MONTERREY, Mexico — It wasn’t pretty, but Canada got the job done Friday, defeating a tough Panama team 1-0 at the CONCACAF W Championship to qualify for the 2023 World Cup.
Costa Rica’s 4-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago earlier in the day meant beating Panama would secure qualification for the Canadian women with one group game remaining in the eight-team tournament.
No. 57 Panama didn’t make it easy for sixth-ranked Canada on a windy night at the Estadio Universitario.
Canada dominated play with Panama looking to frustrate, relying on fouls to break up the action – often delaying subsequent free kicks by not getting off the ball.
Panama’s players also often fell out with the team’s coaches, who regularly rolled on the field.
“It’s a great learning experience,” Canada coach Bev Priestman said. “Was it good enough? No. And everyone knows that. But we won… and we’re moving on.”
Friday’s result gave Olympic champion Canada (2-0-0) a top-two finish in Group B and a berth in the semifinals, which means a World Cup appearance in Australia and New Zealand.
No. 37 Costa Rica (2-0-0) also qualified from Canada’s group.
The third team in each group advances to an intercontinental play-off for the World Cup.
Canada’s breakthrough came in the 64th minute through Julia Grosso, who opened her scoring account with two goals off the bench in Tuesday’s 6-0 win over No. 76 Trinidad and Tobago.
A Panama defender tried to clear Jesse Fleming’s cross, only to see the ball go straight to Grosso.
The 21-year-old Juventus midfielder moved the ball precisely to avoid a defender and scored.
“Credit to Julia. She stepped up and put the ball in the net again,” Priestman said.
Canada had 69 percent possession and outshot Panama 12-4 (7-2 in shots on goal). Panama opted for a low block, threading defenders across the field.
Priestman credited Panama for its negative, time-wasting tactics, saying, “I mean, it worked.”
Canada’s coach also saw it as a sign of respect for her team. Priestman’s halftime announcement was disappointing.
“I thought the performance in the first half we weren’t good enough,” she said.
“Our standards have dropped and I think the players would agree with that. But in the second half I was pleased with how they came out to get back on our level.”
The Canadians finish pool play on Monday against Costa Rica to decide who will top Group B.
That likely means avoiding the top-ranked USA, which also qualified for the World Cup, in the semifinals.
The CONCACAF tournament doubles as a qualifier for both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.
Only the CONCACAF winner is assured of an Olympic berth as well as a ticket to the inaugural CONCACAF W Gold Cup to be held in 2024.
The second-place and third-place teams will meet in a CONCACAF Olympic Series scheduled for September 2023, with the winner also qualifying for the Paris Olympics and the CONCACAF W Gold Cup.
The World Cup features 32 teams, compared to just 12 at the Olympics.
Canada has qualified for seven of the eight previous World Cups, missing the inaugural event in 1991 in China when the United States was CONCACAF’s sole representative among the then 12 nations.
Canada, which hosted the event in 2015, had its best showing in 2003 when it finished fourth.
After playing at the 53,500-capacity Estadio BBVA – home of CF Monterrey – in the suburb of Guadalupe on Tuesday, Canada moved to the Estadio Universitario on Friday.
Known as El Volcan (The Volcano), the 41,600 capacity stadium in Monterrey is home to Tigres UANL.
Priestman made five changes to her starting lineup, including goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo, Grosso, Shelina Zadorski, Adriana Leon and Nichelle Prince. Janine Beckey moved back to full back from forward.
Captain Christine Sinclair, who scored her world-record 190th international goal in the tournament opener, made her 313th appearance for Canada — and her 306th as a starter.
Canada had 71% possession in a scoreless first half, but it didn’t lead to great scoring chances.
The Canadians had a 6-2 advantage in shots (2-1 on goal) while Panama defended in numbers and tried to slow the game down when they could.
Canada went close in the 19th minute when Leon’s header flashed high. Two minutes later, Panama captain Lori Batista saw her long-range shot just over the Canadian post.
Pressed by two Panama defenders, Prince was brought down just inside the box in the 27th minute, but the potential penalty was canceled out by offside.
The game paused while it went to video review, but nothing came of it.
D’Angelo made her first save in the 38th minute, comfortably stopping Martha Cox’s free kick well outside the box.
At the other end, Prince sent the ball right in the 42nd after Panama failed to clear a direct free kick.
Priestman sent on forward Chloe Lacasse and defender Jade Riviere in place of Sinclair and Prince at half-time.
And Leon forced an acrobatic save from Yenit Bailey in the 46th minute.
Jordin Huitema and Quinn, who shares the same name, appeared for Canada in the 57th.
Panama’s Rosario Vargas went close with another long-range shot in the 80th that flew just over the crossbar.
The Canadian women have never lost to Panama, outscoring the 57th-ranked team 13-0 in their previous two meetings.
Sinclair scored twice the last time Canada faced Panama, a 7-0 win in October 2018 at the CONCACAF Women’s Championship that earned Canada a spot at the 2019 World Cup in France.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 8, 2022
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