Canada is ready to face Costa Rica in a must-win Semi-final playoff match on Friday 7 February for a spot at Tokyo 2020. The two winners of the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship Semi-finals will qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as well as advance to the Sunday 9 February Concacaf Final.
The Canada v Costa Rica Semi-final kicks off at 16.00 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California with a live broadcast in Canada (19.00 ET / 16.00 PT) on OneSoccer.ca as well as on Rogers TV (Digital TV channels 348 and 350 and Ignite TV channel 499), SaskTel (SD Channel 603 and HD Channel 606) and TELUS (HD Channel 998). Fans will find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter featuring the social media hashtag #CANWNT.
Canada has won every match of their group stage without conceding a single goal. Across the three wins, nine different players have scored for Canada. Jordyn Huitema leads Canada and the tournament with six goals. Other Canada goalscorers at the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship are Adriana Leon (four), Christine Sinclair (three), Janine Beckie (three), Ashley Lawrence (two), Jessie Fleming (one), Jayde Riviere (one), Deanne Rose (one), and Shelina Zadorsky (one).
“I’m proud of our team. We really had the focus of getting nine points out of the group phase, and we did that,” said centre-back Shelina Zadorsky. “So now we are focusing on the next task, which is qualifying for the Olympics. It’s awesome how many of our players have gotten on the scoresheet so far, so we just need to keep that going for our next match.”
Canada last played Costa Rica to a 3:1 victory at the Concacaf Women’s Championship in October 2018, with Janine Beckie, Nichelle Prince and Christine Sinclair scoring for Canada. Canada has a record of 13 wins in 13 international matches against Costa Rica, including a Semi-final win in the 2016 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship.
“Every match has its own story, and we know this one against Costa Rica will have a different one,” said Kenneth Heiner-Møller, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach. “If you look at their lineup, you can see they will be ready to play us. It’s a strong side, and they have some tricky wingers we will need to deal with. They also have good players that can feed them from the middle of the pitch. But we will be ready. We know what is at stake and if we do our job well, I know we will be fantastic.”
Canada has qualified for the Olympic Games three times through the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, defeating Mexico (2008, 2012) and Costa Rica (2016) in the Semi-finals to earn their Olympic berths. Canada reached the Quarter-finals at Beijing 2008 before winning back-to-back bronze medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 and earned the distinction of becoming the first Canadian team to win back-to-back medals at the Summer Olympic Games since 1908 as well as the first-ever Canadian women’s summer team to repeat on the podium.
CANADA RETURN HOME IN APRIL
Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team will come home this Spring when they face Australia in Vancouver on Tuesday 14 April. The home international soccer match will provide Canadian fans will an opportunity to see their favourite players live in action at BC Place (19.30 local kickoff).
Beyond the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in January and February, Canada will face France, Netherlands and Brazil at the Tournoi de France (4-10 March) and then Australia at home in Vancouver (14 April).
OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNERS & CONCACAF CHAMPIONS
Canada are two-time Olympic bronze medal winners (2012 and 2016) and two-time Concacaf champions (1998 and 2010). In all, Canada have participated in seven consecutive editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (1995 to 2019) and three consecutive editions of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (2008 to 2016). At Rio 2016, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team were the first Canadian Olympic team to win back-to-back medals at a summer Olympic Games in more than a century.
