TORONTO — With a date with the top-ranked United States looming Wednesday in Washington, D.C., the Canadian women take to the field Friday in Toronto against Costa Rica.
At No. 43, the Central Americans are ranked 35 places below Canada. But Canada coach Casey Stoney is wary of what awaits at BMO Field.
"I think it's an opponent we can't take for granted," the former England captain said after training Thursday. "They got a nil-nil draw against the U.S. last summer."
"There will be absolutely no complacency," she added with emphasis. "We don't allow for that. We go into every game to try to compete to win. And that will be the same Friday and that will be the same next week."
Stoney expects to face a heavy Costa Rican defensive presence that will be hard to break down.
"We should expect to dominate the ball, but with the ball, we have to make sure we're very good on transition," she said. "I think it's an improvement we need to do from the last camp. I thought we got caught out a few times there.
"It's about how we can look at relationships on the pitch, how we can create overloads in certain areas and try and break them down. And then it's about a bit of creativity and individual brilliance, when you're trying to beat a (defensive) block as well. There's been some really positive stuff this week in training and I'm really looking forward to seeing how that plays out (Friday)."
Canada has won all 17 previous meetings with Costa Rica, outscoring the Central Americans 53-6. But they needed a 104th-minute goal to win 1-0 the last time they met, in March 2024 in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup in Los Angeles.
Canada had blanked Costa Rica 3-0 in the group stage at the tournament.
Canada has called in Canadian under-20 goalkeeper Noelle Henning to replace Lysianne Proulx, who has had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury. Proulx has returned to Italy's Juventus to continue rehabilitation.
Friday's game is a special "Pride Celebration" match, the third in as many years for the Canadian women who will wear a special kit featuring Pride-themed numbers.
For veteran defender Vanessa Gilles, it's just the right thing to do.
"It's something that just feels right for us," said Gilles, now with Bayern Munich. "Whenever we can, as players and as a team, we try to make people feel comfortable and accepted as they can (be) — and as loved as they can (be) — no matter race, colour, whatever it may be.
"We're very welcoming. As a country, those are the values we try to exude. And as a team we try to live by that. So to be able to be at home for Pride Night as well is huge. I hope a lot of people come and feel the love as well."
Canada Soccer reported Thursday that tickets sales were approaching 10,000 with a bump in sales expected in the final 24 hours.
Coming off a pair of wins over No. 50 Haiti, the Canadian women are 5-1-1 under Stoney, whose first games in charge were at the Pinatar Cup in Spain in February. The lone loss was a 1-0 setback at the hands of No. 32 Argentina in April in Langford, B.C. The Canadians had defeated the South Americans 3-0 four days earlier in Vancouver.
Costa Rica failed to advance out of the group stage at the 2023 World Cup, losing to No. 2 Spain (3-0), No. 7 Japan (2-0) and No. 65 Zambia (3-1). Canada, under then-coach Bev Priestman, also failed to reach the knockout round after drawing No. 36 Nigeria 0-0, beating No. 25 Ireland 2-1 and losing 4-0 to No 15 Australia, the tournament co-host.
Costa Rica went 0-2-1 in its only other trip to the World Cup, in 2015 in Canada.
The current Canadian roster features two Northern Super League players in Emma Regan (AFC Toronto) and Holly Ward (Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Rise FC). Eight other NSL players are also on international duty during the FIFA window, with Jamaica, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, South Korea and Ukraine.
Unavailable for Canada due to injury are defenders Kadeisha Buchanan, Sydney Collins and Jayde Riviere, and forwards Olivia Smith and Cloé Lacasse. Buchanan is in town, however, and was working out with a trainer during the Canada practice Thursday.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2025.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
