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The Canadian women start down the road for World Cup qualifying undefeated in the Casey Stoney era
Argentina’s Aldana Cometti, Canada’s Adriana Leon, centre, and Argentina goalkeeper Solana Pereyra during the first half of an international friendly soccer match in Vancouver, on Friday, April 4, 2025. Photo by ETHAN CAIRNS /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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One could talk about the crowd. Or lamenting the loss of Christine Sinclair’s star power. Or the Vancouver Whitecaps stadium news stealing the limelight.
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But it’s this Canada women’s soccer team that needs to be talked about.
A thoroughly dominant 3-0 victory over Argentina in an international friendly Friday night at B.C. Place has them looking like they’re on the way back to recapturing the form that led them to their Olympic pinnacle five years ago.
There’s still a ways to go. The seventh-ranked Canadians were expected to dominate the 33rd ranked Argentines, and they did so despite some slapdash passing and squandered chances in front of a vocally outsized crowd of 12,219.
“We always have to be obviously happy when we’ve won and celebrate the wins. (But) I think there’s still lots of work for us to do,” said Canada coach Casey Stoney. “I’m pleased with certain aspects, and there’s lots to be done in terms of improving. … Realistically, we’ve had five training sessions, if you add up all the training sessions we’ve actually had, that’s not a lot.
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“The fact that the players are really trying in terms of what we’re asking of them, that’s really pleasing. I think they’re having a go. … There is lots of work to do, but I think we’re in a positive place.”
Canada were defensively suffocating on Friday. Argentina’s only shot on target in the first half an inordinately optimistic 38-yard moon ball from Argentine striker Yamila Rodríguez that goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan handled with ease. The visitors didn’t have a shot on target from inside the area the entire night, with Canada outshooting them 18-5 (9-2 on target) and holding 65 per cent possession.
But even that wasn’t as much of the ball Stoney would have liked, as the second half saw that possession drift more Argentina’s favour, though the Canadians were still dominant. There were grasping long passes, through balls that skipped too quickly on the B.C. Place turf, and moments of indecision that led to turnovers. In short, Stoney wants less running, more passing, and keeping those passes on the ground.
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It’s something she hopes to see an improvement on when the two sides meet again on Vancouver Island this Tuesday, when they host Argentina at Starlight Stadium in Langford (7 p.m., OneSoccer).
Offensively, they were stifling by sheer relentless imposition inside Argentina’s penalty area, with both their first-half goals coming off of rebounds deep on the touch line.
In the 24th minute, a looping header from Vanessa Gilles was tipped into the bar by La Albiceleste keeper Solana Pereyra, but the ball dropped to Jade Rose on the goal line, and she bundled in the easiest goal of her life — her first for Canada.
Canada’s Jade Rose scores on Argentina goalkeeper Solana Pereyra as Catalina Roggerone watches during international friendly soccer match in Vancouver, on Friday. It was her first goal for Canada. Photo by ETHAN CAIRNS /THE CANADIAN PRESS
Fifteen minutes later, Canada’s Adriana Leon played pretzel maker with defender Eliana Stabile, turning her inside out before crossing to Nichelle Prince. Her one-timer from the six was turned aside by a diving Pereyra, but the rebound fell to her feet, a second straight easy tap-in score for Canada.
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The 32-year-old Leon was a menace the entire night. She had a goal chalked off for offside minutes after halftime, put defender Aldana Cometti in the spin cycle later in the second half before her toe poke over Pereyra from in close hit the top side netting. A moment later, she forced the Argentine keeper into a fingertip diving save with a long-distance effort arrowing for the top corner.
“(Leon) was excellent tonight. One of the best performances I’ve seen from her,” said Stoney. “I thought her timing of coming off the front, getting turned, receiving, creativity in around the box, is what we need.”
Janine Sonis (neé Beckie) also rampaged freely on the right wing, and it was her shot off the right post that caromed right to Julia Grosso in the 87th minute, which she tucked home for Canada’s third goal of the night.
As the Canadians start down that road towards World Cup qualifying next year, Stoney will be experimental as she tries to get a more comprehensive knowledge of her new charges. It’s just four games in to the Stoney era, and Canada is undefeated (3-0-1) while outscoring their opponents 12-1.
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China, at 17th, is the toughest opponent they’ve had to face under stoney. Three months from now, they’ll take on the top-ranked Americans. That will establish the benchmark from which to work.
“What I’ve been able to do is have a look at different players in different positions. Obviously, Julia (Grosso) played less minutes today, but will play more minutes on Tuesday,” she said. “I’ve got two games to balance. Julia is a fantastic player, technically, very good in terms of where she uses the ball. And we’re looking at like, ‘Where can we get the best out of her?’ So throughout this year, you might see her pop up in slightly different positions. And I want to assess, how do we get our best players on the pitch in their best positions to help us be successful.
“I definitely got some (of those) questions answered over the last four games. Looking at different players who can utilize different skill sets … I’m a big ‘horses for courses,’ coach. It’s different horses for different courses, based on the opponent that we’re playing against. I know this squad’s been quite … stable before and quite hard to break into, whereas I would like to analyze the opponent. Who do we need in this game that can hurt them? Who can utilize the spaces that are going to give us? And that might not always be the same players.”
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Friday was Stoney’s first on Canadian soil, and it left an impression. The crowd, despite numbering just over 12,000, was loud and engaged.
“I thought the crowd was good. I’d love to see more people here supporting the team. I think we can drive attendances a lot more. This team deserves it,” she said. “The atmosphere was good. Can it be better? Absolutely. But the fans that were here were incredible.
“We’re gonna be back home,” she added, when asked if Canada was going to play more games domestically over the next few windows.
“There will be several. And I would really like urge the fans to get out and support this team. Obviously, the more we can get support behind the team, the better, and it’s exactly what the players deserve.”
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