Canada scores 4 late goals to defeat Costa Rica 4-1 in women's soccer friendly in Toronto

Neil Davidson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 28, 2025 8:18 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

A mediocre commencement turned into a blessed ending Friday arsenic precocious goals by Shelina Zadorsky, Holly Ward, Zara Chavoshi and Emma Regan lifted Canada to a 4-1 comeback triumph implicit a resolute Costa Rica successful an planetary women's affable Friday successful Toronto.

The goals came successful the 70th, 74th, 82nd and 86th infinitesimal arsenic the eighth-ranked Canadians yet recovered an reply for No. 43 Costa Rica. And they offered a glimpse of things to travel with a archetypal Canada extremity for Chavoshi and Regan, a 2nd for Ward and a elder debut for under-20 skipper Annabelle Chukwu, an 18-year-old prima successful the making.

A tiny but enthusiastic assemblage announced astatine 10,105 cheered Canada connected astatine BMO Field. But portion the Canadian women had 81 per cent possession successful the archetypal half, they were incapable to unlock the Costa Rican defence and went into the interruption trailing 1-0.

"I wasn't pleased with our first-half show astatine all," said Canada manager Casey Stoney, flanked by her 2 daughters. "I thought we turned the shot implicit successful silly areas, made method errors, didn't support capable positional subject which benignant of played into their hands a small bit."

Some changes successful benignant of play and endowment from the seat helped crook the tide.

"Real quality successful the 2nd half. We truly committed to what we wanted to do. First fractional not bully enough," said Stoney.

WATCH l Canadian women bushed Costa Rica successful 'Pride Celebration' match:

The Canadians present caput to Washington, D.C., for a stiffer trial against the top-ranked U.S. connected Wednesday.

"We've got a overmuch tougher trial connected [Wednesday]. It's a full different level of hostile we're playing," said Stoney. "If we don't commencement well, we could travel unstuck."

Some hopeless Costa Rican defending and errant Canadian attacking preserved the Costa Rican pb until the 70th infinitesimal erstwhile Zadorsky, from the punishment spot, ended the Canada misfiring. It was extremity No. 7 successful 112 appearances for the seasoned centre back.

Substitute Mimi Alidou won the penalty, taken down by Costa Rican defender Fabiola Villalobos.

Ward made it 2-1 successful the 74th minute, turning and curling successful a beauteous changeable aft Chukwu, who has scored a Canadian-record 39 goals successful 42 younker internationals, headed a Jade Rose transverse her way.

It was a 2nd extremity successful 3 appearances for Ward, a 21-year-old Vancouver Rise guardant who became the archetypal Northern Super League subordinate to people for Canada — successful the 3-1 triumph implicit Haiti connected June 3 successful Montreal.

Chavoshi made it 3-0 successful the 82nd minute, heading location a country for her archetypal Canada extremity successful her 2nd appearance. Regan, with an elegant changeable from conscionable extracurricular the punishment box, padded the pb successful the 86th minute.

"I thought we scored immoderate bully goals," said Stoney. "I thought we could person created more."

Costa Rica's Maria Paula Salas opened the scoring against the tally of play successful the 27th infinitesimal disconnected a escaped kick. Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan failed to get a manus to the well-flighted transportation from skipper Katherine Alvarado, allowing an unmarked Salas to caput the shot location astatine the acold post.

Chavoshi committed the foul that led to the escaped kick, pulling backmost Priscila Chinchilla aft the Costa Rican attacker nutmegged her conscionable extracurricular the Canadian punishment box.

The extremity prompted a Canadian squad huddle successful beforehand of goal, 1 of respective connected the night.

Canada had won each 17 erstwhile meetings with Costa Rica, outscoring the Central Americans 52-6. But they needed a 104th-minute extremity to triumph 1-0 the past clip they met, successful March 2024 successful the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup successful Los Angeles.

Canada had blanked Costa Rica 3-0 successful the radical signifier astatine the tournament.

Strong lineup

Stoney fielded a beardown lineup that included Sheridan, Zadorsky, Jessie Fleming, Ashley Lawrence, Adriana Leon, Evelyne Viens and Julia Grosso.

In all, the starters had a combined 756 caps going into the game.

Canada could person had 3 goals successful first-half stoppage clip with headers from Leon and Zadorsky and a Fleming changeable each missing the target. Costa Rica mislaid midfielder Alexandra Pinell to an wounded conscionable earlier the break.

Canada outshot Costa Rica 8-3 (3-2 successful shots connected target) successful the archetypal half.

Canada, which improved to 6-1-1 nether Stoney, was missing injured defenders Kadeisha Buchanan, Sydney Collins and Jayde Riviere, and forwards Olivia Smith and Cloe Lacasse.

Friday's crippled was a peculiar "Pride Celebration" match, the 3rd successful arsenic galore years for the Canadian women who wore a peculiar kit featuring Pride-themed numbers.