Soccer fans at the Wanderers Grounds will get a chance to see Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair take the pitch against Brazil before the captain packs up her cleats, women's national team head coach Bev Priestman promised Monday, a day before the two international rivals match up for the second of two friendlies. "Halifax will definitely get to see Christine," Priestman told reporters after the women's national team held its late afternoon training session on muddy turf under rainy skies in the heart of Halifax.
Sinclair and her teammates will be out for revenge Tuesday after falling 1-0 to Brazil on Saturday at a sold-out Saputo Stadium in Montreal.
In that match, Brazilian forward Debinha scored the lone goal off a double deflection despite the best efforts of Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, who made eight saves.
The Canadians managed only three shots on Brazilian netminder Leticia. "We're very much focused on fixing some of the things that we've seen the other day in the game," Priestman said of strategy heading into Tuesday's rematch. "We just need to come out and really be on the front foot and ready to take the game to them." But for Priestman and her team, it's not just about beating Brazil in a friendly match. "The bigger picture in mind as a coach [is that] I have to look at what Paris 2024 is about and that [means] solving some of the problems that they gave us." WATCH | Examining the legacy Christine Sinclair leaves behind: Brazil and Canada are currently neck and neck in the FIFA women's world ranking, with the former taking the ninth spot and the latter red and white squad in 10th place.