'We're building with every game': Canada maintains mastery over Brazil

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After the final whistle, the only aspects missing were watching the Canadian flag being raised while the anthem played, the players sang, and a presentation of medals.

The Canadian women ran their winning streak to two straight over Brazil, with Ajax, Ontario product Nichelle Prince converting on a nifty short pass from Torontonian Kadeisha Buchanan in the 48th minute to give the Canadians a well-deserved 1-0 win and send a boisterous, naturally very pro-Canada crowd of 16,128 home a little wet, but happy from TD Place Sunday afternoon.

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The contest marked the first between the two nations since the bronze medal game at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, a game won 2-1 by Canada on a medal-clinching goal in the 90th minute. The two sides are world powers in women’s soccer with Canada ranked 5th and Brazil 7th.

“It was so great to hear the crowd throughout the game and great to get a win here at home,” said Prince, after leaving a very jubilant Canadian locker room for interviews. “We’re building with every game.

“We’re still building in the final third (of the field). We need to connect on more of those final passes.”

The Canadian side was especially dangerous off corner kicks and came close to breaking the game open in the opening 45 minutes.

It was just a little lack of finish on some attacks or it might have been 2-0 Canada at the half.

Instead, the first half went scoreless though the Canadians didn’t need much time in the second half to get on the board.

Canadian veteran Janine Beckie, who seemed to be dangerous every time she touched the ball, delivered a corner perfectly into the box that Buchanan just tapped through the Brazilian defenders to leave Prince with nothing but net to gently kick the ball in for her seventh international goal.

Canada had several chances for an insurance goal, none more so than in extra time when sub Adriana Leon found herself all alone in front of the Brazil goal and fired the ball high and wide.

Just the same, Canadian head coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller was happy with his club’s effort and the two teams will go back at it Tuesday night at TD Place in a “closed-door” game without any fans.

Then it’s on to the CONCACAF qualifying tournament in October in Texas for spots to go to the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

“What we wanted to do is give the fans here a goal, and a win, and we accomplished that,” said Heiner-Møller. “And we want to entertain them. We figure if we entertain our fans, they will come back to see us play. And if we keep winning, they will also come back.

“We have watched Brazil play so many clubs and a key was always going to be how we could prevent them from having so much ‘fun’ with the ball.

“I thought we had great positioning on them and worked on the right side of the ball very well. Our execution maybe wasn’t what we would like but the most important things for us are happening later in the year.”

Vadão, Brazil’s head coach, admitted his club was missing a couple of key players who will make them stronger heading to next year’s World Cup.

He also had high praise for the Canadian side and the Canadian support in the stands.

“The game was very balanced and the defence on both sides played very well,” said the head coach. “We are trying to collect (a team) of the fastest players and some were not here.

“We are trying to get fast and we will have a break soon and there will be a recovery time and training at that point.

“But it was beautiful to see the crowd here and the support for the women’s team in Canada. We do not have that same kind of support back home for the women’s team.”