Canada enters the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer as the defending Olympic champions. Canada plays a defensive-oriented kind of football. Bev Priestman’s team is aware of their strength in attack, but they also have a number of goalkeepers and defenders of the highest caliber, so they are confident in their ability to maintain clean sheets against any team in the world. A team will always have a chance to win if they play in that manner. That was the situation during the Olympics, and we can anticipate that Australia and New Zealand will have the same mentality.
By winning Group B at the Concacaf W Championship in Mexico last summer, Priestman’s squad advanced to the World Cup. However, they were defeated by the United States in the final. They were then placed in World Cup Group B alongside Nigeria, the Republic of Ireland, and the hosts, Australia. The fact that Canada faced Nigeria and Australia twice in friendlies in 2022 and was undefeated in all four contests will give them some solace. They won one and drew one against Nigeria in Canada in April, and they won both games they played in Australia in September.
The Manager
Bev Priestman has demonstrated a desire to think ahead and a readiness to take risks in order to assist her team succeed. Like they did in her first major event as head coach at the Tokyo Olympics. Her team for this competition is capable of winning it all, but it also includes a number of young players who will be important moving forward. Priestman, Phil Neville’s assistant on the England squad that placed fourth at the 2019 World Cup.
Star player
Christine Sinclair is the most recognizable football player in Canada. With a record of 190 international goals in more than 300 international matches. Sinclair is perhaps the best international player in history. Not that the often-reserved captain aspires to be greater than the sport itself in Canada. The 14-time Canada Soccer Player of the Year has scored in four Olympics and five World Cups. A gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics gave her her first significant international prize.
Rising star
Simi Awujo has been a part of the senior Canadian national team setup for less than a year. She already has the makings of a long-lasting star. The 19-year-old, who had grown up in the United States and had previously represented them at the young level, changed her allegiance to Canada in 2022. Awujo was a revelation for Canada at the U-20 Women’s World Cup last summer. She can play as a No. 10 or deeper in midfield and has a wonderful eye for a ball.
Fun Fact
The Canadian athletes and crew organized a Mario Kart competition while playing the video game at the team hotel during the Tokyo Olympics. This was while the athletes were kept in a bubble to shield themselves and the general public. Vanessa Gilles, a center-back who was essential to Canada’s victory in the gold medal match, triumphed in that contest as well. She afterward proclaimed herself a double Olympic winner on social media.
State of Football
Despite efforts to change this in the upcoming years, Canada is one of only a few elite nations in women’s football without a local professional league. There is a desire for it, and a professional alternative to moving abroad is long overdue. In terms of youth involvement, football is the most well-liked sport in the nation. Its popularity has increased in the wake of Canada’s Olympic gold medal.
Our Prediction
As the defending Olympic champions, Canada is expected to go through the group round and perform admirably in the knockout stages of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The team is certain that they possess the qualities necessary to win the trophy.
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