Canada Soccer announced on Tuesday that the women's national team will play two friendly matches against Mexico on home soil, to serve as additional preparation before they depart for the Olympic Games in Paris, France. The two games will be played on Saturday, June 1 in Montréal and on Tuesday, June 4 in Toronto, giving head coach Bev Priestman to evaluate players and prepare her squad before the Olympics kick off on July 25. Canada, currently sixth in the FIFA Women's World Rankings, will be taking on a familiar opponent in 27th-ranked Mexico. Last time they met was a pair of friendlies in Mexico City in November 2021, when they played to a 0-0 draw before Mexico defeated Canada 2-1. In 26 historical meetings, the Canadians have the heavy upper hand with a 21-3-2 record, but their last win over La Tri was at the 2020 Concacaf Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament in Texas. The Canadian women's team has already had a busy 2024, having gone to the semifinals of the Concacaf W Gold Cup and the final of the SheBelieves Cup, losing narrow decisions in both matches to the United States on penalties. Canada are, however, undefeated over 90 minutes in seven matches since the year began, last suffering defeat in October 2023. As defending Olympic gold medalists, Canada will head to Paris this summer hoping to contend for the podium again. They have been drawn into Group A, where they'll take on New Zealand on July 25, host nation France on July 28 and Colombia on July 31. The last time Canada's women played in Montreal was Oct. 28, 2023 when they lost 1-0 to Brazil, and their last appearance in Toronto was a 2-1 win over Jamaica on Sept. 26, 2023, which officially qualified them for the Olympics.
Continue reading...