Friday night at BC Place, the Canadian Women’s National Team defeated Argentina by a score of 3-0, in Casey Stoney’s first match managing her team on home soil.

Canada was the dominant team from the very first minute, and it appeared as though the Argentines struggled to settle into the match and acclimate to the pace of the game. Both Janine Sonis and Adriana Leon were charging down the wings early on, while Canada’s pressing and midfield pressure prevented the visitors from having any joy on the ball.

In what felt inevitable, Canada found their first breakthrough in the 24th minute, as Jade Rose, just back from injury, scored her first goal for her country. Rose’s goal followed a well-worked set-piece routine from Canada, and the 22-year-old defender was there on the doorstep to finish off the play.

Canada’s control continued through the first half, and the home side found a second breakthrough in the 39th minute. Adriana Leon made a remarkable run, weaving through the Argentine defense, before finding Nichelle Prince wide-open in front of goal. Prince was denied on her first opportunity, but the rebound came right back to her feet, and she made no mistake on her second effort, much to the dismay of Solana Pereyra in the Argentine goal.

From there, the match was pretty much in hand for Canada, and the overall quality of the game dropped in the second half. Argentina retreated into a very low block, while Canada was at times wasteful with possession, looking unsure whether or not to attack the visitors directly, or play the ball around the back and control through patient build-up.

Canada did find a third goal late on, in what was a special moment for Julia Grosso in front of a hometown crowd. Janine Sonis fired a low shot off the post from distance, and Grosso was in the perfect position to hit the bouncing ball with her first touch on the rebound, calmly placing it in the bottom corner of the goal. You could see the elation on Grosso’s face as she ran towards the Canada bench, and it was the highlight of a pretty sleepy second half.

Overall, it was clear speaking with Argentina’s manager Germán Portanova after the match that he viewed these fixtures against Canada as a massive test for his side, and something where the expectations had to be set at a reasonable level. The Women’s game in Argentina, and South America as a whole, is still very much in the developmental stage. Although there are players within his squad who have played in Europe and North American pro leagues, his side does not yet have the depth or experience they need to go toe to toe with Canada.

With that being said, playing these types of friendlies against top teams are a great way for his squad to see the kind of level they are looking to reach. Portanova noted that next time Argentina schedules a series of friendlies against Canada, he hoped they would be closer to that level.

Meanwhile, Casey Stoney appeared to be happy, although certainly not content, with her team’s performance. While Stoney was pleased with the physicality and intensity that her team displayed, especially in the opening moments of the match, she was equally frustrated with the lack of clinical nature in front of goal, and the wastefulness of her team in possession, especially in the second half.

While these are elements of the game that might not impact the outcome against Argentina, they are problems that top teams could look to exploit, and it’s very clear that Stoney is focused on the larger picture as she works through these early matches in her tenure. While Stoney made her concerns known, she also explained that she’s only had five training sessions with her team, and that there is still plenty of work to be done in terms of finding ways to get the most out of her players at both ends of the pitch.

In totality, it was a very successful night for Canada at BC Place. I thought the crowd of 12,000 was loud and supportive throughout, and although it was not as large as one might have hoped for, it was nonetheless a great environment to experience. The Women’s National Team is back in action against Argentina on Tuesday night at Starlight Stadium.

(Images: Keveren Guillou)