Goals from Gilles, Leon help Canada beat Mexico at Pinatar Cup for 1st win under Casey Stoney

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Feb 22, 2025 3:59 PM EST | Last Updated: February 22

Casey Stoney has her archetypal triumph arsenic Canada coach, but it came with immoderate bruises arsenic the sixth-ranked Canadian women survived a carnal situation from No. 31 Mexico to triumph 2-0 Saturday astatine the Pinatar Cup successful Murcia, Spain.

Vanessa Gilles celebrated her 50th headdress with a extremity and Adriana Leon added a precocious onslaught to springiness Canada the win.

Mexico had much scoring chances successful the archetypal fractional astatine Pinatar Arena but the crippled changed aft Mexican defender Annia Mejia was sent disconnected for a 2nd yellowish paper successful the 40th minute.

"Thy were highly physical," said Stoney. "At 1 constituent I really said to the 4th [official] my subordinate information was a interest to me."

The Canadians broke the deadlock successful the 51st infinitesimal erstwhile Olivia Smith's country recovered Jordyn Huitema, who headed it implicit to Gilles to caput home. It was an eighth extremity for the 28-year-old centre backmost from Ottawa and the 4th successful her past 8 matches.

WATCH | Gilles scores victor arsenic Canada blanks Mexico astatine Pinatar Cup:

Gilles, who made her elder debut successful November 2019, has go 1 of the archetypal names connected the Canadian squad sheet.

"I said astatine the extremity of the crippled it's not casual to get 1 cap. So to get 50 is rather the achievement," said Stoney, a erstwhile England skipper who won 130 caps. "She's a large person and a large portion of this group.

"I'm conscionable truly pleased for her — sealed it with a win, a extremity and a cleanable sheet."

The shutout went to goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, her 30th successful 52 starts (and 57 appearances) for Canada.

Leon scored her 42nd extremity successful her 123 planetary appearance, doubling the pb successful the 89th infinitesimal erstwhile she knocked the shot into an bare extremity aft a bully buildup by Nichelle Prince and Evelyne Viens.

Canada had 64 per cent possession and outshot Mexico 13-11 (5-3 successful shots connected target) aft being outshot 6-4 (3-1 successful shots connected target) successful the archetypal half.

WATCH | Leon seals triumph against Mexico with precocious goal:

Canada drew No. 17 China 1-1 successful Stoney's debut arsenic Canada manager connected Wednesday, portion Mexico blanked No. 42 Taiwan 4-0. China defeated Taiwan 4-0 earlier Saturday.

The Canadians wrapper up tourney play Tuesday against Taiwan.

Smith, a 20-year-old who plays successful England for Liverpool, got immoderate unsmooth attraction from Mexico earlier exiting astir the hr mark.

Stoney said she had planned for Smith to play the full crippled but pulled her disconnected aboriginal "to support her ... [after] she got kicked aft kicked aft kicked."

"She's specified a talent. She's truthful dynamic successful presumption of what she does successful [terms of] creativity. It's like, however tin we conscionable consistently get her successful the close areas truthful she tin perform? And past however tin the officials look aft her a spot better?"

Canada improved to 24-2-3 all-time against Mexico, the third-ranked squad successful CONCACAF down the top-ranked Americans and No. 6 Canada. But Stoney warned they were a measurement up from China and she was proved close until Mexico went a subordinate down.

Revamped Canadian roster

Stoney revamped her roster from the China game, which saw 7 players unavailable aft arriving from North America the erstwhile day.

Only Gilles, Gabby Carle, Julia Grosso and Janine Sonis (formerly Janine Beckie) retained their starting spots. Jessie Fleming reclaimed the captain's armband from Gilles.

Angel City defender Megan Reid, a 28-year-old from California whose parent was calved successful Canada, won her 2nd headdress successful partnering Gilles astatine centre back.

The Canadian lineup went into the crippled with a combined 750 caps, up from 690 for the starting 11 against China.

Mexico mislaid defender Greta Espinoza to wounded aft an awkward collision connected a second-minute corner.

Four minutes later, Mejia was cautioned for a nasty studs-up tackle connected Smith. And the Mexican should person been shown different paper successful the 35th erstwhile she cynically bodied Huitema to the turf but went unpunished by Hungarian referee Katalin Sipos.

But Mejia got the 2nd yellowish minutes later, scything down Leon from behind.

"Eventually [the referee] did thing astir it but I thought it was excessively late," said Stoney, who had been unimpressed by Sipos' officiating successful the triumph implicit China.

Veteran defender Shelina Zadorsky replaced Reid to commencement the 2nd half, followed by Emma Regan, Viens, Prince, Ashley Lawrence and Marie-Yasmine Alidou disconnected the Canadian bench.

Canada is missing the injured Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea), Sydney Collins and Bianca St-Georges (North Carolina Courage), Cloe Lacasse (Utah Royals), Deanne Rose (Leicester City) and Quinn (Vancouver Rise).

Midfielder Simi Awujo missed the crippled aft picking up a sound successful training.

It's 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 21 matches dating backmost to a 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Brazil successful Montreal successful October 2023. Canada has gone 13-0-8 since past with 3 of the draws turning into punishment shootout losses (two to the U.S. and 1 to Germany) and 1 into a shootout triumph (over Brazil).