Football: The Canadians will defend their title at the Olympic Games in Paris

TORONTO – Canada’s women’s national soccer team has booked its ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The Canadians, ranked tenth in the world, defeated Jamaica (37th) with a score of 4-1 on aggregate goals at the end of the series of home-and-away matches between the two teams.

In doing so, they secured the final spot reserved for a CONCACAF member nation in the Olympic tournament, which will bring together 12 nations next summer.

Canada won the second leg 2-1 Tuesday night at BMO Field. Last Friday, in Kingston, Bev Priestman’s troops recorded a 2-0 victory.

“It’s very important,” striker Adriana Leon said.

“To be able to go back to the Olympics and defend my medal is exactly what we wanted. Hopefully we can go to the Olympics and play strong, ready to return to Canada with another gold medal.”

Chloe Lacasse and Jordin Heitema scored for Canada, in front of a packed crowd of 29,212.

Drew Spence scored Jamaica’s only goal.

Canada’s women’s team has competed in the last four Olympic Games. In 2021, the Canadians won the gold medal in Tokyo, after finishing third in the previous two editions, in the United Kingdom in 2012, and in Brazil in 2016.

“I believe I was on an adventure with a group of players who had experienced the highest moments of happiness and perhaps the worst disappointments,” Priestman noted.

Although the Canadians had more chances to score the first goal in the match, that honor went to the Jamaicans thanks to a Spence free kick that flew over the Canadian wall in the 33rd minute.

Lacasse, who missed a great opportunity at the start of the match, equalized in the 39th minute. Lacasse blocked a Lyon corner kick with his head.

The Canadiens broke the tie in the 50th minute when Heitema completed a play set up by Ashley Lawrence.

Christine Sinclair, 40, started the match on the bench before replacing Lyon during the 59th minute. When she entered the field, she received a standing ovation and two minutes later she came close to scoring but her shot was blocked.