3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: CanWNT show signs of improved, aggressive attacking game in 3-0 win vs. Argentina
Canada’s Women’s National Team kicked off their April window on a high note on Friday, as they defeated Argentina 3-0 at BC Place in the first of two friendlies between the sides this week.
After first-half goals from Jade Rose and Nichelle Prince, Canada added a third late in the second half via Julia Grosso, who cemented the result with a hometown goal to give the fans one last thing to cheer about on a night where they had plenty to be pleased with.
Now, both sides will get set to meet again in a few days time in a new locale, as the second game of this window will be held at Starlight Stadium in Langford on Tuesday.
Here are three KEY takeaways from this one.
Canada continues to adjust their style:
Heading into this match, a big theme for Canada was aggression, which has been an area of focus for head coach Casey Stoney since her arrival.
In particular, she wanted her team to play without fear when they had the ball, using every opportunity they had to put Argentina under pressure.
Instead of holding the ball just to hold it, Stoney wants her team to be direct, ruthless and aggressive in possession, using every opportunity to attack space behind opponents, as well as in central pockets. That doesn’t mean they don’t hold onto the ball at all - Canada now builds up with a back three instead of a back four, and can be patient in moments where the space isn’t available to them, but the end goal is for them to eventually find those spaces with that direct and ruthless play.
As a result, they’ve shifted formations, playing with two strikers in a 4-4-2 instead of with one in a 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-2-1, with an emphasis on having those forwards set the tone in terms of the movements Stoney wants her team to make. From there, the onus is on the wide players to push up and provide support, and for the players in central channels to find the space that vacates from those movements.
It’s taken some time for Canada to get used to these tweaks - for a team that has thrived in playing more of a counter-attacking style, it’s been interesting to see them adjust their build-up, especially since that has been an area of their game they’ve struggled with in the past.
In this game, however, they continued to show signs that they’re starting to get an idea of what makes this system tick, as they were able to fashion together some smooth attacking moves on a few occasions.
GOAL 🇨🇦🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 5, 2025
ADRIANA LEON OH MY 😱
What an assist from the #CanWNT attacker to set up this goal for Nichelle Prince 🔥
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/vFPEWHGiNR
They weren’t able to turn that smooth play into as many goals as they would’ve hoped - that’s the next step for this team under Stoney, who wants them to become more entertaining offensively - but that all starts with their patterns of play.
Now, having had 360 minutes of action under their new boss, they’ll feel that they’re continuing to show good progress.
The stats for the game give an idea of the good - they had 18 total shots and generated seven big chances per OPTA - now, they’ll look to clean up some of the other areas of their game, as Stoney also felt that they lost some of their aggression in the second half, something they’ll look to tweak for the second game.
"I'm pleased with certain aspects, and there's lots to be done in terms of improving," Stoney offered.
Jade Rose marks Canadian return with big goal:
For all the work Canada is putting in to be more dangerous offensively, this is still a team that relies on big contributions from their defenders.
Even with Kadeisha Buchanan still out long-term as she deals with a major knee injury, this Canadian team was still flush with options at the back for this game.
In particular, Jade Rose stood out here, as she made her first start under Stoney after missing the Pinatar Cup as she returned from an injury. She was able to get acquainted with her new coach - she was part of that squad as a training player - but this was her first chance to impress in a competitive environment.
Having become a key part of this Canadian team over the past couple of years, featuring as a centre back and full back, she gave a glimpse of what her new role could look like going forward under her new coach.
Fundamentally, she wasn’t asked to do anything a whole lot different - out of possession, Canada defended in a 4-4-2, with Rose paired with Vanesa Gilles at centre back, before the formation shifted to a 3-2-5 in possession, one that saw Rose push out to left centre back.
Within that, however, she was asked to do things that she is quite good at - defensively, Canada pushed high up the field, knowing that Rose’s speed allowed them to be more aggressive defensively as a team than they usually might’ve, while in possession Rose was asked to step up and break lines with her passing.
Her cameo didn’t last long, as she was taken out at half time as she continues her recovery from injury, but even in the limited minutes she played, one could see her impact on both sides of the ball.
As a result, she finished with 45 out of 50 passes, including four out of four long balls, while making two interceptions.
Plus, as a bonus, she also showed off a side of her game she’ll look to develop more of going forward - a goalscorer’s touch, as she nabbed the game’s opening goal, her first with Canada. It wasn’t one to write home about, as she bundled the ball home from the goal line after a Canada set-piece, but that’s not a bad thing - Canada is a team that has the potential to be dangerous on set-pieces.
GOAL 🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 5, 2025
Jade Rose scores her first #CanWNT goal, forcing it over the line from close range to give Canada the lead 💪
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/4J5XUUhySR
A big reason for that is Gilles, whose header led to the Rose goal, as she’s been a magnet for goals for club and country over the past two years, but Canada would be happy to see Rose step up and chip in with a few goals of her own.
Given that she’ll be expected to play a prominent role in Stoney’s group once she’s fully fit, this is just the beginning of what’s to come for the 22-year-old under Stoney.
"Jade hasn't played a lot of competitive games (lately)," Stoney said of Rose. "So for her to get a solid 45 minutes and be tested a few times was important." 
Canada continues to grow their depth:
One big challenge for Stoney this year? Finding a way to widen Canada’s player pool, as they navigate a 2025 which won’t feature any competitive games.
For a new coach, that’s not a bad situation to inherit, as it’s given Stoney a chance to get a look at new players, a process she started at the Pinatar Cup, and continued that into this game.
To start, she went with a stronger lineup - other than Jade Rose, all of the players in this XI featured prominently at the Pinatar Cup, showing that Stoney wanted to have some continuity from the start.
As the game wore on, however, Stoney took the chance to throw some new names into the mix, taking full advantage of this chance to test different faces. Of her six subs, three (Quinn, Bianca St-Georges and Deanne Rose) weren’t at the Pinatar Cup, while one who was at that tournament, Nyah Rose, was making just her third Canadian senior appearance in this game.
Then, even though Stoney’s other substitutions included players who featured prominently at the Pinatar Cup, Julia Grosso and Shelina Zadorsky, those two came into this match with plenty to prove, as Stoney has already started to cultivate lots of competition at their respective positions.
Knowing that it’s going to be tough to carve out a starting role going forward, both put in strong performances - Grosso, in particular, will be pleased to score a well-taken goal in front of friends and family - showing that Stoney’s quest for depth doesn’t just extend to the wider player pool.
GOAL 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 5, 2025
The #CanWNT take full advantage of some sloppiness at the back from Argentina, and Julia Grosso makes it 3-0 ⚽
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/cNAUvn6ySD
Ideally, long-term, if this team is to compete at the highest level, they’ll want to also have more competition in their starting XI, too, on top of that wider player pool.
As games like this show, where Canada can rely upon contributions from across their lineup, the depth is starting to build - but the challenge will be to accelerate that process in games going forward, something Stoney has already started to strategically do.
"This squad has been quite stable and hard to break into (in the past)," Stoney said. "Whereas I always analyze the opponent and say, "Right, who do we in this game, who can utilize the spaces that are going to give us?' And that might not always be the same players."
"So I want there to be healthy competition, as I want to set players up to be successful."
