Canadian women’s soccer team lose 2-0 to U.S. amid labour dispute
Global News
Struggling to find their focus after the off-field drama of a labour dispute with Canada Soccer, the Canadian women took it on the chin in a 2-0 loss to the U.S. on Thursday.
Struggling to find their focus after the off-field drama of a bitter labour dispute with Canada Soccer, the Canadian women took it on the chin in a 2-0 loss to the U.S. at the SheBelieves Cup on Thursday.
Mallory Swanson scored in the seventh and 34th minute as the top-ranked Americans came out hot and had their way with a ragged Canada.
The sixth-ranked Canadians found some semblance of rhythm midway through the half only to gift Swanson her second goal with a defensive gaffe. There was little drama in the second half with only some wasteful American finishing keeping the score down before an announced crowd of 14,697 at Exploria Stadium.
Canada captain Christine Sinclair said given the backdrop to the game, it could have gone two ways.
“Either we’re fighting for everything and come out on fire or we come out flat. And I think you saw those first 10, 15 minutes, we came out flat,” she said. “I think we looked like a team that was tired, a team that’s mentally exhausted, coming up against a team, I mean, they’re defending World Cup champions for a reason and you have to be at your best to compete with them. And we weren’t tonight.”
The game should have been a celebration of women’s soccer, a marquee matchup between the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Canadians and defending World Cup champion Americans. But the showdown was overshadowed by the Canadian women’s labour battle with their governing body.
The Canadian women announced last Friday they would not train or play until their grievances were addressed. They boycotted training the next day and had to be forced back on the field under threat of legal action by Canada Soccer.
Before Thursday’s kickoff, both teams gathered at the centre circle — Americans next to Canadians — and then closed ranks, turning the circle into a heart shape in a show of solidarity.