STOCK UPDATE: Analyzing the risers and fallers from the CanWNT's dominant Gold Cup group stage performance
As expected, the CanWNT cruised through the group stage of the Gold Cup this past week, advancing out of their group with three wins from three, scoring 13 goals and conceding none.
Because of that, they now enter the quarter-finals as a team to watch, coming in as the top-ranked team from the group stages, which is a huge advantage since the knockout matches were rearranged based on seeding.
As a result, Canada’s strong group stage play has earned them an easier path through to the final on paper, starting with a matchup against a Costa Rica side they just beat 3-0, giving them a due reward for their strong play. Of course, they won’t feel that way, as upsets elsewhere have made it likely that they’ll play the US in the semi-finals if all goes as expected this weekend, but based on how they’ve played so far, Canada will feel that they can go up against anyone right now.
Now, however, the hard work is just set to begin, as while Canada will be pleased that they got the job done in their group, they were always expected to cruise there. Given that their three opponents, El Salvador, Paraguay and Costa Rica, all came into this tournament sitting outside the top 40 in the FIFA Rankings, this 10th-ranked Canadian side were always clear favourites to dominate as they did.
Because of that, stiffer tests are still to come, because if they get past their quarter-final matchup, they’d face either the 2nd-ranked States or 23rd-ranked Colombia in a semi-final, and would be expected to see an 11th-ranked Brazil or 35th-ranked Mexico (who beat the US in the group stages, it must be said) in the final if they made it that far.
Despite that, there was still a lot to take away from the group stages, even if Canada weren’t tested much. In particular, there was one big thing they’ll be pleased with - individual performances, as head coach Bev Priestman will have a lot to ponder based on how her team played.
#CanWNT/#CanXNT stocks through group stage:
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) February 29, 2024
📈
Adriana Leon
Cloé Lacasse
Jordyn Huitema
Olivia Smith
Simi Awujo
Gabrielle Carle
The backline
3421
📉
Deanne Rose
Evelyne Viens
Julia Grosso
4-4-2
Going to be interesting to see how things shape up in the KOs
Given that this tournament was also seen as an Olympic audition for several on this Canadian team, who are all battling to be a part of Canada’s 18-player squad when they officially begin their gold medal defence in Paris this summer, performances in this tournament can be used as key intel to help decide who might be in that final team.
Especially seeing that Priestman has thrown a lot more new players into the mix and familiar players into new roles this tournament, seeing how they might react to those outcomes, that should help her gauge how she might be best suited to select that 18 this summer.
So seeing that, here’s a look at whose stock is trending up and down based on their group stage performances at this Gold Cup, giving an idea of who will want to build on their strong play heading into this knockout round, and who will need to step up before they risk slipping out of the picture. 
RISING STOCKS:
Adriana Leon
To begin, there’s no better place to start than with Canada’s biggest riser from the group stages, Adriana Leon, who was arguably their best player across the three games, finishing with five goals and two assists.
A threat every time she got on the ball, she was a huge focal point in Canada’s attack, starting all three games, one of just three players to do that, the others being Jessie Fleming and Kadeisha Buchanan.
GOAL 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 25, 2024
Adriana Leon HAT-TRICK ✨
The #CanWNT star ties Janine Beckie for joint-fourth in the team's all-time scoring charts as she makes it 4-0 against Paraguay in the Concacaf W Gold Cup 🏆
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/uibmmKuFwF
But that just shows how important Leon is to this attack, as she’s been one of Priestman’s most consistent attacking options since 2021, scoring 17 goals since the start of that year, vaulting her into a tie for fourth-place all-time for this Canadian team with 36 goals.
Because of that, she’s gone from a rotation piece to an integral starter, one who will play big minutes at this summer’s Olympics.
And for a Canadian team that has pondered where their goals were supposed to come from over the last few years, that’s key, as she looks like someone who can consistently provide that offence in the big games based on what she’s shown as of late.
Cloé Lacasse
Just a year ago, Cloé Lacasse was battling just to make Canada’s World Cup squad. Now, heading into an Olympic year, she’s expected to play heavy minutes, as she’s quickly proven herself indispensable in Bev Priestman’s new-look 3-4-2-1 formation over the past few months.
But while she’d proven her worth as an attacker in that system, she’s now shown that she could sometimes be asked to play a different role in that system, as she’s played as more of a wing back in this tournament.
And so far, she’s passed every test that’s been asked of her there, not looking out of place in a new role that she’s hardly played before, doing what she's needed to do defensively, while also chipping in with a goal and three assists.
GOAL 🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 23, 2024
Cloe Lacasse gives the #CanWNT an early 1-0 lead over El Salvador in the Concacaf W Gold Cup, cruising down the right wing before cutting in and shooting on goal 🎯
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/kOXsKH4X8f
That’s huge, as heading into the Olympics, players who play multiple positions will be immensely valuable given how small the squads are, meaning that this latest development should all but make Lacasse a lock for that final team.
Jordyn Huitema
Quietly, Jordyn Huitema’s become one of Priestman’s top options in the attack over the last few months, as she’s scored four goals in nine games since the end of the World Cup, which is more than she scored from the time Priestman was hired until the end of that World Cup, a total of three goals.
GOAL 🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 28, 2024
Jordyn Huitema opens the scoring for the #CanWNT!
The Seattle Reign striker gets a head on a Jessie Fleming cross and perfectly directs the ball past the keeper 🎯
🔴 Watch Concacaf W Gold Cup on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/llksb1y0WW
Yet, she’s found her feet in Priestman’s new system, showing a good understanding of the movement required to be one of the attacking players in that 3-4-2-1, especially in terms of the runs that she needs to make and the spaces she has to occupy.
After looking out of place at times in Priestman’s old system, that’s huge for Huitema, who seems like a new player for Canada as of late, which should allow her to play a big role at the Olympics.
Olivia Smith
A surprise inclusion in last year’s World Cup squad as a then 18-year-old, the youngest player in that team, Smith has quickly left her mark on this side as of late, cementing herself as a regular call-up ever since going pro last fall with Sporting CP.
So far this tournament, however, she’s taken another step further, impressing across all three games, in which she came off the bench twice and started another match.
GOAL 🇨🇦🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 25, 2024
OLIVIA SMITH with the gut-punch! 🥊
The #CanWNT go up 2-0 over Paraguay in this Concacaf W Gold Cup clash as Smith goes for POWER with her shot 💥
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/0dYpVtgckg
An incredibly gifted player technically, she’s shown that she also has the intelligence and ability to create opportunities for herself and her teammates, allowing her to get the most out of her skill. As a result, she’s been very dangerous offensively in this tournament, scoring two goals and adding two assists, after having never scored or assisted in four games at the senior level before this camp.
Because of that, she’s given herself a real shot at cracking the Olympics squad, which seemed unlikely months ago. For a Canadian side always looking for more offence, she looks like she could be a real difference-maker in the attack, which could open the door for her to sneak into that squad.
Simi Awujo
If there’s one area of worry in this team long-term, it’s likely in midfield, where the recent retirement of Sophie Schmidt and injuries to Desiree Scott have shown that Canada’s a bit lighter there than elsewhere on the pitch.
Because of that, it’s been huge to see the performance of Simi Awujo this tournament, as despite being Canada’s second-youngest player at 20, she’s played like a seasoned veteran in the middle of the park for Canada.
To be fair, she’s been doing this for a while now, dating back to the fall of 2022 when she made her senior debut, but it seems like she’s taken an even bigger step forward so far this Gold Cup, putting in some dominant showings on both sides of the ball as a #6.
Simi Awujo is putting up a strong Olympic audition so far today for the #CanWNT/#CanXNT, she has been fantastic on the ball, controlling the tempo with her play. Has such a great eye for a pass
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) February 28, 2024
Combined with her defensive play, she's been excellent this half
That’s huge, as that’s arguably Canada’s lightest position right now given Scott’s injury woes, but with Awujo’s emergence, she and Quinn look like they can more than capably hold down the fort there.
As a result, it feels more and more likely that Awujo could actually earn a spot at the Olympics, as she’s proven that she’s got the awareness, physical tools, passing and defending to play the position now, and is far from done growing as a player, either.
Gabrielle Carle
It’s been a tough couple of years for Gabrielle Carle with Canada, as due to their depth at full back, she’s bounced in and out of the squad, and hasn’t earned many opportunities to play.
This tournament, however, she’s gotten the chance to play a much bigger role after some injuries, and she’s made the most of it, starting two games and coming off the bench in the third.
And there, she’s shown exactly what’s made her thrive at the Washington Spirit over the last year - she can progress the ball at a high level, is a strong 1v1 defender, and can make things happen in the final third.
For this Canadian team, that’s been key, as it’s allowed her to slot seamlessly into a wing back role, putting up some good showings across these games.
Because of that, it’s put her back into the mix for an Olympic squad. She’ll be in tough to win that spot, especially with the likes of Lacasse and Janine Beckie showing they can play wing back, throwing them into the mix along with regulars like Ashley Lawrence, Jayde Riviere and Sydney Collins, but Carle will feel that she deserves to be in that discussion.
Plus, given that she can also play as a centre back, that could be a big bonus for her, one that she’ll hope can push her into that final team.
The backline
When this Canadian team has been at their best over the last few years, usually their defence has been a key catalyst behind that success. Just look at the Olympic gold medal as an example of that.
Because of that, it was tough to see Canada struggle defensively in the first eight months of 2023, especially at the World Cup, where they were a shell of their usual selves in that regard.
Since the World Cup, that’s changed, however, as they’ve found new life in this 3-4-2-1, a formation that’s seemed tailor-made for them defensively. Thanks to their depth at the centre back position, that’s now allowed them to play three of Kadeisha Buchanan, Vanessa Gilles, Shelina Zadorsky and Jade Rose at the same time, which is huge given that all of them have proven that they deserve to start.
All armed with different strengths, from Gilles’ aerial prowess, Buchanan’s 1v1 defending, Zadorsky’s passing and Rose’s athleticism, they’ve given Priestman plenty of variety at the back, too, allowing her to rotate when she’s seen fit.
As a result, Canada’s kept seven clean sheets in their last nine games, including six in a row heading into the knockout rounds, as they’ve been clean in transition, tidy in midfield, and organized at the back, led by their group of centre backs.
Because of that, it feels like those four centre backs have all but confirmed their spots at the Olympics, where they’ll play a big role, helping Canada be the defensive force they can be at their best.
3-4-2-1
Lastly, it goes without saying, but this tournament continues to show why this new 3-4-2-1 formation has been such a boost to this team.
From the return of their defensive excellence, the improvement of their attack through the extra body up front, and the width provided by the wing backs, it’s seemed to give them a balance that they lacked in their previous set-up.
And that’s huge, as it’s allowing them to maximize the strengths of their roster, such as their centre backs, wing backs and wide attackers, something that they lacked before.
The #CanWNT/#CanXNT since the 2023 World Cup:
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) February 29, 2024
8 wins, 1 loss, 0 draws
25 GF, 2 GA
7 clean sheets, including 6 in a row after today
Overall, the shift to a 3-4-2-1 has continued to unlock a new version of this team, which is key heading into Gold Cup KOs and Olympics
Of course, the formation remains relatively untested against top teams, barring matches against Brazil and Australia in the fall, so the next step will be to see how it fares in those situations going forward, but based on early returns it appears that it should hold up quite well when it does.
Plus, it’s answered a lot of questions that were there from the World Cup, where they looked toothless in the attack and sloppy at the back, while giving them an identity that they’ve lacked tactically for a while before this shift. 
FALLING STOCKS:
Deanne Rose
Sometimes, injuries aren’t just tough for players because they’ve got to rebuild their games when they return, but because it opens room for other players to step up and prove they’re ready for bigger opportunities.
Deanne Rose is an example of that, because after dealing with a major Achilles injury during the 2022-2023 season, and a couple of smaller injuries this season, that’s seen her fall down Canada’s attack depth chart as of late.
It’s not as if her performances have been poor - she scored a great goal last fall in a 2-0 win over Brazil - but it now feels like the likes of Leon, Lacasse, Smith, Huitema, Nichelle Prince and more have slowly pushed Rose down the depth chart.
As a result, it feels like she could be in a battle to try and earn a spot at the Olympics, having played just 114 minutes across these three games, in which she had a few glimpses but didn’t show the same flash as the other attackers.
Especially given how deep Canada is up front, she’s going to need to step up over the next few matches, helping her push back higher up into that mix, as her speed and creativity could make her an asset to this attack, but she’ll need to be in form to make the most of her skills.
Evelyne Viens
In a similar vein to Rose, another name whose stock has dipped in light of all of the big performances around her has been Viens, who has yet to play more than 35 minutes in a game this tournament, coming off the bench in each match.
And there, despite being in strong scoring form at the club level this season, she hasn’t been able to find the back of the net across those three matches despite generating five chances (worth 1.25 xG) as she’s had a quiet tournament for her standards.
The good news is that she’s generating chances, as she usually puts those home when she gets them, but she’ll need to find her shooting boots for the knockout stages, or else she also risks getting lost in the forward shuffle.
Julia Grosso
After 2022, it felt like Julia Grosso was going to be starting in the heart of this Canadian midfield for years to come, and for good reason. Having moved to Juventus at the start of 2022, she quickly found her feet with the Italian giants and was putting up some strong performances to show for it with Canada.
Because of that, it’s been strange to see her relegated to more of a rotational piece for Canada as of late, with Priestman preferring to start Jessie Fleming and Quinn in midfield ever since the shift to the 3-4-2-1.
Yet, given that Grosso thrives as more of an attacking #8, she’s felt out of place at times in this new formation, one that asks a lot of midfielders on both sides of the ball, which has suited the profiles of Fleming, Quinn and Awujo more.
As a result, it’s pushed Grosso to more of a secondary role, because while she has the quality to start, and has had some good performances in this tournament, she hasn’t been leaned on to do so.
For what it’s worth, she has also battled a small injury this tournament, which has limited her minutes, but it still feels like she has some work to do to prove she can pair with Fleming long-term, especially defensively.
Therefore, she’ll look to prove that before the Olympics, in which she’ll still make the squad, but would ideally like to play a bigger role than she has recently. To do that, however, given that Fleming’s always going to start, Grosso needs to prove that she can push in front of Awujo and Quinn and be a balanced partner for Fleming, instead of remaining as her backup, as has mostly been the case as of late.
Unless Priestman switches to a 3-midfielder formation that allows Grosso, Fleming and one of Quinn and Awujo all together, that will be Grosso’s biggest challenge, one that she’ll now look to tackle head-on.
4-4-2
Lastly, if it wasn’t clear already, the 4-4-2, once a preferred formation of Priestman, looks to be a formation that just doesn’t suit this Canadian team much anymore.
Seeing that Canada’s worst 30-minute stretch in this group stage came in the second half of their last match, where Priestman switched to a 4-4-2 after struggling with Costa Rica’s press, it once again proved some of the limitations of that formation, which is why Canada has switched to a 3-4-2-1 in the first place.
Because of that, it’ll now be interesting to see what Priestman does in terms of an alternative formation, however. While the 4-4-2 didn’t work in that instance, it was a reminder that it’s important to have a reliable secondary formation to lean to in case of trouble.
Perhaps, that could be a 4-3-3, for example, which could be a huge boost for a Grosso, say, so it’ll be seen if Priestman makes such a switch in cases where Canada feels they need to move away from the 3-4-2-1, or if they feel they can keep sticking it out with the 4-4-2 in those scenarios.
Based on how the latter’s fared for them, especially in big games, that’s a worry, so keep an eye out to see if the former ends up happening to help counter that.
STOCKS TO WATCH:
Finally, there are some other stocks worth keeping an eye on, even if they didn’t dip or rise.
To begin, there are the injured players, namely Desiree Scott and Janine Beckie, who were left out of this squad to get valuable preseason minutes with their clubs. Two key players on this team, this tournament has shown that they could be in battles to earn their spots when they return, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fare if they’re back in time for the She Believes Cup in April.
Elsewhere, some active names to keep an eye on in this squad are Clarissa Larisey, who quietly improved her stock and could be poised to have a role to play in the knockout rounds, while Sabrina D’Angelo continues to make a quiet push towards Kailen Sheridan’s #1 spot in goal with her Canadian performances as of late, which is also worth monitoring if she gets another start before the end of the tournament.
Other than that, however, just keep an eye on some of the names whose stocks are on the rise or who are trending down, as things can change quickly in this sport, as a couple of good or bad games could quickly change the fortunes of players, for better or for worse. 
