Canada's early exit came down to pressure and belief, says coach Priestman

MELBOURNE : Only two years after claiming Olympic gold in Tokyo, Canada bowed out of the Women's World Cup in the group stage for the first time in 12 years and the difference between the two global tournaments was "pressure and belief", said coach Bev Priestman.

The seventh-ranked Canadians, who looked rattled all tournament, needed only a draw on Monday against world No. 10 side Australia but were eliminated with a 4-0 thrashing in front of a sea of green and yellow at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

"When we went into Tokyo I'm not sure anybody thought we would win an Olympic gold medal. I did. The team did. But I'm not sure anybody (else) did," a shell-shocked Priestman told reporters.

"You're coming into a very difficult group (B at the World Cup). There's pressure. And you've got that target on your back. That's new territory. And I think that's the difference ... it's belief and pressure for me."

Canada - who became the first Olympic champions in history to exit in the opening round of the next World Cup - opened with a scoreless draw against Nigeria before edging Ireland 2-1.

On Monday, Australia's Hayley Raso netted in the ninth minute and had a brace by halftime in a game that felt funereal for the Canadians virtually from kickoff.

"At halftime (with Canada trailing 2-0) I told them, 'I believe. Do you believe?'" Priestman said. "We have to stick together, we have to believe.

"My (four) substitutions at halftime were trying to be brave and bold and chucking the kitchen sink at it, and that's all we tried to do.

"We had a game-plan, and you can talk about Xs and Os, but it's behaviours within that. It's behaviours of getting up to the ball, playing forward, running at players.

"I keep saying the word but 'belief,' and the