Canada advances to CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals with extra time win over Costa Rica
Sheika Scott #21 of Costa Rica controls the ball ahead of Vanessa Gilles #14 of Team Canada in extra time at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Evelyne Viens #11 of Team Canada celebrates after heading a goal during extra time against Costa Rica at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Canada midfielder Jessie Fleming (17) and Costa Rica midfielder Emilie Valenciano (13) chase the ball during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women’s soccer tournament quarterfinal Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Evelyne Viens #11 of Team Canada celebrates after heading a goal during extra time against Costa Rica at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Evelyne Viens #11 of Team Canada celebrates after heading a goal during extra time against Costa Rica at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Evelyne Viens #11 of Team Canada celebrates after heading a goal during extra time against Costa Rica at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Evelyne Viens #11 of Team Canada celebrates with Adriana Leon #19 of Team Canadaafter heading a goal during extra time against Costa Rica at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Evelyne Viens #11 of Team Canada celebrates after heading a goal during extra time against Costa Rica at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Jessie Fleming #17 of Team Canada controls the ball ahead of Valeria Del Campo #5 of Costa Rica during extra time at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Julia Grosso #7 of Team Canada battles Raquel Rodriguez #11 of Costa Rica during extra time at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Evelyne Viens and Team Canada celebrate defeating Costa Rica during extra time 1-0 at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Evelyne Viens and Team Canada celebrate defeating Costa Rica during extra time 1-0 at BMO Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Costa Rica midfielder Alexa Herrera reacts after missing a shot during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women’s soccer tournament quarterfinal against Canada, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Canada forward Evelyne Viens, second from left, celebrates her goal with, from left, midfielders Simi Awujo (13), Julia Grosso (7) and Jessie Fleming during the overtime period of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women’s soccer tournament quarterfinal against Costa Rica, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Canada forward Evelyne Viens, third from left, celebrates her goal with, from left, teammates Adriana Leon, Simi Awujo, Jessie Fleming, and Julia Grosso (7) as Costa Rica defender Mariana Benavides (4) looks on during the overtime period of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women’s soccer tournament quarterfinal Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Costa Rica defender Valeria Del Campo, bottom left, reacts after missing a shot as midfielder Alexa Herrera, middle, walks, during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women’s soccer tournament quarterfinal against Canada, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Costa Rica midfielder Alexa Herrera, center, and Canada defender Kadeisha Buchanan (3) react after Herrera missed a shot during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women’s soccer tournament quarterfinal against Canada, Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Canada defender Vanessa Gilles, left, and Costa Rica defender Valeria Del Campo vie for the ball during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women’s soccer tournament quarterfinal Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Costa Rica midfielder Raquel Rodriguez, left, and Canada defender Gabby Carle vie for the ball during the overtime period of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women’s soccer tournament quarterfinal Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Costa Rica midfielder Raquel Rodriguez, right, heads the ball past Canada defender Ashley Lawrence during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women’s soccer tournament quarterfinal Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
LOS ANGELES — The biggest challenge facing the Canadian women’s national team Saturday was facing a Costa Rican team that it had defeated less than five days ago.
On the final day of Group C play, Canada handed Costa Rica a 3-0 defeat.
Saturday’s encounter, in the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup quarterfinal, Costa Rica dodged several potential dangerous moments, and defended heroically for 90 minutes, forcing the game into two 15-minute extra time periods.
“This is probably what I expected when I scouted Costa Rica before the tournament,” Canada coach Bev Priestman said. “It means everything to them, to beat Canada for the first time. We had to match that mindset and I knew…I said that to the group it was going to be up another level. It’s not necessarily the skill, it’s the will and their will was to defend for their life. They did an unbelievable job of keeping that ball out of the back of the net.”
The breakthrough finally came in the 105th minute off of a restart. Evelyne Viens delivered with a quick head-flick header into the goal for the 1-0 lead and eventual win at BMO Stadium in front of 2,824.
“I think it was one of them games, you know, the amount of chances and shots that we had, it just felt like the ball just couldn’t cross the line,” Priestman said. “All credit to Costa Rica, I expected this game to be, if I’m being honest …we had a bit of a great run and in many ways maybe we needed this to set us up for the next game.”
Next for Canada is a trip to San Diego for Wednesday’s semifinal against either Colombia or USWNT.
Canada’s advancement in the tournament was booked with Viens’ goal, but it was a moment in goal from goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan that kept the game scoreless. In the third minute of stoppage time in the second half, Costa Rica’s first shot on goal (by Alexa Herrera) seemed to be on track for the bottom left corner of the goal, but Sheridan came up with a kick save to keep the game scoreless.
“It was a breakdown on our part,” Sheridan said. “We played a really strong game, but it’s moments like that when you take where you just take your foot off the gas, kind of flip off mentally a little bit, we opened the door for them and they were ready to take advantage for sure. I think I had a little luck on my side, also I have a lot of people in my corner that have helped me get to that moment.”
The game would eventually head into two 15-minute overtime periods.
Dominant is one way to describe Canada’s work. Canada had 39 shots, compared to just five for Costa Rica. Canada also had 10 shots on goal, compared to only one for Costa Rica.
Costa Rica advanced to the quarterfinals as the eighth seed and one of two third-place finishers.
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“I think we started off the tournament on the wrong foot, but I think the important thing is, I think we grew as the tournament went by,” Costa Rica and Angel City FC midfielder Raquel Rodriguez said. “Today’s game, I think was really important for us as a team. I think that little spark that we haven’t experienced in a while came out today and it was really important.”
In the second quarterfinal, No. 2 seed Brazil cruised into the semifinals with a 5-1 win over rival and seventh-seeded Argentina.
Brazil took a 2-0 lead into halftime on goals by Vitoria Yaya (19th minute) and Yasmin (36th). Bia Zaneratto (54th) and Gabi Nunes (61st) made it 4-0 at the hour-mark. Zaneratto added her second goal in the fifth minute of stoppage.
Celeste Dos Santos scored Argentina in the 81st minute.
Brazil will face either Mexico or Paraguay in the semifinals.
The semifinal winners will meet March 10, also at Snapdragon Stadium.