Late goal lifts Canada to win over Argentina
Canada 1 Argentina 0
ORLANDO, FLA.—Canada left it late, but got the job done Sunday at the SheBelieves Cup.
Substitute Sarah Stratigakis scored in stoppage time, lifting Canada to a 1-0 win over a stubborn Argentina side at the women’s soccer tournament.
The breakthrough goal came off a goalmouth scramble in the 92nd minute with a sliding Stratigakis poking the ball home off goalkeeper Laurina Oliveros’ arm. Janine Beckie’s free kick caused mayhem in front of the Argentina goal and, when the defence failed to clear, Jessie Fleming’s miss went to Stratigakis.
Argentina had 10 players in the box, but could not put out the fire.
“I felt that it would come. It just happened to come later than what I wanted,” Bev Priestman said after her first win as Canada’s coach.
“They’re a tough team to break down,” she said of Argentina. “It wasn’t the perfect match and it definitely wasn’t the best match I’ve been involved with. But overall, I think the group found a way to win. That’s what good teams do. And it’s a clean sheet, which we have to celebrate as well.”
It was the first goal in three senior appearances for Stratigakis,
a 21-year-old midfielder from the University of Michigan.
The late strike helped snap a five-game winless streak (03-2). Canada’s last victory was a 1-0 decision over Costa Rica on Feb. 7, 2020 at the CONCACAF Olympic women’s qualifying tournament.
Sophie Schmidt, who captained the side in her 201st international appearance, said she “100 per cent” thought the goal was coming.
“We were attacking. We should have put some away in the first half, but we didn’t. That’s the story of our lives right now,” she said. “But moving forward we’ve got to find a way earlier.”