PREVIEW: CanWNT looking to finish year on high note vs. Korea Republic after frustrating Iceland draw
The Canadian Women’s National Team are getting set for their final test of 2024 this week, as they take on South Korea in Murcia, Spain, on Tuesday.
There, they have the chance to finish the year on a high note, with a win, one that would ensure that their 2024 record would sit without a regulation loss. And, even if they draw, that undefeated record will stay intact, so as long as they avoid a loss in this game, that’ll be a positive they can take into 2025.
At the same time, anything but a win will feel unsatisfactory, especially after their last game. A 0-0 draw against Iceland on Friday proved to be a tough game to watch at moments, as both sides cancelled each other out in a cagey affair.
Despite several instances where Canada could’ve broken the game open, they struggled to find their rhythm in possession, other than a couple of nice build-up sequences in the first half. That ended up suiting Iceland, who didn’t want to hold onto much of the ball, content instead with sitting back and absorbing Canadian pressure.
🎥: Canada🇨🇦(0) - (0) Iceland🇮🇸#CANISL #CANWNT pic.twitter.com/avhgBeuRAq
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) November 29, 2024
From there, they tried to pounce on Canadian mistakes, of which there were a few, which nearly allowed them to turn this draw into a win.
To Canada’s credit, they managed to survive and still keep a clean sheet, which is a credit to their defensive group, but that won’t erase the frustrations of how the game went for them offensively.
Not only did they struggle to find their rhythm in this game, they didn’t adjust to the state of the game, and missed out on the opportunity to experiment with their forward line.
Having gone with a front three of Janine Beckie, Adriana Leon and Nichelle Prince to start the match, Canada chose to go with their three most experienced forwards to try and attack Iceland. Given that Beckie, Leon and Prince are three of the six players in this current Canadian squad with more than 100 caps, and are three of the top four goalscorers, it was hoped they could use that experience to their advantage.
Unfortunately, that didn’t end up being the case - Prince touched the ball just 13 times in 74 minutes, Leon struggled to find the target with any of her two shots in 67 minutes of action, while Janine Beckie had one shot attempt and no chances created in 90 minutes of action.
That group ended up representing a missed opportunity, as not only did Canada struggle to generate chances, but they missed out on the chance to give some of their less-experienced attackers a look, as Olivia Smith only got 23 minutes off the bench, while none of Nyah Rose or Clarissa Larisey, the two new inclusions up front in this camp, got into the match with Deanne Rose and her 85 caps being preferred for a late 15-minute cameo.
Would’ve loved to see the front 3 shaken up more from the start, and especially as the game went on These are the sort of games where you can experiment with new attacking combinations, and get a look at new players like Larisey, Nyah Rose, etc.
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@alexgangueruzic.bsky.social) November 29, 2024 at 12:09 PM
For a Canadian team missing several key attackers for this window, including Cloé Lacasse, Evelyne Viens and Jordyn Huitema, this was seen as a chance for some new faces to step up, but instead, four of the five attackers they play across the front three were among the most capped players in the squad.
When seeing how someone like Marie-Yasmine Alidou fared as a #10 in this game, going 90 minutes in just her fourth appearance for her country and chipping in with three shot attempts and two chances created, one can only wonder what the likes of Rose (no caps) and Larisey (10 caps) could’ve done. Especially when you add in how influential Smith (12 caps) was in her 23-minute cameo, where she attempted three shots, and that sentiment is further reinforced.
Yet, that’ll be the frustrating thing with Canada’s last two results, a pair of draws against Iceland and Spain. Overall, they did well to grind out results in both games, but at the same time, they missed the chance to learn more about their squad, going with a veteran-heavy lineup in both games.
A pretty non eventful 0-0 draw for the #CanWNT v Iceland in Spain today.
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) November 29, 2024
A clean sheet is good, especially for D’angelo, but the lack of meaningful substitute minutes and struggles to breakdown Iceland aren’t positive for the #CanWNT.
Onto the next friendly v South Korea
For a team beginning a new World Cup cycle, that feels like a missed opportunity, as they’ve got the chance to start refreshing the team and looking at new faces without much risk, given that they’re not playing competitive games.
There’s no doubt that this team is strong - that they were able to grind out a result against Spain shows that - but what remains unknown is how dangerous they can be offensively, if their new generation of players are ready to step up, and what their ceiling can be heading into the 2027 World Cup.
All questions they could be answering in this window, they missed out on the chance to learn some more about the answers against Iceland, making that draw feel more frustrating.
The good news, however? They can change that against South Korea, in a game that should hopefully suit them more.
Heading into that Iceland clash, it was always going to be challenging for a Canadian team that has struggled to break down defensive teams this past year to get much out of it. Now, against South Korea, they should be able to play a more open game, one that can suit this team’s style of play.
So even though one could point out that it would've made more sense to experiment against an Iceland team playing a style that has stumped Canada in the past, it wasn’t going to be easy to just drop youngsters into the game and let them swim.
Now, however, this South Korea game could be better suited for them to do that, which could allow some of those new faces to earn a look, especially in the attack.
Because of that, look for Canada to make the most of this opportunity. As they turn the page on 2024, it’ll be important for them to start writing the story of 2025 and beyond, and to do that, it’ll be important to let some key long-term pieces step up.
There’s no reason why that can’t happen while ensuring Canada remains focused on chasing a result, so the goal will now be to find that balance between winning and a future-oriented approach.
With a big transition looming, especially once this Canadian team hires a new coach, it’ll be a chance to get a good headstart on that process, while not moving too far from the base that keeps this team as a strong one.
"I’m hopeful to get as much rotation as possible,” Canada's interim head coach, Cindy Tye, said ahead of this South Korea match. “You will see some rotation and different opportunities for different players. We want to honour the game, so some rotations will be a state-of-game decision, but you will see different faces in the lineup."
