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RHODES: ‘Big players step up in big moments’, and they don’t get much bigger than Monday night for CanWNT

It’s something that has been said repeatedly during this Women’s Football tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and was again the theme of Canada’s historic win over the United States on Monday: “big players step up in big moments”.

Aside from the gold medal match (Thursday 10 pm EST, Friday 11 am JST) in a few days, it doesn’t get much bigger than the scenario Canada were faced with on Monday — playing in a semifinal at the Olympic Games, against their biggest rival who they hadn’t beaten in 20 years.

Canada’s back seemed to be against the wall, but they delivered.

From minute one to minute ninety, Canada were collectively pushing for the same goal, rather than playing as a group of individuals looking for a moment of magic, which is what ultimately plagued their opponents.

If someone was outnumbered, a teammate moved over to help them. If a big tackle was needed, someone would step up and make it. These are things expected of a team playing at the highest level, but simple things teams sometimes forget, and are burned by.

Historically it’s been Canada getting burned by the United States — American forward Megan Rapinoe said as much after the match, telling a reporter that her side “never want to lose to Canada, I don’t think I’ve ever lost to Canada”.

The team in red needed every single player to step up to cause an upset and book a spot in the final, and they did.

There’s an element of that win that wasn’t just reaching the coveted gold medal game, but also getting redemption against the United States for their battle at the same stage at the London 2012 Olympics. The Americans won that game in extra time, after controversial refereeing decisions were partly responsible for them scoring a late equalizer in regulation time, and Canada had been waiting nine years for the chance to get payback.

“Our goal heading here was to change the colour of the medal after back-to-back Bronze Medals. What a performance, what a fight, I’m just so proud of our team, and one more to go,” said Christine Sinclair after Monday’s victory. “For those of us who were part of 2012, it was nice to get a little revenge in an Olympic Semi-finals.”

Canadian players run to join the celebrations after advancing to the gold medal match at Tokyo 2020 (Photo: Canada Soccer by Daniela Porcelli)
Canadian players run to join the celebrations after advancing to the gold medal match at Tokyo 2020 (Photo: Canada Soccer by Daniela Porcelli)

For all the praise Bev Priestman has given to her players, she should get some credit for making tough choices thus far in the tournament, and sticking by them — bringing Stephanie Labbé back into the team after Kailen Sheridan was given the second group stage game after Labbé hurt herself in the opener was one.

It would have been easy to stick by Sheridan, and Canada wouldn’t have been worse off if Priestman had, but she’s trusted Labbé as a big-moment player, capable of making the huge save needed to keep her team in a game. Labbé made the two saves in Canada’s quarterfinal win over Brazil, and stopped each of the six shots on target the States were able to take.

The change that may be most memorable when the tournament is all said and done is the decision to put Vanessa Gilles into the starting lineup for Canada’s two knockout matches thus far. She also took the field in the group stage, but Shelina Zadorsky started the opener against Japan.

Given regular opportunities with the national team this year, Gilles has proven that she is vital to the way Canada defends, and on Monday rewarded Priestman’s faith in her. Making just her ninth appearance for the national team, she had one of the greatest individual performances in national team history at exactly the right time.

Gilles made 19 clearances against the United States, more than the entire opposing team, and was always in the right place at the right time. As has been the case throughout a breakout 2021 for the Bordeaux centre-back, she was like a magnet to the ball during this match, rising above everyone to head away everything in sight. She nearly scored from a corner with a header against Brazil as well, her aerial ability has been second-to-none.

The United States have, by a significant margin, the best and deepest group of attackers in the world — capable of bringing on some of the best players in the sport off the bench. The triple sub from Vlatko Andonovski in the second half saw Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and Christen Press come into the game, causing the United States to up the tempo of the match and push for a winner, but the Canadian backline held strong.

Defending has been Canada’s strength at Tokyo 2020, and Gilles one of the team’s best players, and if she keeps playing like that will make up a world-class centre-back partnership with Kadeisha Buchanan for years to come. The sky is the limit for a defence group with those two and Ashley Lawrence, among others.

Vanessa Gilles in action against Great Britain at Tokyo 2020 (Photo: Canada Soccer by Daniela Porcelli)
Vanessa Gilles in action against Great Britain at Tokyo 2020 (Photo: Canada Soccer by Daniela Porcelli)

And of course, the moment that Canadian fans will remember most about this game. With 15 minutes left in one of the biggest matches she’ll ever play in, Jessie Fleming had a chance from 12 yards out to give Canada the lead after Deanne Rose was fouled in the box.

She stepped up and buried her shot past Adrianna Franch for what would be the winning goal, following it up with an epic knee slide toward the Canadian bench. Her composure in such a big moment was evident. “Trusting myself. Took a deep breath. I knew I could do it,” she said after the match.

It’s a goal people will remember for a long time.

Canada celebrates Jessie Fleming's goal against the United States (Photo: Canada Soccer by Daniela Porcelli)
Canada celebrates Jessie Fleming’s goal against the United States (Photo: Canada Soccer by Daniela Porcelli)

Praising the way Canada performed in the semifinal is great, and deserved, but we also can’t forget that there is still a match to be played in a couple of days.

While this was one of the most important wins in Canadian soccer history, many would argue, Friday’s match is so much bigger with a guaranteed medal, but a chance for the ultimate prize.

Sweden, Canada’s opponents in the gold medal match, are hardly a step down in quality — they beat the United States 3-0 in the group stage and knocked the Canadians out of the 2019 Women’s World Cup. It’s another tough hurdle to overcome in their quest for Olympic glory.

Canada are confident, and prepared to give it one more big fight.

“For us, we were clear, we wanted to change the colour of the medal,” said Priestman after Monday’s match. “Winners win and we’re going into that final to get a Gold Medal.”

“This is a very unique and special group, one I’m very proud to be part of, we fight for everything,” said Sinclair. “Job one is done for us, changing the colour of the medal, but now that we’re in the Final, we go for it.”

With only 90 minutes between now and possibly standing atop the podium as Olympic champions, it’s time to do it all over again.