3 things we learned from the CanWNT's friendlies against Mexico
The CanWNT took their final step towards naming an Olympic squad this week, as they played their last two matches before they finalize their team for the Paris games later this month.
A pair of home friendlies in Montréal and Toronto against Mexico, which also served as their send-off games, it was a good chance for head coach Bev Priestman to get a final look at some players and combinations on the pitch while still trying to win and send the fans home happy.
For the most part, they succeeded in that mission, too, as they defeated Mexico 2-0 in their first game in Montréal, before drawing them 1-1 in Toronto. Plus, their draw isn’t without positives, either, as they learned some valuable lessons despite not getting their desired result.
Now, Priestman and her staff must take what they learned and now try to figure out what their Olympic squad looks like. Only able to select 18 players and four alternates, whittling down that group seems like a nearly impossible task, which isn’t lost on the Canadian coach.
“I've just said to the group in the locker room, they’ve made my life so difficult, and that's a credit to them,” Priestman explained after the match.
Until she narrows down that team, here’s a look at what stood out from this latest Canadian camp, which presented as many questions as answers to Priestman’s Olympic squad endeavours.
Attacking quality is there, but chemistry is lacking:
Might the question surrounding Canada’s attack be shifting?
For so long, the question about this team’s attack has been about who can score the goals, especially after the retirement of Christine Sinclair.
Now, however, that question seems to have been answered - Adriana Leon has been scoring for fun for Canada as of late, Nichelle Prince, Jordyn Huitema and Cloé Lacasse have stepped up and been dangerous for Canada, while Evelyne Viens can’t stop scoring at the club level and has proven to be a good super-sub for her country. And that’s without mentioning names like Janine Beckie, Olivia Smith, Deanne Rose, Clarissa Larisey and more, who were all in this group.
Yet, for all of the attacking options at Priestman’s disposal, the bigger challenge she’s faced is in finding combinations between those names that work well together. One combination that has worked is the trio of Cloé Lacasse, Nichelle Prince and Adriana Leon, who thrived for Canada in the fall, but they’re yet to reunite in 2024 due to Prince’s ongoing injury struggles, which continued this camp.
And in the absence of that trio, Canada’s struggled to find chemistry with other attacking tridents. In particular, the biggest struggle Canada has had is finding a group that can break open a game from the start, with some of Canada’s best attacking performances coming in the second half of games as of late.
For example, Canada struggled offensively in the first half of the first match against Mexico, with the starting trio of Beckie, Leon and Smith struggling to connect and find each other, which forced Priestman to shake things up at half time with the score still 0-0.
Through 21' the #CanWNT/#CanXNT have done a good job of progressing the ball to their FWs/winning the ball high up the pitch, but the combination play hasn't come together from there
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) June 1, 2024
Considering the lack of true #9, that's a surprise, but this 3 is yet to click yet today
There, she brought on Evelyne Viens in the 46th minute and then Cloé Lacasse in the 57th, and that pair broke the game open alongside Leon, with Viens finding Leon for the opener, before setting up Lacasse for the second goal.
But then when tasked to start together in the second game, Lacasse and Viens were unable to provide that same magic in a trio with Beckie, leading to the insertion of Huitema and Leon for Viens and Beckie to try and shake things up. It was harsh for Viens, in particular, as she was starved for service with just 18 touches, but it’s an example of what’s ailed Canada offensively - they’ve struggled to find their rhythm early in games.
And that’s the biggest challenge they face when naming this Olympic squad. They’ve got several attackers who deserve to be in Paris based on individual performances, but there aren’t as many who have thrived when paired together.
Because of that, it might just benefit the trio of Lacasse, Prince and Leon if Prince can get healthy in time for the Olympics because, after that, the hierarchy of Priestman’s offensive group gets a lot less clear. Huitema seems to fit best with Lacasse and Leon if Prince can’t go, while Viens seems locked in as at least a super sub, has good chemistry with Huitema, and her club form suggests she could provide more in the right set-up, but after that things are murky.
Unfortunately, this camp didn’t offer much clarity in that discussion, as most of the top offensive performances came off the bench, which didn’t answer the question of how Priestman should set up her team to start games going forward, something she’ll have to ponder when selecting her attackers for this summer. 
Young players keep knocking on the door:
The kids are more than alright, as Canada’s three youngest players showed this camp.
Of course, that’s been well-known for a while now - Jade Rose has cemented her place in Priestman’s starting XI off the back of her play with Canada since the World Cup, Simi Awujo has climbed up the midfield depth chart with strong performances, while Olivia Smith has snuck her way into the crowded forward discussion after the last few months.
A trio of players who all played at the 2022 U20 World Cup for Canada, it seems conceivable that at least two of them make the Olympic squad, if not all three, as they’ve continued to show they can have a role to play in such a team.
After long being looked at as key pieces for the future, they’ve stepped up in the present, and this camp was another example of that.
First, there was Rose, who has become a steady presence at the back for Canada, on both sides of the ball. Other than a small mistake on Mexico’s lone goal of the camp, she hardly set a foot wrong across 180 minutes of play, putting in two outstanding performances.
Jade Rose is really out here bodying attackers off the ball and then nutmegging them in possession
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) June 1, 2024
No nonsense to be had from her today#CanWNT/#CanXNT
From her strong 1v1 defending to her calm play in possession, she’s become a key part of what makes Canada’s new-look 3-4-2-1 click, forming an excellent trio with Kadeisha Buchanan and Vanessa Gilles, which appears to be Canada’s preferred back three. Undoubtedly, she’ll be on the plane to Paris and looks to have a big role to play there.
Then, Awujo seems close to cementing a spot, and her performance in the second game may have just been enough for her to do that, as she was dominant in Canada’s midfield. The perfect “destroy and progress” defensive midfielder to pair alongside Jessie Fleming, she’s responsible enough to handle tough assignments defensively and still finds a way to chip in offensively, which is a rare profile.
If Simi Awujo wasn't already going to Paris, it feels like tonight cemented it - and as a potential starter
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) June 5, 2024
She made 27/31 passes (87%) & had 3/4 long balls, 3 chances created, 3 shots, 5/5 dribbles, 7/10 duels won, 2 interceptions and 1 tackle in a top showing#CanWNT/#CanXNT pic.twitter.com/zBPiIb9m5V
Most of Canada’s other midfielders seem to specialize in either defending or the offensive side of the game, with Quinn the only other player with Awujo’s complete profile. Typically, Quinn has been a starter for Canada and is expected to do so at the Olympics, but with them coming off an injury, that could open the door for Awujo to slot in and play at the Olympics, having done well enough to earn consideration for starting minutes without even considering that injury.
Lastly, Olivia Smith continues to show that she can bring something different to the attack, coming off a dominant first professional season for Sporting CP. Certainly, a lot has been made of the level of the Portuguese league and how it compares to where other forwards are playing, which is worth discussing, but Smith’s profile is what’s most important to assess.
There, she brings something unique to the table in her ability to both score and create chances with both feet, as well as her speed to get in behind defences, and she showed that in the second game off the bench, in particular. Amid a crowded forward line, her ability to be an offensive wild card late in games could give her an edge.
And all of that is forcing some tough discussions for Priestman, which isn’t a problem she’s too disappointed in, to be fair. The best thing for a coach is for the next generation to force their way into their plans, and this trio has done that, which could lead to some tough discussions surrounding some veteran players at each of their respective positions, who may be forced to become alternates or miss out altogether due to their emergence.
Bubble players offer mixed performances:
For the most part, a good core of the Olympic team is set, you’d figure. Of the 18 Priestman can select, one would expect her to know anywhere from eight to 14 of those players, at the least.
That’s the easy part, though. Of course, Priestman knows that the likes of Jessie Fleming, Vanessa Gilles and Kailen Sheridan will be on the plane, just to name a few of the names on that list.
After that, however, is where things get tough, as she realistically has over 10 players competing for those last four spots in the squad, which will lead to some tough discussions. 
For what it’s worth, because of that, Priestman admitted after the second game that she’s going to have to assess player’s profiles, their health status and fit in the squad for those last four spots, noting that Canada’s best 18 might not necessarily be their most talented or in-form 18.
Because of that, it makes assessing the performances of certain bubble players this camp quite interesting to monitor.
At the back, Shelina Zadorsky is in a tough position, as she’s continued to put in strong performances when called upon at centre back, but it appears the trio of Rose, Buchanan and Gilles is Priestman’s preferred back three, and they should be able to play in every game. Therefore, while Zadorsky would be expected to make the squad, she might be a prime alternate candidate, freeing up room for an extra midfielder or forward, while still sitting ready to come in and fill in if there are any injuries to the back three.
Then, at wing back, the discussion is as murky as ever. Gabrielle Carle had two solid showings off the bench in this camp and is in great form at the club level, Jayde Riviere responded from a quiet first game to put in a big shift in the second game this camp as she returns to form after injuries. There is room for both of them to be brought to Paris, especially with Sydney Collins looking to be a long shot to return from her injury, but there’s always a chance that Priestman leaves one of Carle or Riviere out to bring an extra attacker, especially if she sees Beckie as enough cover at the position.
In midfield, Julia Grosso had a mixed first game, and didn’t feature in the second game, and doesn’t look to be in Priestman’s preferred XI in their 3-4-2-1. She can offer value off the bench, so her spot in the Olympic squad should be safe, but that’s something to watch. Speaking of, it feels like Desiree Scott might end up being an alternate, with the midfield quartet of Grosso, Fleming, Awujo and Quinn offering Canada enough balance and cover at both midfield spots in an Olympic squad, with Fleming and Grosso as the more offensive options, leaving Quinn and Awujo the more defensive players.
Up front, things are completely wide-open, both due to the chemistry issues and the mixed nature of Canada’s performances. For example, someone like Beckie wasn’t at her usual standard this camp, but she’ll be on the plane given her importance to this team at multiple positions when at her best, although she’s yet to find that for Canada in her return from injury.
Otherwise, though, this camp didn’t offer much clarity for the players who needed it - Deanne Rose looks dangerously close to missing out on the Olympics as she struggles for form with club and country, making it unfortunate that she was unable to see the pitch this camp due to a knock, while Clarissa Larisey was only to see the pitch once for just 15 minutes in the first game, showing that she might not have the runway to make this squad despite good form at the club level.
But all of that just shows the challenge that Priestman faces. As she joked in her press conference, anyone who is asked about what their Canadian 18 looks like right now probably has different answers, showing how tough of a squad it is to select.
Because of that, she’s got some long days ahead to see how to whittle it down, using these games, past matches, club form and fit to make a final decision, one that certainly won’t be easy, as the last week showed.
