The Canadian women’s team has already secured its spot at next year’s FIFA World Cup by finishing in the top four at the CONCACAF W Championship currently going on in Mexico.
But Canada still has plenty to play for in Monday’s final (10:00 p.m. ET) against the United States at Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA, as the winner will automatically qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The runner-up could still qualify for the Olympics, but they would have to face the third-place nation at this tournament (either Jamaica or Costa Rica) in a playoff in Sept. 2023 to determine who will go to Paris.
This will be the fifth time that Canada and the U.S. meet in the CONCACAF finals since the inaugural tournament in 1991. The teams haven't faced off since the Reds earned a dramatic 1-0 win in the semifinals of last summer's Tokyo Olympics.
"You always want to test yourselves, and the U.S. are an incredible team. I know that they'll definitely be coming into this game with Tokyo in the back of their mind, they'll want to put that right. We won't underestimate them. They're a top side, but I'm really excited to go up against that challenge again. There's a lot on the line," Canadian coach Bev Priestman said.
Here are three things to look out for from Canada in Monday’s game:
Canada’s super subs
Notably, six of Canada’s 12 goals at the CONCACAF W Championship have been from substitutes, which underlines Priestman’s astute ability to make necessary changes in real time in order to tip close games in her team’s favour.
Twice, the Canadian coach boldly made a quadruple substitution early in the second half of games with the results still hanging in the balance. Both times, Canada went on to win as it benefited from five goals scored by players coming off the bench.
Against Jamaica in the semifinals, Canada was sitting on a slim 1-0 lead before Priestman made changes in the 52nd minute.
Those moves paid dividends when Adriana Leon delivered a great cross from the right wing to the back post where fellow substitute Allysha Chapman connected on a header that snuck under the crossbar after making a late run into the box. Leon made it 3-0 when she poked home an angled shot after receiving a flicked header at the back post from Jordyn Huitema, another substitute.
Canada’s subs have been getting it done in Mexico, something the Americans will likely have to contend with in Monday’s final.
Who will be the next Canadian player to step up and score?
Another encouraging sign for Canada at this competition has been how the attack has been so balanced. Rather than relying on Christine Sinclair and the forwards to lead the charge, the Reds have also received offensive production from its wingers, midfielders and fullbacks.
In total, eight different players have found the back of the net for Canada. Midfielder Sophie Schmidt sealed a 2-0 win over Costa Rica in the group stage with her first goal in over three years. Before scoring against Jamaica, fullback Allysha Chapman hadn’t scored since 2015. Julia Grosso hadn’t scored an international goal for Canada prior to this tournament. Currently, she’s tied as the competition’s top scorer with three goals.
What this means is the U.S. simply can’t focus on trying to stop Sinclair and the front three. Canada has shown it can produce goals from anywhere in the pitch, and that its goals can come from the unlikeliest of sources. Will another Canadian player add their name to the team’s growing list of goal-scorers on Monday? Don’t bet against it happening.
Wide play key to Canada’s success
Another thing the U.S. will have to guard against is the attacking danger that Canada poses both down flanks. All three of Canada's goals in its 3-0 win over Jamaica in the semifinals came off exquisite crosses delivered into the 18-yard box from wide areas.
Canadian fullbacks Jayde Riviere and Ashley Lawrence have been effective two-way players in Mexico, holding down their defensive responsibilities while bombing forward down their respective wings to lend support to the attack.
While Christine Sinclair has operated in a deep midfield position rather than as a traditional striker, forwards Janine Beckie and Nichelle Prince have been deployed more as wingers, and have made probing runs behind the opposition’s defence. Beckie’s exquisite crosses into the penalty area from wide areas, from both set pieces and open play, have led to countless scoring chances for her teammates.
With Canada having so many attacking threats down the wings, it’ll be interesting to see how the Americans deal with that - whether they adapt their style of play to try to neutralize the Canadians, or stay true to their tactical vision and focus on trying to influence the game through their strengths.
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.
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