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Canada's Julia Grosso controls the ball. (Photo: Canada Soccer)
MATCH ANALYSIS: Missed chances the story as Canada draw 0-0 with Nigeria in Women’s World Cup opener
2023-07-21
by
Benedict Rhodes, CanPL.ca Contributor (@BTFR17)
Canada Soccer CANWNT National Teams

Final Score: Nigeria 0-0 Canada
Goalscorers: None
2023 Women’s World Cup – Group B Matchday 1

Match Recap

Canada opened their Group B schedule at the Women’s World Cup with a single point on Thursday night, drawing 0-0 with Nigeria at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

Looking to score in her sixth World Cup, Christine Sinclair tried to pick out the top right corner of the net early on, striking the ball from distance. It went high and wide, but it was a reminder for the Nigerian defenders that they can’t afford to give so much space to the record goalscorer in the history of international football. 

Nigeria’s first chance of the match came in the 23rd minute as Ifeoma Onumonu curled a shot to the bottom right corner of the net from distance, but her former NJ/NY Gotham FC teammate Kailen Sheridan dived to her left to push the ball out for a corner kick. 

Minutes after Jordyn Huitema couldn’t get a header from close range on target, Nigeria came close again just after the half-hour mark. Asisat Oshoala was played in behind the Canadian backline with a pass over the top, and Sheridan missed the ball when trying to kick it, giving the Barcelona attacker an opportunity to play the ball, but the angle wasn’t there for her to get it on target. Vanessa Gilles kicked the ball away from the goal, but it fell to Francisca Ordega, who tried to get a shot of, but Ashley Lawrence put her body on the line to poke the ball away before it could be struck, getting kicked herself in the process. 

Both sides had their chances in the first half, but neither could take advantage and it was scoreless after 45 minutes, with just the one combined shot on target.

Canada had a great opportunity to open the scoring moments after play resumed, after Sinclair was fouled in the penalty area and given a chance from the penalty spot. With Jessie Fleming watching from the bench after picking up a knock in training, Sinclair stepped up to take it herself, although not particularly confidently, and shot the ball to goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie’s left. The Nigerian captain made a great save to keep the match tied at 0-0.

Priestman brought Evelyne Viens into the match after an hour of play, replacing Adriana Leon and moving Jordyn Huitema out wide. Viens nearly rewarded her head coach instantly, getting to the ball first in the box and attempting a shot with the outside of her foot that was stopped by Nnadozie. 

Both sides kept pushing for a breakthrough, but one would never come. Canada’s attack had more questions than answers in this match, frustrated by an issue that has plagued them for years – an inability to be clinical and finish the chances they create. The Nigerian attackers also had a couple of opportunities late in the match to perhaps take the full three points, but some desperate defending in the latter stages of the match kept the ball out of the Canadian net.

With Canada on the front foot again as they looked for a late winner, Deborah Abiodun was sent off in stoppage time for a poor tackle that saw her firmly plant her studs onto Lawrence’s ankle. It was too late for Canada to really take advantage of being up a player, however, and the match would end the same way it started – tied at 0-0.

It was two points lost for Canada and one gained for Nigeria, who celebrated at the final whistle while the Canadian players looked frustrated. It doesn’t get any easier for either side, as Canada get set to play a defensive, physical Republic of Ireland side on matchday two, while Nigeria get set to take on the co-hosts Australia – who sit atop Group B after a 1-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in their tournament-opener.

Three Observations

Jessie Fleming’s absence felt in key moments

Canada was dealt a tough hand this week, after Jessie Fleming picked up an injury in training. The knock won’t prevent her from playing in this tournament, according to Bev Priestman, but the Canada head coach felt it was necessary to keep her star midfielder out of this opening match and instead focus on the long term benefits of giving Fleming more time to recover. 

A leader for Canada on and off the pitch, Fleming is arguably Canada’s most important player, someone capable of taking control of matches in the middle of the park. A lot of what the team does with the ball goes through her, and they were missing that creative outlet at times in this game.

Fleming’s absence was perhaps most notable early in the second half, as Canada won a penalty when Christine Sinclair was fouled by Francisca Ordega in the box. The Canadian captain, with an opportunity to give her side the lead and become the oldest scorer in World Cup history, never looked like she wanted to take the shot and her body language gave Chiamaka Nnadozie an idea of where she was going to shoot. Sinclair didn’t look like she wanted to take it, and also didn’t take the penalty in the 2019 World Cup round of 16 that was eventually missed by Janine Beckie and sent Canada home earlier in that tournament than they would have liked.

Sinclair went to the goalkeeper’s left, but Nnadozie made a diving stop to keep the ball out of the net with her left hand. While there’s obviously no guarantee that she would have scored, Fleming has been Canada’s designated penalty taker for a while now, and would have taken the shot had she been on the pitch. Her penalties played a big role in Canada winning the gold medal at Tokyo 2020, and she has scored them since as well.

The Chelsea midfielder’s availability for Canada’s next match against the Republic of Ireland remains to be seen. It would be a significant boost if she can even give Canada some minutes off the bench, because the hole left in this team without her was evident.

Chiamaka Nnadozie steps up for Nigeria

When Nigeria needed someone to step up in big defensive moments, a hero emerged in young goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie. 

The 22-year-old, who plays for Paris FC in Division 1 Féminine – but probably not for long, with how well she has been playing over the past few seasons, and now at the World Cup – is already playing at her second World Cup and didn’t look at all fazed by the occasion. 

Captaining the side with regular skipper Onome Ebi watching from the bench, Nnadozie confidently came out of her net again and again to claim balls into her area, and made three saves in the match. She took a beating as well, needing treatment after contact on multiple occasions, and ended the match with her legs wrapped up.

The moment people will remember most, however, came early in the second half. After Francisca Ordega’s foul on Christine Sinclair sent the Canada captain to the penalty spot, Nnadozie was ready to be called upon. Sinclair didn’t strike the ball particularly well, but Nnadozie made a brilliant save, diving to her left and getting a strong hand to it to keep her clean sheet intact.

She also made a big stop of Evelyne Viens in the second half, coming out of her goal and catching a shot from the outside of Viens’ right foot from close range.

After a big point in their opening match, Nnadozie was pumping her fists as the referee blew the whistle to end the match, while the Canadians looked dejected. It was a big point for the Super Falcons, and sets up an exciting second matchday as they take on co-hosts Australia and Canada face the Republic of Ireland.

Canada’s lack of creativity, clinical finishing let them down once again

Canada failing to turn their chances into goals isn’t a new issue, and is one that continues to let them down. In this match Canada failed to score in their World Cup opener for the first time ever, held to a 0-0 draw.

It was a problem for them before and at the Olympics in 2021, with the gold medal coming on the back of brilliant defending and an over-reliance on penalties, and it has continued to be a story in the matches since. In this game, even a chance to shoot from 12 yards wasn’t enough to pick up the three points, as a poor strike from Christine Sinclair after winning the penalty herself was stopped by the aforementioned Chiamaka Nnadozie.

That Canada dropped two vital points as a result of a missed penalty is even more frustrating, as there were chances throughout the match for them to put the ball into the back of the net. Sinclair nearly picked out the top right corner with a strike from distance in the first ten minutes of the match, but missed high and wide after being given too much space with a lane to shoot from outside the box. It was a bit of a warning shot for the Nigerian defenders, who responded accordingly by putting more pressure on the Canadian attackers after that.

With Jessie Fleming out of the lineup, Canada were missing some creativity in midfield, and the player who is often responsible for a lot of it. Frustratingly, especially in the second half, Canada kept trying to play long, low-percentage passes down the pitch, but they were all for nought as the Nigerian defenders were clearing their lines and sometimes able to hit Canada on the counter-attack from such plays.

Jordyn Huitema was getting into good positions all night, and looked good out wide when she was moved to the wing after the introduction of Evelyne Viens, but missed several big chances to score. In the 28th minute she headed the ball wide of the mark after getting onto the end of a cross, and sent another one wide in the 88th minute, left both disappointed and frustrated in her post match interview – saying that the team needs to learn from this draw and be better in their next match.

Two of Canada’s wingers, Deanne Rose and Nichelle Prince, failed to make a noticeable impact on the match as well. Rose played 45 minutes from the start and Prince came off the bench for just over 15 minutes (including stoppage time) in relief of Julia Grosso. Both coming off long-term Achilles injuries, Rose wasn’t really involved on the right flank, while Prince almost looked hesitant to use her elite speed to her advantage with or without the ball. It was a race to get both ready in time for the World Cup, and the question of whether or not it would have made more sense to call up Clarissa Larisey instead of one of them won’t go away anytime soon. Olivia Smith, a proven goalscorer at the youth international level, may also get called upon at some point in the tournament as she can play out wide or through the middle.

Overall, Canada again left a match with more questions than answers in attack – and Bev Priestman’s task this week is to find some solutions before a crucial match against a physical Republic of Ireland side that will sit back and refuse to give Canada an inch.

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Chiamaka Nnadozie, Nigeria

The Nigerian captain stepped up when her team needed her most, making a big save on Christine Sinclair’s penalty in the second half.

What’s next?

Canada play the Republic of Ireland next, on Wednesday, July 26 (8 am ET/5 am PT). Nigeria play the next day against Australia (6 am ET/3 am PT). All Women’s World Cup matches can be watched live on TSN.

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