MENU
Adriana Leon, Olivia Smith, and Quinn celebrate one of Canada's goals against Paraguay. (Photo: Canada Soccer)
MATCH ANALYSIS: Leon hat trick propels Canada past Paraguay
2024-02-25
by
Benedict Rhodes, CanPL.ca Contributor (@BTFR17)
Canada Soccer CANWNT National Teams

Final Score: Paraguay 0-4 Canada
Goalscorers: Leon 25′, 49′, 56′, Smith 39′
2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup
Group Stage — Matchday Two

Match Recap

Canada remained perfect at the Concacaf W Gold Cup on Sunday night, beating Paraguay 4-0 to stay at the top of Group C and clinch a spot in the knockout rounds.

After a scrappy start to the match where neither side could get much going in attack, it was Canada who finally struck first in the 25th minute. A cross from Quinn into the box was blocked by Paraguayan defender Tania Riso, before Deisy Ojeda tried to clear it away. The ball popped right up in the air, and Leon was waiting underneath it to volley it into the net and give Canada the lead.

The goal was initially called off by the referee for offside, but after a check with the video assistant referee was allowed as Leon received the ball directly from a Paraguayan player.

The game opened up a bit more after the goal as Paraguay pushed for an equalizer. The Canadians found the net next, however, doubling their lead a few minutes before halftime.

Deanne Rose sped down the right side of the pitch, taking a shot that was stopped by the goalkeeper Cristina Recalde. None of the Paraguay defenders could pounce on the rebound, beaten to it by Olivia Smith, who took a couple of touches and fired it into the back of the net from close range. It was the second goal in as many games for Smith, who scored her first senior international goal on Thursday against El Salvador.

Canada had a great chance to make it three in first half stoppage time, twice forcing saves out of Recalde before Jessie Fleming sent the third effort over the crossbar, to the Canada captain’s dismay, and it was 2-0 for Les Rouges entering the break. When play resumed, however, Adriana Leon found the back of the net twice in quick succession, completing her hat trick and doubling Canada’s lead to 4-0.

After a low cross into the box from Clarissa Larisey ricocheted off a couple of defenders, it eventually fell to Leon a couple of yards away from goal, and she was able to poke it home for her second of the game. She completed the hat trick seven minutes later, receiving a pass on the edge of the penalty area and taking a touch before firing into the ball into the top right corner at the near post.

The match slowed down from that point on. Canada still had the majority of the ball, keeping Paraguay pinned in their own half for the most part.

Jordyn Huitema put the ball into the back of the net in the 84th minute, placing it into the goal following a cross into the box from Clarissa Larisey, but Larisey was offside when she initially received the ball and the goal was called off. Larisey had a chance herself a few minutes later, but sent her shot high over the crossbar.

With the clock ticking toward full time, Simi Awujo was brought down in the penalty area in stoppage time, sending Jessie Fleming to the spot to try and add to Canada’s advantage. Fleming, who is usually automatic from 12 yards out, struck the crossbar with her shot, failing to extend Canada’s lead. It wouldn’t matter in the end, however, as Les Rouges were able to hang on for the rest of stoppage time and see out a 4-0 victory.

Canada remain top of Group C, with six points from two matches and a commanding +10 goal difference ahead of their final group stage match against Costa Rica on Wednesday.

Three Observations

Another clean sheet victory sees Canada remain atop Group C, book spot in the knockout rounds

The performances haven’t been perfect from Canada thus far at the Concacaf W Gold Cup, but there has been a lot to like. Through two matches, Canada has now scored ten goals and conceded zero, beating El Salvador and Paraguay quite comfortably. That was always the expectation coming into the group stage, that Canada would be the favourites in the group and the real tests would come in the knockout rounds, but that is of course easier said than done.

A lot of Canada’s defending has come in midfield or their attacking half, with Bev Priestman asking her side to try and win the ball higher up the pitch. On the few occasions where Canada has had to defend in their own half, they have looked compact and organized for the most part, allowing very few shots on goal — including just one against Paraguay on Sunday. They will face more pressure against tougher opponents later in the tournament, but for now have been able to build game-by-game and find their feet a bit.

Les Rouges will enter matchday three as the top team at the W Gold Cup, thanks to a perfect 2-0-0 record and a competition-best +10 goal differential. That’s important because the eight teams that advance to the knockout rounds — the top two from each group and the two best third-place teams — will be sorted into a bracket based on the standings of the 8 teams in the group stage. Finishing first would get you a quarterfinal against the eighth-best team, second would play the seventh-best team, and so on.

Canada close out group stage action against Costa Rica on Wednesday night. With first place in the group all but officially locked up, that match will be another chance for Canada to put in a strong performance and enter the knockout rounds in good form as they hope to make a deep run at this tournament.

Adriana Leon stays hot with clinical hat trick

Adriana Leon was one of Canada’s best players in their tournament-opening 6-0 victory over El Salvador on Thursday night, scoring twice with an easy tap in and a confident penalty. She raised the bar on Sunday against Paraguay, scoring three more goals as Canada went on to win by four goals to zero.

The first was a brilliant over-the-shoulder volley, after Deisy Ojeda tried to clear the ball away from her own penalty area, but instead kicked it right up in the air to Leon. It was originally called offside, but allowed after a check from the video assistant referee.

The second goal was one of the easiest she’ll ever score in her career. A cross into the penalty area from Clarissa Larisey pinballed around the box before coming loose in front of the net, where Leon was in the right position to poke it into the bottom left corner to make it 3-0 to Les Rouges. The third goal was a rocket into the top right corner of the net from close range, after Leon received the ball at the edge of the penalty area, took a touch, and made no mistake to complete the hat trick.

Leon made some history with her three-goal performance, climbing from sixth up to joint-fourth on the Canadian women’s national team’s all-time goals list. She entered the day on 33 goals, but scored her 34th in the first half to join Kara Lang in a tie for fifth. Her goal a few minutes into the second half put her in sole possession of fifth, before her hat trick goal tied her with Janine Beckie for fourth all-time on 36 goals.

Moving up to as high as third is possible in this tournament for Leon, who needs one to pass Beckie, and two to tie Silvana Burtini for third with 38 goals. Charmaine Hooper (71) and Christine Sinclair (190) remain quite a distance away in second and first, respectively.

Leon also sits top of this tournament’s Golden Boot race, with five through two matches. Six players, including Canada’s Olivia Smith, are tied for second place with two goals apiece.

Youngsters thrive, offer glimpse into the next generation of Canadian stars

This tournament, and the entire year of 2024, comes at an interesting time for the Canadian women’s national team. Late last year the team said farewell to some legends and veteran leaders on the national team, Christine Sinclair and Sophie Schmidt, and other players like recently-named captain Jessie Fleming continued to step into new leadership roles with the team.

As the team starts to look to the future and the rest of the 2027 World Cup quadrennial, some of Bev Priestman’s squad selection has given onlookers a glimpse into the future of the team.

Jade Rose, 21, has played 90 minutes in back-to-back matches on the right side of Canada’s defence, playing well defensively and providing some quality and composure on the ball when the team was building out of the back. Olivia Smith, 19, has goals in back-to-back matches, the first two of her national team career. Simi Awujo, 20, and Clarissa Larisey, 24, made strong impressions off the bench in the second half, with Larisey picking up an assist, and Awujo drawing a penalty, although it would ultimately be missed by Jessie Fleming.

Jordyn Huitema has also been a national team regular for years already, and is still just 22 years old. Huitema scored in Canada’s opener against El Salvador, and had a goal called back against Paraguay for an offside in the build up.

The future looks bright for the national team, with these players and others set to go from contributors today to the stars of the future.

“She had an outstanding pre-camp. She’s getting more confident, fitter, stronger, and she’s super exciting as a midfielder, even driving with the ball to to get the penalty,” Priestman said of Awujo after Sunday’s match. “And Jade Rose, outstanding. They’re not in season these NCAA players, so to come in and play back-to-back, I think you could see that by the end, but all three of those players have a super exciting future in this team.

“They’re very much part of this team, they act like part of this team now, and I think that’s exciting. Then you go and add Sydney Collins as a young player with her injury, but once she recovers we’ve got some really good young talent and a whole load more sitting underneath that. I think that’s really exciting as a coach, you build for an Olympics, but also build towards 2027.”

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Adriana Leon, Canada

After scoring twice in Canada’s opening match against El Salvador, Leon added three more on Sunday against Paraguay to propel her side to victory.

What’s next?

Canada take on Costa Rica in their third group match on Wednesday, February 28 at 6 pm ET. Paraguay will face El Salvador later that evening, at 9 pm ET. All Concacaf W Gold Cup matches are available to watch live on OneSoccer.

© 2024
Canadian Premier League
Read our privacy policy.