In 2021, Canada finally broke through as a powerhouse soccer nation
CBC
It took a while, but the Canadian men's and women's soccer teams finally landed on the same page in 2021.
For the longest time, both programs were badly out of sync. When one team was winning, the other wasn't. When one flourished, the other faltered.
But now, they are experiencing a golden period in unison. Make no mistake about it — 2021 was a breakout year for Canadian soccer, with the women's team winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics and the men's side establishing itself as a rising power in the CONCACAF region.
Canadian women's team coach Bev Priestman didn't mince words on her first day on the job. The English manager inherited a side that had won back-to-back Olympic bronze medals under John Herdman, and was in the top 10 of FIFA's world rankings when she succeeded Kenneth Heiner-Møller in October 2019.
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A third consecutive podium finish in Tokyo would have been an unprecedented achievement for Canada. But collecting another bronze medal didn't interest Priestman, who saw getting more out of the team as a major part of her mandate.
"A team like Canada should be on that podium. I do think we need to change the colour of the medal. Two bronzes is unbelievable and it's a fantastic achievement, and credit to John [Herdman] and the staff and the players that achieved that. [But] to keep moving forward, we have to aim higher than that," Priestman said during her introductory press conference.
The Canadians not only aimed higher — they fulfilled Priestman's target by winning gold in Tokyo following a magical run that was capped by a dramatic penalty shootout win over Sweden.
Julia Grosso's penalty that sealed the victory was the defining moment, but the young midfielder was hardly the only one to come up big for Canada in Tokyo.
Iconic captain Christine Sinclair provided inspiration and leadership throughout the tournament. Midfielder Jessie Fleming was masterful in marshalling the midfield. Goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé earned the moniker "Minister of Defence." Ashley Lawrence demonstrated why she is considered one of the best fullbacks in the women's game. Vanessa Gilles and Kadeisha Buchanan combined to brilliant effect in the middle of Canada's back line.
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The women's team went from strength to strength with each game in Japan, bringing a captive audience back home along for the thrilling ride. Over 4.4 million viewers tuned into the Canada-Sweden match on CBC, making it the most watched event by Canadians at the Olympics and underlining just how much this team had come to mean to the country.
Their male counterparts also had an important year.
The Canadian men's team's only World Cup appearance came in 1986 in Mexico when it bowed out of the first round after three shutout losses. Since then, it's been one disappointment after another, with the 2000 Gold Cup victory proving to be merely a minor blip on the radar.
