Photo Credit: Canada Soccer
Casey Stoney Earns Draw In First Match As Canada Coach
By It was the dawn of a new era on Tuesday, as English legend Casey Stoney had her first match as Canada Women’s head coach in a one-all draw against China in their first match of the Pinatar Cup.
Goals from Julia Grosso and Kun Jin split the honours between the two sides in a game that showed glimpses of what Stoney will want to implement in her new team.
Flashes In The First Half
The Casey Stoney era began with a bang in this match: after the first few minutes, Canada settled into the match and began to pile on the pressure for China. Immediately, the difference in the team was noticeable. Lined up in a 4-4-2, Canada attacked with much more verticality and tempo than previously seen. China began with a higher line, to which Canada was able to quickly exploit with lofted balls into space. Both Mimi (Marie-Yasmine) Alidou, Janine Sonis, and Ashley Lawrence took advantage of that early on, utilizing the width of the 3-5-2 that they evolved into in possession to catch China’s defenders off-guard. Although Nichelle Prince and Evelyne Viens were quite static as the dual strikers, their movement did at least allow those wide players to find that space to out wide.
In the end, it was a clever bit of play from both Gabrielle Carle and Janine Sonis that carved open the chance for Canada to score. Sonis came short and wide to stretch the defense and open the lane for Julia Grosso to go on and score. Carle recognized the opportunity and chipped a perfectly weighted pass in behind for Grosso to run onto. The Vancouver, B.C. native then had the composure and technique to deftly dispatch a sidefooted finish and give Canada the lead.
While that strong start did not continue into the rest of the game, it did show what Canada are capable of doing under Casey Stoney. The emphasis on a more direct, attacking football was exciting to see and should hopefully spell out plenty of goals once the team is at full throttle under Stoney.
Old Struggles Still Remain
After that exhilarating opening thirty minutes of Stoney-ball, Canada came back down to earth for much of the rest of the game. China grew in confidence and began to pressure Canada when they were in possession. This caused Canada to become more panicky, especially in the back where failed clearences gave chances for China to equalize. Les Rouges managed to get to half-time unscathed, but that final fifteen was a sign of things to come.
Stoney did make some changes at half-time to liven up the squad, but it was China that came out the stronger of the two. The Steel Roses continued to put pressure on Canada as they did before the half, forcing Canada to make mistakes and be unable to catch the same rhythm they had in the opening half-hour. It then took less than 15 minutes after the restart for China to equalize after yet another failed clearence from Canada.
A loose pass on the edge of the box allowed China to chip a ball into the Canadian box. An unlucky bounce after an attempted clearence saw Kun Jin alone with acres of space to fire home the rebound. It was a goal that reflected the issues that Casey Stoney will need to work on as time goes on. Afterwards, it took some more substitutions for Canada to come back alive. Adriana Leon spearheaded that comeback, doing what she does best in fighting to create chances in the closing stages. Nevertheless, it was not enough as Canada had to be satisfied with only a point against China in the opening round of the Pinatar Cup, with plenty for Stoney to ponder on.
Regan, Alidou Lay Case For Starting Spot
While the total performance and result was not exactly what fans were hoping for from this newly-led Canada side, it did give them some individual performances to savour. One in particular was that of Emma Regan, the marquee signing of NSL’s AFC Toronto. Regan started in the heart of midfield alongside Grosso, giving her a solid chance to audition for her new coach. Luckily for Regan, she gave more than was due.
A defensive rock in that midfield, Regan was everywhere in the first half. Her tenacity allowed Canada to win back the ball and put the pressure on China. Making tackles that Desiree Scott would be proud of, Regan looked like she too was a veteran of the squad with her confidence in play. Even when moved out of position, Regan never looked nervous, and took everything in stride. Her performance overall made sure that even when the likes of Jessie Fleming, Quinn, and Simi Awujo come back into the fore, Regan’s name will be right into the mix.
The same can be said of Mimi Alidou, who, under previous head coach Bev Priestman, always felt like was frozen out of the national team despite her stellar club performances with Benfica. In this game, she showed exactly why she should have been in the picture for some time now. A skilled dribbler gifted with quick feet, she immediately became a nuisance for Chinese defenders in the first half. Her ability to weave in and out of pressure allowed Canada to break the lines and attack more quickly, something Casey Stoney will surely be happy with. Even though Alidou was unable to get on the scoresheet, her attacking prowess did leave many fans excited to what her potential could be in this new era of Stoney and Canada.
Header Image Photo Credit: Canada Soccer
