Canada’s soccer women upended by Netherlands, held scoreless for 3rd straight game

Canada took it on the chin for a second time in the October international window, beaten 1-0 by the 11th-ranked Netherlands in a women's soccer friendly Tuesday in Nijmegen.

Lynn Wilms scored for the classy Dutch, who led the dance most of the entire evening. The home side went ahead in the 28th minute and could have added to the lead had it been more clinical.

The Dutch were faster, more creative, more aggressive and better connected for most of the game. Ninth-ranked Canada offered a little more in the second half, but the Dutch kept coming.

Fullback Jayde Riviere was the best of the Canadians, posing a threat down the right flank.

It was a third straight loss for Canada, which has not scored in 274 minutes since a 4-1 win over Costa Rica on June 27. And it marked the Canadians' second loss to the Netherlands in 15 meetings (9-2-4).

The Canadian women, missing some key pieces through injury, were coming off a 1-0 loss Friday to No. 24 Switzerland in Lucerne. They were blanked 3-0 by the second-ranked United States on July 2 in Washington, D.C.

Canada head coach Casey Stoney had warned the Swiss and Dutch were "competition-ready right now," thanks to the "very competitive" UEFA Women's Championship in July. In contrast, she noted Canada's last competitive game was Aug. 2, 2024, a penalty shootout loss to Germany in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics.

The Canadian women close out the year in the November international window with a two-match series against No. 8 Japan, with games in Nagasaki on Nov. 29 and Dec. 2.

As expected, the Dutch played a possession game — they had 70 per cent of the ball in the first half — while looking for holes in the Canadian defence. They found a big one in the 28th minute.

The Canadian