Canadian women crush Morocco in international soccer friendly in Spain

Evelyne Viens scored one aim and arrange two others as Canada defeated Morocco 4-0 in an international women’s soccer friendly Monday.

Jessie Fleming, Janine Beckie and Clarissa Larisey had the opposite Canada objectives at Estadio Municipal de Chapin.

Morocco, ranked 76th in the world, proved to be a cussed opponent to interrupt down. The seventh-ranked Canadians had 73 per cent possession in the primary half however solely managed three pictures on course with Fleming offering the go-ahead aim in the twenty fourth minute.

The Atlas Lionesses, headed to their first-ever World Cup, have been runner-up to South Africa on the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July.

WATCH l Fleming, Viens opened up floodgates to 4-0 victory:

Canada downed No. 31 Argentina 2-0 on Friday in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain, taking the lead on a 68th-minute Argentine personal aim and 87th-minute strike by substitute Cloe Lacasse.

Morocco misplaced 4-0 to No. 32 Poland final Thursday in Seville, Spain.

The African facet is coached by former French international Reynald Pedros, who twice led Olympique Lyonnais Feminin to the UEFA Women’s Champions League title and was named Best FIFA Women’s Coach in 2018.

Canada coach Bev Priestman made six adjustments to her beginning lineup inserting goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo, Desiree Scott, Jade Rose, Viens, Lacasse and Quinn, who goes by one identify. The beginning 11 got here into the sport with a mixed 730 caps with 416 of these coming from Scott, Fleming and Kadeisha Buchanan.

Scott, incomes her 184th cap, took over as captain from Fleming.

Injury-plagued squad

Canada was lacking the injured Christine Sinclair, Ashley Lawrence, Vanessa Gilles, Deanne Rose, Gabrielle Carle and Jayde Riviere. Fullback Allysha Chapman was additionally out after struggling a lower-leg damage in the bodily Argentina recreation.

Morocco hung again in an efficient defensive block, seeking to counter-attack. The Canadians had extra of the ball however struggled to construct on offence in a colorless begin to the competition.

That modified in the twenty fourth minute when a poor clearance by Morocco goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi was intercepted by an opportunistic Viens, who discovered an onrushing Fleming in the penalty field. The Chelsea midfielder steamed previous defender Nouhaila Benzina and beat Er-Rmichi for her nineteenth aim in 109 internationals.

Er-Rmichi made a nice save in the fortieth minute, getting a leg in entrance of a close-range Lacasse shot after a neat pivot by the Canadian ahead in entrance of aim earlier than firing the shot.

A minute later, Schmidt hit the crossbar with a header of her personal off one other nook. Er-Rmichi received a hand to a tough Prince shot from the sting of the penalty field in the eightieth minute.

Priestman despatched on Shelina Zadorsky, Nichelle Prince and Schmidt, incomes her 216th cap, to start out the second half. Quinn, who had been seemingly favouring an ankle, was one of many gamers changed.

Simi Awujo, Larisey and Zoe Burns adopted off the Canadian bench as the sport wore on.

An extended-range shot by Morocco, its lone effort on course, produced a diving save from D’Angelo in the forty eighth minute after a turnover by Schmidt.

Beckie made it 3-0 in the 84th after a nice feed from Schmidt. With no defender urgent, Beckie had time to decide on her spot for her thirty sixth aim in 98 appearances for Canada.

Larisey completed the scoring in the ninetieth minute, profiting from a nice by ball from Viens.

An onrushing Er-Rmichi blocked the ball initially however it rebounded to Larisey who poked it house for her first Canada aim.

With their fourth straight win, the Olympic champion Canadians improved to 10-2-3 this 12 months with the losses to the U.S., 1-0 in the CONCACAF W Championship closing in July, and Spain, 1-0 in the Arnold Clark Cup in February.

The recreation got here in the final international window earlier than the Oct. 22 draw in Auckland for subsequent 12 months’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Canada secured its World Cup qualification on the CONCACAF W Championship.

Like Canada, it was lacking key gamers together with captain Ghizlane Chebbak and Tottenham striker Rosella Ayana, each injured.

The Atlas Lionesses dispatched 11-time champion Nigeria, the top-ranked crew in the area at No. 46, in a 5-4 penalty shootout win in the Cup of Nations semifinal to earn World Cup qualification.

Canada had confronted Morocco twice earlier than, with each video games in February 2001 whereas in camp in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. Canada gained the opener 4-0 and misplaced the rematch 1-0 two days later.