CUIABA, Brazil — Casey Stoney believes Canada's women's soccer team showed a new facet of themselves on Saturday.
Little went their way in a 1-0 loss to Brazil, the finale of their 2026 FIFA Series campaign. The way the players continued to battle, though, is crucial as the team builds toward next summer's World Cup, Stoney said.
"I think they showed fight, they showed desire. They kept going until the end," said Canada's head coach. "We were really trying to get a goal, we were really close to getting a goal, and I felt the team deserved a goal for all the work they put in and obviously the chances that we had created.
"So what I think we've shown is a slightly different side to us in terms of having to play the way we've played today with the ball, but we still created chances.”
Playing in front of a home crowd, seventh-ranked Brazil controlled play through much of the match but couldn't get a ball past Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan across the first half.
Out of the break, Canada's Evelyne Viens saw a near breakaway stymied when she was called for a soft foul after getting tangled up in midfield.
Asked whether it was in fact Viens who was fouled on the play, Stoney was blunt. "Absolutely," she said. "Yes."
The ball went the other way and Brazil's Kerolin Nicoli blasted a shot on net. Sheridan made the stop and defender Kadeisha Buchanan booted the ball out, but Aline Gomes collected it and sent a shot soaring into the top-right corner of the net in the 47th minute for the game's lone goal.
Canada nearly responded in the 64th minute off a free kick. Jessie Fleming swung the ball in and Viens headed it toward the goal, with the ball skimming off the post.
The South American nation went down to 10 players in the 82nd minute after Ary Borges was sent off with her second yellow card of the night following a hard tackle on Fleming.
Canada made use of the extra space and created chances, including a shot from D.B. Pridham at the corner of the six-yard box, but failed to score.
“We have to score," Stoney said. "We had enough chances tonight to be in the game, we just have to score. We matched them in every other area. I think we just have to score.”
The Canadians were playing without Jade Rose after the star defender was sent off with a red card in the country's 3-1 win over South Korea on Tuesday.
Canada, ranked ninth in the world, opened the tournament with a 4-0 victory over Zambia on April 11.
Across the three games, the team showed its ability to play in different ways and be adaptable, Stoney said.
“They had to show a different side of themselves tonight, and they had to fight and show grit and determination even when things weren't going their way. And they kept fighting, and they kept trying to get a goal," said the coach.
"I think we've had two really good camps in terms of togetherness, building the identity that we want. And I think people are starting to see how we want to play now, and we need to continue that.”
The FIFA Series features men's and women's teams from 50 nations across 13 groups, with games being played in 12 countries.
It was Canada's latest step in preparation for November's CONCACAF W Championship, which will serve as a qualifier for both the 2027 World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Preparing for those tournaments requires working on the team's culture, too, Stoney said — something they had ample time for in Brazil.
The group spent lots of time together during the tournament because they couldn't leave the hotel very much, she said.
“It’s been a challenging trip, but we came for that," she said. " … We learned a lot tonight about ourselves. We learned a lot throughout this tournament. We're going to face different tests.
"So, yeah, I definitely think we have to continue to build on that. Culture isn't something that just happens. You have to work on it daily. And it's about behaviours and values, and the players have been really good over the last two camps.”
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