “A game” whenever they face Canada, desperate to make a name for itself by knocking the Olympic champions down a peg or two. As a result, Bev Priestman’s side has faced several top teams since Tokyo, all of them presenting unique tactical challenges.
Bringing home the gold in Tokyo has also raised the expectations of this Canadian side. It’s no longer good enough for them to simply win, they must also do so in style every time they step onto the pitch.
Case in point is Canada’s run at the CONCACAF W Championship taking place in Mexico.
The Canadians completed their first round at this tournament — which serves as the qualifier for next year’s FIFA World Cup — with three shutout wins, including Monday’s 2-0 triumph over Costa Rica at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.
“I think [my] players walking off the pitch would have wanted some moments back where it could have been more than two [goals],” Priestman said in the post-match press conference. “But at the same time, I thought we created a lot and we dominated. So that’s the main thing.”
It was an important victory for Canada, as it permitted them to finish first in Group B ahead of Costa Rica, thus avoiding a semifinal clash with the top-ranked United States. While Las Ticas will face the Americans, the Canadians will face a much weaker opponent in Jamaica on Thursday, giving them a clearer path to the final on July 18. The tournament winner will not only be crowned the queens of CONCACAF, but also automatically qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
