After dealing with opponents ranked fiftieth or worse on the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, Olympic champion Canada renews its rivalry with the second-ranked U.S. on Wednesday in San Diego within the event semifinal.
“It’s important to respect, clearly, the standard that they have,” stated Canada coach Bev Priestman. “And it is the take a look at that we’d like.
“You suppose the place we need to be July twenty fifth (the beginning of the ladies’s soccer event on the Paris Olympics), it is going to take these exams alongside the way in which like we have had with Brazil and different prime nations that basically stretched us. We need to be stretched. These are the video games you reside for. As a coach, as a participant. And it will be an thrilling one.”
Whereas the Tenth-ranked Canadians dispatched the People 1-0 within the Tokyo Olympic semifinal in August 2021, their profession document in opposition to the U.S. is 4-53-7. Nonetheless the 18 conferences since 2011 — throughout which Canada has gone 1-14-3 — have featured three ties, six one-goal wins for the U.S. and one one-goal win for Canada (on the Tokyo Olympics).
The People have received the 2 conferences since Tokyo, 1-0 within the CONCACAF W closing in July 2022 and 2-0 within the SheBelieves Cup in February 2023 (when the Canadians had been at loggerheads with Canada Soccer over lack of progress in labour negotiations).
‘Be courageous’
Priestman simply needs her gamers to be themselves Wednesday.
“Us at our greatest, giving our greatest on an excellent day, we will beat the States,” she stated. “That is all I’ll ask of the group — is to take our id, our strengths into this sport. Go and ship them. Go and be as courageous as you had been [in Tokyo] … We do this, we win the sport.”
The U.S. is at the moment a group in transition, upset 2-0 by Mexico within the group stage.
Emma Hayes, at the moment accountable for England’s Chelsea, is ready to take over the U.S. beginning in June with friendlies in opposition to South Korea in Commerce Metropolis, Colo., and St. Paul, Minn.
Kilgore, who will be part of Hayes’ employees as an assistant coach, has been in cost since Vlatko Andonovski stepped down final August. Kilgore, an assistant underneath Andonovski for 1-½ years, is the primary American-born lady to earn U.S. Soccer’s top-level Professional Licence.
Squeaked by Costa Rica
The Canadians superior to the knockout spherical as the highest seed after defeating No. 104 El Salvador, No. 50 Paraguay and No. 43 Costa Rica in Houston by a mixed rating of 13-0.
That meant a rematch with Costa Rica, after the Central People grew to become the eight seed after profitable a drawing of tons with Puerto Rico. The Costa Ricans proved to be a more durable out within the quarterfinals, with Canada needing additional time earlier than Evelyne Viens scored within the 104th minute for a 1-0 win Saturday in Los Angeles.
WATCH l Canada beats Costa Rica in additional time:
Substitute Evelyne Viens scores within the 104th minute and lifts Canada to 1-0 win over Costa Rica within the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup
The U.S. superior because the fourth seed, defeated No. 23 Colombia, 3-0 in a chippy contest — there have been seven yellow playing cards issued, together with 4 to Colombia — with the fifth seed Sunday.
American defender Tierna Davidson, requested if she thought the semifinal could be extra soccer and fewer theatrics/perspective, recommended she nonetheless anticipated some niggle in opposition to the Canadians.
“There’s undoubtedly nonetheless going to be among the getting underneath one another’s pores and skin as a result of it is a rivalry and that is simply sort of the way it goes,” she stated. “The sport of soccer isn’t just with the ball. It is also emotional and that is simply what sort of occurs in these video games. It is an thrilling a part of the sport.
“But it surely’s in regards to the stability of conserving our heads and sustaining our targets which might be proper in entrance of us. Enjoying slightly little bit of that sport but additionally taking part in a sport with the ball. It is at all times a enjoyable rivalry sport. We’ll see what occurs.”
Canada’s Jessie Fleming, Vanessa Gilles and Viens had been named to the event’s group of the quarterfinals.
