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‘This Is Not a Friendly’: Canadian Women Honing Identity Ahead of Qualifiers
Casey Stoney says the matches will test Canada’s progress as it seeks a top-eight FIFA ranking and World Cup qualification.
- On Friday, Canada's ninth-ranked women's soccer team hosts Denmark in Montreal, followed by a second match in Toronto on Monday. Head coach Casey Stoney described the fixtures as performance tests, not friendly exhibitions.
- These matches prepare the Canadians for the CONCACAF W Championship quarterfinals against Panama on Nov. 28. The team aims to qualify for both the 2027 World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- Building on 18 months of progress, Stoney emphasized the squad must evolve: "We need to take different risks now to try and create more opportunities to score goals while remaining hard to beat."
- Defender Gabrielle Carle noted the visitors are a "very good side" that qualified for the World Cup after topping a group featuring Italy and Sweden. Canada must counter Bayern Munich standout Pernille Harder's attacking threats.
- Beyond immediate results, Canada seeks to climb into the top eight of FIFA's rankings to secure a more favorable World Cup draw. Playing elite European opponents is central to Stoney's strategy for elevating the program's standing.
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11 Articles
11 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 44%
C 56%
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