{"id":39979,"date":"2022-01-06T10:00:10","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T15:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/?p=39979"},"modified":"2022-01-25T14:34:51","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T19:34:51","slug":"2021-canwnt-year-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2022\/01\/06\/2021-canwnt-year-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2021 CanWNT Year Review \u2013 The Best Year Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>EDITORIAL<\/strong> \u2013 The 2021 CanWNT will go down as the greatest year in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s national programs. It was not all promising to start the year though in the SheBelieves Cup. However, it gave Canada enough preparation for the upcoming friendlies and the Summer Olympics.<\/p>\n<h2>The 2021 CanWNT Made History<\/h2>\n<h3>Team MVP \u2013 Stephanie Labb\u00e9<\/h3>\n<p>The 2021 CanWNT had some standout performers. Jessie Fleming&#8217;s penalty was clinical and Vanessa Gilles&#8217;s defence was exceptional. However, without Stephanie Labb\u00e9, the CanWNT may not have gotten past the quarterfinals against Brazil. That game was probably the best Labb\u00e9 had ever played in a CanWNT uniform. This included being brave and getting the ball in time just before extra time ended.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">STEPH LABBE COMING IN CLUTCH \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6<\/p>\n<p>Makes the critical save and Canada moves onto the semifinals after beating Brazil in penalty kicks <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/y3FNEf3vzs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/y3FNEf3vzs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CBCOlympics\/status\/1421062660930609153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 30, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Labb\u00e9 also had an amazing penalty save percentage in the Summer Olympics. She made two saves on five shots to help give the CanWNT the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2021\/07\/31\/canwnt-advanced-olympic-semifinal-berth\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">quarterfinal win<\/a>. Also, against the U.S., Labb\u00e9 made a terrific save from a Julia Ertz header that was heading into the back of the net.<\/p>\n<p>Then in the final, Labb\u00e9 was probably the player of the game in the CanWNT&#8217;s biggest ever game. She again was terrific in the penalty shootout when her team needed her by only allowing two goals from six shots. Yes, two of those shots missed the target. However, that might have been because of Labb\u00e9\u2019s smile and moving around the net that might have made the Swedish players nervous. This is what goalkeeper Labbe said according to Rob Williams of Daily Hive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no pressure on me; I\u2019m not supposed to make saves,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/dailyhive.com\/vancouver\/stephanie-labbe-smile-canada-olympics-gold-medal-shootout\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Labb\u00e9 told reporters after the game<\/a>. \u201cAnd if I can make a save, it\u2019s great. So, I go into it just like super calm and relaxed, and just like totally being in the moment and doing everything that I can to just trust myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Strengths<\/h3>\n<h4>CanWNT converted on their penalties<\/h4>\n<p>The CanWNT converted their penalties when they needed them the most. Yes, Janine Beckie missed a penalty against Chile in the Summer Olympics. Canada also got help from Labbe, especially in the final. They also converted four of their five penalties against Brazil. Also, there was one player that came to mind for taking advantage of their penalties.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jessie Fleming Penalty vs USA Olympic Semi finals Canada vs USA\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YkIXAAplPV0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This was Jessie Fleming. She converted four penalties in the knockout stage. This included scoring the game-winning goal against arch-rivals USA and two goals against Sweden. One of them came in normal time, and if Fleming did not convert, Sweden would have won the Gold Medal and there would have been no penalties.<\/p>\n<p>Fleming and Deanne Rose converted their penalties. Of course, in the sudden death of penalties, Labbe made a save and Julia Grosso converted the penalty to give the CanWNT their first-ever gold.<\/p>\n<h4>Defence<\/h4>\n<p>The defence of the CanWNT was solid. They were never a team that would get blown out by any team that they faced this year. There were positive signs of this even before the Olympics began. The CanWNT got clean sheet wins against Wales and England on the road. The latter is more impressive as England is a top 10 women\u2019s soccer nation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Vanessa Gilles is HOLDING IT DOWN <\/p>\n<p>Only 11 caps and making an impact on the Canadian backline <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CANWNT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CANWNT<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Watch live: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/l5VAbT36f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/l5VAbT36f7<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EU2ua4hKeB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/EU2ua4hKeB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CBCOlympics\/status\/1423650539888336905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 6, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Vanessa Gilles and also Kadeisha Buchanan were the standouts for the CanWNT on the defensive end. In particular, she played spectacularly in all three knockout stage games of the Olympics. For example, against Brazil, Gilles made two terrific tackles in the 64 and 69-minute of play. This is while Kadeisha Buchanan blocked a shot in the 39-minute and made a good tackle in the 44-minute. The defence also played really well against the USWNT. As a result, both Brazil and the USWNT had limited shots on goal against Canada.<\/p>\n<p>Then against <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2021\/08\/06\/canwnt-makes-history-olympic-gold\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Sweden<\/a>, the defence would continue to impress. Buchanan in particular made a game-saving block in the 90-minute to keep the game tied. Gilles was excellent as usual and even Christine Sinclair made some critical defensive plays. The defence in the 118-minute by Canada though showed the chemistry and togetherness to work together in order to achieve a collective goal.<\/p>\n<h3>Weaknesses<\/h3>\n<h4>Lack of open-play goals<\/h4>\n<p>The CanWNT did not score any open-play goal in any of the three knockout games in the Olympics. It also led to some disappointing results. Thankfully, none of them happened in the Olympics, except for maybe the Japan game.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">84&#39; Shelina Zadorsky of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CANWNT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CANWNT<\/a> had two chances to score but was stopped by the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Sele%C3%A7%C3%A3oFeminina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Sele\u00e7\u00e3oFeminina<\/a> goalkeeper. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BRAvCAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#BRAvCAN<\/a> | 0-2 | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SheBelievesCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#SheBelievesCup<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Raheem (@bashirra) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bashirra\/status\/1364710775227633665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In the SheBelieves Cup, for example, the CanWNT lost 1-0 to the USWNT and 2-0 to Brazil. This was despite getting numerous scoring opportunities against the USWNT in the SheBelieves Cup. Also, they had trouble scoring goals against the Czech Republic and in the second game against Mexico. As a result, the CanWNT ended up tying both friendlies.<\/p>\n<h3>2021 CanWNT Overview and Significance<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Grade: S<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">And it&#39;s GOLD for Canada&#39;s women&#39;s soccer team<\/p>\n<p>Re-live the moment they became Olympic champions at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Tokyo2020<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oDFkcGVUNb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/oDFkcGVUNb<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/40rbBzBUx6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/40rbBzBUx6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CBCOlympics\/status\/1423761094145888257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 6, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The CanWNT had three positives on this list. The goalkeeping though was covered with Stephanie Labbe being the Team MVP this year. Also, the CanWNT won gold and that is all that matters.<\/p>\n<p>The question is, is it as significant as the 2012 bronze medal? Well, that remains to be seen. The CanWNT\u2019s bronze in 2012 elevated the game of women\u2019s soccer to a level never seen before. The popularity of the game has increased with a bronze in 2016 and a gold in 2021. As a result, the Celebration Tour games have already started, with the first one taking place in <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2021\/10\/23\/canwnt-celebration-tour-emphatic-win\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Ottawa<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4>CanWNT players advocating for a professional women&#8217;s league<\/h4>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CanWNT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CanWNT<\/a>\u2019s Christine Sinclair talking pro league in Canada or a club team. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we\u2019re the only country in the top ten without a league. It\u2019s time for that to change. That\u2019s the next goal to get professional soccer to Canada.\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CANWNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@CanWNT<\/a>\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HarJournalist\/status\/1425187566798741508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 10, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Getting a professional league\/team(s) is part of it. As <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/24thminute\/status\/1403387389716963334\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Duane Rollins<\/a> mentioned, and also explained in Cami Kapke&#8217;s article, <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/8122537\/canadian-womens-soccer-league-calgary-push\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ownership from Calgary is actively looking for an NWSL team<\/a>. Presumably, though, the league talked about in Kapke\u2019s article is the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2021\/12\/10\/wpsl-canada-league-formed\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">WPSL Canada<\/a>. WPSL Canada is a planned semi-pro league. There is also Toronto, as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BarDown\/status\/1424826669903319044\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jozy Altidore made a Tweet of that possibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As for a possible league, according to John Molinaro of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/sports\/soccer\/canada-womens-soccer-domestic-league-nwsl-1.6293094\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sportsnet<\/a>, Diana Matheson said it will take three-five years to get a pro women\u2019s soccer league. It might be longer than what people hope for. However, it looks like it is going to happen, which is not something that could be said at the end of 2020.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Picture credit to Daniela Porcelli of Canada Soccer on August 6, 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EDITORIAL \u2013 The 2021 CanWNT will go down as the greatest year in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s national programs. It was not all promising to start the year though in the SheBelieves Cup. However, it gave Canada enough preparation for the upcoming friendlies and the Summer Olympics. The 2021 CanWNT Made History Team MVP [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3104,"featured_media":40000,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3343,27,3496,1710],"tags":[4622,1807,3370,3360,4717,3043,2844,4434,4435,4706],"class_list":["post-39979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canada-wnt","category-fifa-tournament","category-shebelieves-cup","category-uswnt","tag-celebration-tour","tag-christine-sinclair","tag-deanne-rose","tag-jessie-fleming","tag-julia-grosso","tag-kadeisha-buchanan","tag-stephanie-labbe","tag-tokyo-2020","tag-vanessa-gilles","tag-wpsl-canada"],"modified_by":"Raheem Bashir, Site Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}