Short-handed Canadian soccer women tie China in head coach Casey Stoney's debut

CBC

19-02-2025

China rallied in the second half to draw Canada 1-1 at the Pinatar Cup on Wednesday in Casey Stoney's debut as Canadian head coach in Murcia, Spain.
Trailing 1-0 after a goal by Julia Grosso in the 16th minute, 17th-ranked China rebounded from a slow start to tie the game in the 58th minute. Goalkeeper Sabrina D'Angelo made a stellar diving save in stoppage time to preserve the tie after a China corner.
It was a somewhat choppy performance by the sixth-ranked Canadian women as Stoney, a former England captain who put in charge of Canada in mid-January, watched from the sideline at Pinatar Arena.
Canada continues tournament play Saturday against No. 31 Mexico before facing No. 42 Taiwan next Tuesday, also at the Pinatar Arena. Mexico blanked Taiwan 4-0 earlier Wednesday.
Emma Regan, an AFC Toronto midfielder earning her fifth cap, was in the starting 11 and became the first Northern Super League player to wear Canada colours. The new six-team league kicks off April 16.
Canada dominated possession early on and Grosso scored the first goal on Stoney's watch in the 16th minute, sliding a low shot past the goalkeeper Xu Huan after being put behind the defence via a well-flighted long ball from fullback Gabby Carle. It was Grosso's fourth goal in 69 appearances.
China came on a bit in the final minutes of the half but did not manage a shot until the 37th minute -- and that was off target.
China tied it up in the 58th minute with Jin Kun, left unmarked in the penalty box, hammering home a ball that rebounded off a Canadian defender. It was the first Chinese shot on target.
Canada had 60 per cent possession in the first half and outshot China 4-1 (1-0 in shots on target).
Olivia Smith, Carly Wick enheiser and Samantha Chang came on to start the second half.
It marked a first cap for the 27-year-old Wickenheiser, the daughter of the late Doug Wickenheiser, the first overall pick in the 1980 NHL draft who went on to play for Montreal, St Louis, Vancouver, the New York Rangers and Washington.
WATCH l Stoney on becoming Canadian women's soccer team coach:
Adriana Leon goal called back
The 24-year-old Chang, a member of the NSL's Vancouver Rise, earned her second senior cap.
Adriana Leon also came in the second half for her 122nd cap. Ella Ottey, a 19-year-old defender from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earned her first cap, and Clarissa Larisey followed off the bench.
A Leon goal in the 76th minute was negated for offside. The Aston Villa forward also appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty when she was taken down in the China penalty box in the 83rd minute.
Change was immediately evident in Stoney's debut with 28-year-old centre back Vanessa Gilles, on her 49th cap, captaining the side for the first time in place of Jessie Fleming.
D'Angelo started in goal behind a backline of Ashley Lawrence, Shelina Zadorsky, Gilles and Carle with Marie-Yasmine Alidou, Regan, Grosso and Janine Sonis (formerly Janine Beckie) in the midfield. Nichelle Prince, on her 30th birthday, and Evelyne Viens started up front.
The Canadian starting 11 went into the game with a combined 690 caps, with 460 of those coming from Zadorsky Lawrence, Sonis and Prince.
Stoney, formerly coach of the Manchester United women and most recently the NWSL's San Diego Wave, was named Canada coach on Jan. 13. She succeeds Bev Priestman, who left Canada Soccer after being sent home as a result of the drone-spying scandal at last summer's Paris Olympics.
Canada came into the game with an 8-14-5 career record against China, with one of those draws turning into a Canadian penalty shootout win, but had dominated the rivalry of late, winning the seven previous meetings while outscoring the Chinese 12-4.
Stoney was missing the injured Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea), Sydney Collins and Bianca St-Georges (North Carolina Courage), Cloe Lacasse (Utah Royals), Deanne Rose (Leicester City) and Quinn (Vancouver Rise).
The Canadian women have not lost in regulation time in 20 matches dating back to a 1-0 loss to Brazil in Montreal in October 2023. Canada has gone 12-0-8 since then with three of the draws turning into penalty shootout losses (two to the U.S. and one to Germany) and one into a shootout win (over Brazil).