Canada has clinched its first win at the FIFA Women’s World Cup after edging Ireland 2-1 on Wednesday.
Canada, ranked seventh, had to overcome a feisty Irish side — making its debut at the tournament — and a heavy rain downpour in Perth, Australia to get a crucial victory in the Group B match.
The Canadian side conceded its first goal at the tournament in the opening four minutes of the match when Ireland’s captain Katie McCabe scored off a corner kick.
That was Ireland’s maiden goal at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Canada levelled the game in extra time of the first half thanks to an own goal by Ireland player Megan Connolly.
The match-winning goal for Canada came from Adriana Leon in the second half at the 53rd-minute mark.
With the win, Canada now stands at the top of its group with four points.
Canada’s opening match against Nigeria ended in a goalless draw on July 20. They have one more group game to go against hosts Australia on July 31.
The tournament is being played against the backdrop of pay disputes, with a third of the participating teams without payment agreements in place for the players. That includes Canada, which has been without a labour deal since 2021.
The Canadian players are seeking equal pay to the men’s team and have been negotiating a new contract with Canada Soccer for more than a year.
In March, Canada Soccer and the women’s national team struck an interim funding agreement to compensate players for the previous year after players complained they went unpaid.
Players say progress has been made in talks with the federation, but a hoped-for interim pay agreement before the team went abroad didn’t materialize.
The players have also said they’ve had to cut training camp days and full camp windows, as well as trim the number of players and staff invited into camps.
— with files from The Associated Press
Comments