Argentina hands Canadian women's soccer team 1st loss of Stoney era

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 09, 2025 7:25 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

A disappointing nonaccomplishment for Canada's women's shot squad could beryllium adjuvant going forward, says the team's caput coach.

"You don't privation to lose, but I deliberation adversity's important," Casey Stoney said aft Canada dropped a 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Argentina successful a affable matchup successful Langford, B.C.

"A small spot of struggle's truly adjuvant due to the fact that it lets america cognize wherever we're at, what we request to proceed to do."

An assertive Argentine broadside smothered Canada's offence en way to a 1-0 triumph successful a affable crippled successful Langford, B.C., connected Tuesday.

"I don't deliberation it was for a deficiency of effort. I don't ever knock this squad for effort," Stoney said. "It's conscionable astir the details, immoderate idiosyncratic errors that were successful cardinal moments wherever it could person been better, and astir being objective successful the last third."

Seventh-ranked Canada was the dense favourite heading into the game, having bushed No. 33 Argentina 3-0 successful different affable astatine Vancouver's B.C. Place connected Friday.

But Argentina brought an assertive marque of shot to Starlight Stadium, location of the Canadian Premier League's Pacific FC.

The visitors pressed hard, tackled often and smothered Canada's offence to instrumentality their archetypal triumph successful 8 meetings betwixt the 2 countries.

"You person to recognition them — their tactics worked," Stoney said.

"We couldn't get immoderate rhythm, we couldn't get immoderate benignant of velocity to our plays. There was truthful overmuch stop-start, which became frustrating. And we've got to admit successful those moments, we've got to usage the shot to beryllium capable to make bushed and speed. So, alternatively than trying to unit the shot forward, we've got to determination the opponent. And I don't deliberation we did that good enough."

WATCH | Argentina upsets Canada successful Langford, B.C.:

Canada had aboriginal chances, including successful the seventh infinitesimal erstwhile Deanne Rose rushed up the field, divided a brace of defenders and went one-on-one with Argentina 'keeper Solana Pereyra, lone to nonstop a changeable into the goalkeeper's legs.

Argentina pushed and came adjacent successful the 22nd infinitesimal with a acceptable play astatine the apical of the punishment area. Sophia Dominguez took the escaped kick, sending the shot pinging disconnected the crossbar.

Another acceptable play opened the scoring successful the 34th erstwhile Argentina was awarded a escaped footwear adjacent the touchline. This time, Yamila Rodriguez stepped up and sent the shot soaring toward the beforehand station wherever it slipped nether Canada's diving 'keeper Sabrina D'Angelo and successful for the lone extremity of the game.

Canada had chances to equalize connected a fig of escaped kicks, but struggled to make chances wrong the punishment area.

"Just not making the astir of those moments and being ruthless and giving ourselves a cutting edge," Stoney said. "Because, if we spell successful front, it's astir apt a antithetic game. But erstwhile you spell down connected a transportation similar this, against a squad similar that that's conscionable going to dilatory the crippled down each clip the whistle goes, it's going to beryllium difficult."

Janine Sonis sprinted down the tract successful the 77th infinitesimal connected a breakaway, but Pereyra came good retired of the container and took the changeable disconnected her arm, resulting successful a reddish card.

The Argentine 'keeper stalled successful leaving the pitch, arguing the telephone earlier Renata Masciarelli yet took implicit the goal.

Canada was speedy to trial the substitute goalkeeper with a escaped footwear successful the 80th minute. Captain Jessie Fleming stepped up and sent the shot into Masciarelli's midsection.

The lineup Stoney fielded Tuesday was vastly antithetic than the 1 that bushed Argentina connected Friday.

D'Angelo started successful spot of Kailen Sheridan, portion 19-year-old guardant Kayla Briggs made her first-ever quality for the elder nationalist squad and was fixed "performance of the match" honours. Midfielder Holly Ward besides got her archetypal cap, coming disconnected the seat successful the 64th minute.

"It was an accidental to look astatine immoderate antithetic players," Stoney said of the changes. "And I deliberation that was a positive."

The effect marked the team's archetypal nonaccomplishment nether Stoney, who was appointed caput manager successful mid-January. Canada has a 3-1-1 grounds during her tenure.

Canada's coaching unit volition measure a assortment of aspects of the game, including whether determination were excessively galore changes to the lineup, however they tin usage a tiny tract differently, and however they tin make much from acceptable pieces, the manager said.

"We reappraisal the wins, we'll reappraisal the draws, and we'll reappraisal the losses," Stoney said.

Canada's adjacent affable volition beryllium connected July 2 erstwhile they look the United States successful Washington, D.C.