Canada tops Haiti 3-1 in front of over 18,000 in women's soccer friendly

Globe and Mail

3 days ago

MONTREAL - Evelyne Viens scored twice in the first half as Canada rolled to a two-game sweep over Haiti with a 3-1 win in a women's international soccer friendly Tuesday.
Holly Ward tallied her first Canadian senior national team goal and added an assist. The 21-year-old Vancouver Rise FC forward made her second senior appearance.
Captain Jesse Fleming also provided two first-half assists for Canada.
Melchie Dumornay replied for Haiti before 18,321 rowdy spectators — the vast majority supporting the visiting side — at Stade Saputo.
Fans from Montreal's large Haitian community decked the stands in the country's blue, red and white colours, chanted 'Haiti! Haiti!' and cheered loudly at every touch of the ball.
Seventh-ranked Canada also beat No. 53 Haiti 4-1 on Saturday in a farewell game for veteran midfielder Desiree Scott in her hometown of Winnipeg. The Canadian women improved to 5-0-0 against Haiti with Tuesday's win.
Head coach Casey Stoney, hired in January to replace Bev Priestman, returned to the sidelines after missing Saturday's match for family reasons.
Seven minutes in on Tuesday, Canada's Olivia Smith needed to be carried off the field on a stretcher after a Haitian clearance hit her in the face at the edge of the 18-yard box.
Medical staff quickly rushed onto the field, with Smith lying on the pitch for around six minutes before Adriana Leon subbed in.
Viens opened the scoring in the 16th minute, heading home a high ball from Fleming. The 28-year-old Viens from L'Ancienne-Lorette, Que., provided two assists when Canada beat Mexico 2-0 in Montreal last June before the Paris Olympics.
A number of fresh faces filled Stoney's starting 11. Defender Zara Chavoshi made her senior debut, while Ward and Emma Regan of AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League also featured in the young, experimental lineup.
The Ward selection certainly paid off.
Ward doubled the lead with another header off a Fleming cross in the 23rd minute, before setting up Viens for her second with a superb through ball to make it 3-0 just 42 minutes in.
Canada fended off two Haitian chances in the first half. Louis Batcheba's shot from inside the box sailed over the bar in the 32nd minute and Gabrielle Carle slid to block a chance from Sherly Jeudy in the 40th.
Fans finally erupted out of their seats when Dumornay converted a penalty kick low to the bottom corner in first-half stoppage time after Canadian defender Marie Levasseur fouled Kethna Louis.
Haiti controlled more of the play in the second half. Dumornay had a chance to cut the lead to 3-2 with a shot from just outside the six-yard box in the 68th, but Canadian 'keeper Sabrina D'Angelo denied the opportunity.
A fan invaded the pitch in the 88th minute and briefly hugged Haiti's Roseline Eloissaint before security rushed in to escort him off the field.
Dumornay almost scored again when she pounced on a turnover in second-half stoppage time, but D'Angelo got her arm out for a miraculous save.
Fans began chanting Dumornay's name in the dying seconds after the Haitian captain dazzled with multiple moves on a rush through the midfield.
Next up, the Canadian women host Costa Rica in a friendly on June 27 at Toronto's BMO Field before visiting the United States on July 2 in Washington.