Canada took a commanding lead in their Paris 2024 Olympic qualification playoff against Jamaica on Friday evening, as goals from Nichelle Prince and Adriana Leon earned Les Rouges an important 2-0 victory on the road in Kingston. Following a cagey start to the match, where both sides spent a lot of time just getting a feel for the pitch and each other, it was Canada that scored the game’s first goal in the 18th minute. Jade Rose played a low pass to the feet of Adriana Leon, who was able to flick the ball on to Ashley Lawrence. Lawrence took on her defender, charging to the goal line and crossing the ball into the box to Nichelle Prince, who headed it past Becky Spencer to give Canada the lead and a crucial away goal. Vanessa Gilles had a chance to double the lead a few minutes later, but her effort on goal was cleared away from danger by a defender.
Les Rouges kept knocking at the door in the opening half, but the Jamaican backline was holding their own, and Spencer looked comfortable when called upon after the initial goal. The Reggae Girlz had a few chances of their own, especially in transition as they won the ball and tried to hit Canada quickly on the counter-attack, but weren’t able to take advantage of any of them in the first 45. Leon, making her 100th appearance for Canada in this match, nearly extended her team’s lead 20 seconds after halftime with a shot that just trickled wide of the post after a save following an individual run up the pitch. She struck the crossbar with a shot from around the penalty spot after the ensuing corner as Canada kept pushing for a second. Jamaica struggled initially with the pressure Canada was putting on them, especially at the start of the second half — often trapped in their own side of the pitch as Canada battled for every ball. It was an intensity that Les Rouges lacked at the World Cup, and something that was very promising in itself. The two sides traded chances just after the hour mark, with Jessie Fleming testing Spencer with a shot from distance at one end of the pitch, before Tiffany Cameron sent a shot toward the top left corner just over the bar from the right side of the box. Cameron, who is from Toronto, previously played six times for Canada before making the switch to represent Jamaica ahead of the 2019 Women’s World Cup. With the clock running out in second half stoppage time, Leon finally got her goal, making it 2-0 for Canada and sealing the victory. The Aston Villa forward made a run into the box, meeting a low cross from Gabrielle Carle and redirecting the ball over the head of the Jamaican goalkeeper. With the team that scores the most goals over this two-match series qualifying for Paris 2024, every tally is crucial, but especially on the road as Canada now have a 2-0 advantage in the away goals tiebreaker as well.
CanPL.ca Pla****yer of the Match
Nichelle Prince, Canada
Prince looked sharp in her 66-minute shift, scoring the winning goal. She looked like a strong option up top for Bev Priestman going forward if she can stake a claim to the position when others haven’t.
What’s next?
These two sides will meet again on Tuesday night at a sold-out BMO Field in Toronto for the second leg of this Olympic qualifier. That match can be watched live on OneSoccer.