Alidou's hat trick headlines 7-goal thumping as Canadian women top Taiwan to win Pinatar Cup

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Feb 25, 2025 3:56 PM EST | Last Updated: February 25

Canada manager Casey Stoney leaves the Pinatar Cup with a trophy successful manus and a amended thought of the endowment astatine hand.

"I deliberation there's been immoderate questions answered — successful some ways," Stoney said.

Marie-Yasmine (Mimi) Alidou enactment up her manus with a chapeau instrumentality Tuesday arsenic sixth-ranked Canada won the four-team women's shot tourney with a ascendant 7-0 triumph implicit No. 42 Taiwan.

Alidou, who plays her nine shot successful Portugal for Benfica, needed conscionable 32 minutes to implicit her chapeau instrumentality astatine the Pinatar Arena. The 29-year-old from Saint-Hubert, Que., present has 5 goals successful 8 appearances for Canada.

It was one-way postulation for the Canadians, who had 70 per cent possession and outshot Taiwan 19-2 (11-0 successful shots connected target) with an 8-0 borderline successful corners.

"It was astir keeping nonrecreational standards against a squad we knew we were expected to beat. I'm disappointed we didn't people much goals, if I'm honest," said Stoney. "We could person had a small spot much strength successful the 2nd fractional successful presumption of our attacking play but we made changes astatine halftime. That's going to marque a difference."

WATCH l Alidou's chapeau instrumentality powers Canada to Pinatar Cup win:

Canada drew No. 17 China 1-1 and blanked No. 31 Mexico 2-0 earlier successful the tournament. Taiwan mislaid each 3 games, outscored 15-0.

With Mexico (2-1-0) posting a 2-0 triumph implicit China (1-1-1) earlier successful the time astatine the Pinatar Arena, the Canadians needed a triumph to assistance the trophy.

Alidou, defender Gabby Carle and midfielder Emma Regan permission Spain with their reputations enhanced. And 20-year-old attacker Olivia Smith continues to impress.

Stoney said she wanted to spot her full roster successful enactment astatine the tourney and was existent to her word, with lone Simi Awujo and Jade Rose not seeing action. Awujo picked up a sound successful grooming portion Rose was not expected to play astatine the tourney arsenic she continued her betterment from a anterior injury.

It marked Canada's archetypal clip astatine the Pinatar Cup, antecedently won by Scotland, Belgium, Iceland and Finland.

The Canadian women person not mislaid successful regularisation clip successful 22 matches dating backmost to a 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Brazil successful Montreal successful October 2023. Canada had gone 14-0-8 since past with 3 of the draws turning into punishment shootout losses (two to the United States and 1 to Germany) and 1 into a shootout triumph (over Brazil).

Stoney made six changes to her starting lineup with lone skipper Jessie Fleming, Jayde Riviere, Smith, Reid and Huitema retaining their places. The starting 11 came into the crippled with 661 full caps, down from a combined 750 for the Mexico matchup and 690 for the China contest.

Alidou opened the scoring successful the 4th infinitesimal aft a Nichelle Prince walk enactment her down the defence. Taiwan goalkeeper Wang Yu-ting made the archetypal prevention but could not power the rebound and Alidou took advantage.

WATCH l Canada lifts Pinatar Cup trophy with ascendant 7-0 victory:

She added her 2nd from the punishment spot successful the 14th infinitesimal aft Wang was judged to person taken Prince down successful the punishment box. Huitema made it 3-0 successful the 26th minute, knocking location a well-delivered Smith country with Reid attracting attraction from defenders.

Alidou completed her chapeau trick, looping the shot location disconnected the broadside of her footwear aft Taiwan failed to wide a country to marque it 4-0. Reid, who had travel up for different corner, scored her archetypal for Canada successful first-half stoppage clip aft Taiwan failed to woody with a Fleming cross.

Ella Ottey and Carly Wickenheiser came successful to commencement the 2nd fractional to gain their 2nd caps. Samantha Chang, Larisey, Adriana Leon and Nyah Rose, Jade's younger sister, followed disconnected the bench.

Leon joined the San Diego Wave connected Tuesday, leaving England's Aston Villa to instrumentality to the NWSL connected a two-year woody with a communal enactment for 2027.

Huitema made it 6-0 from the punishment spot successful the 49th infinitesimal aft Smith was taken down dribbling into the Taiwan punishment box. Larisey's header from a Riviere transverse ended the scoring successful the 75th.

Out of substitutes, Canada finished with 9 players with Larisey and Riviere, some taking a knock, leaving successful the dying minutes.

Stoney told reporters Monday that she hopes the Canadians tin play astatine location during the March-April planetary window.