Vanessa Gilles scores in her 50th appearance for Canada in a 2-0 win over Mexico

By Canadian Press on February 22, 2025.

MURCIA — Vanessa Gilles celebrated her 50th cap with a goal and Adriana Leon added a late strike to lift Canada to a 2-0 win over Mexico at the Pinatar Cup on Saturday.

Mexico had more scoring chances in the first half at Pinatar Arena but the game changed after Mexican defender Annia Mejia was sent off for a second yellow card in the 40th minute.

The Canadians broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when Olivia Smith’s corner found Jordyn Huitema, who headed it over to Gilles to head home. It was an eighth goal for the 28-year-old centre back from Ottawa and the fourth in her last eight matches.

Leon doubled the lead in the 89th minute, knocking the ball into an empty goal after a nice buildup by Nichelle Prince and Evelyne Viens. The Aston Villa forward now has 42 goals in 123 international appearances.

Canada had 56 per cent possession in the first half but was outshot 6-4 (3-1 in shots on target).

Sixth-ranked Canada drew No. 17 China 1-1 in Casey Stoney’s debut as Canada coach on Wednesday, while No. 31 Mexico blanked No. 42 Taiwan 4-0. China defeated Taiwan 4-0 earlier Saturday.

The Canadians wrap up tournament play Tuesday against Taiwan.

Canada improved to 24-2-3 all-time against Mexico, the third-ranked team in CONCACAF behind the top-ranked Americans and No. 6 Canada.

But Stoney warned they were a step up from China and she was proved right as a physical Mexico side gave the Canadians a game until going a player down.

Mexico showed it was a team on the rise when it upset the Americans 2-0 at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup in February 2024. The U.S. had won 40 of the 42 previous meetings (40-1-1) between the two.

Stoney revamped her roster from the China game, which saw seven players unavailable after arriving from North America the previous day.

Only Gilles, Gabby Carle, Julia Grosso and Janine Sonis (formerly Janine Beckie) retained their starting spots. Jessie Fleming reclaimed the captain’s armband from Gilles while Canadian No. 1 Kailen Sheridan started in goal.

Angel City defender Megan Reid, a 28-year-old from California whose mother was born in Canada, won her second cap in partnering Gilles at centre back.

The Canadian lineup went into the game with a combined 750 caps, up from 690 for the starting 11 against China.

Mexico lost defender Greta Espinoza to injury after an awkward collision on a second-minute corner.

Four minutes later, Mejia was cautioned for a nasty studs-up tackle that felled Smith. And the Mexican should have been shown another card in the 35th when she cynically bodied Huitema to the turf but went unpunished by Hungarian referee Katalin Sipos.

But Mejia got the second yellow minutes later, scything down Leon from behind.

Sipos also refereed the Canada-China game, with Stoney unimpressed at her work.

Smith, a 20-year-old who plays in England for Liverpool, got some rough treatment from Mexico before exiting around the hour mark.

Nicole Perez tested Sheridan with a low shot in the 18th minute after a Canada giveaway. And Sheridan stopped Jaqueline Ovalle in the 30th and the 33rd minute, needing an acrobatic save on the latter goal attempt.

Mexican goalkeeper Esthefanny Barreras came out to deny Smith in the 38th minute, Canada’s first shot on target.

Veteran defender Shelina Zadorsky replaced Reid to start the second half, followed by Emma Regan, Viens, Prince, Ashley Lawrence and Marie-Yasmine Alidou off the Canadian bench.

After Canada pulled ahead, a diving Barreras got a hand to a low Smith shot, sending the ball off the goalpost to safety. And the Mexican ‘keeper almost conceded an Olimpico off a Leon corner, managing to get one hand to the ball before it crossed the goal-line.

Canada is missing the injured Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea), Sydney Collins and Bianca St-Georges (North Carolina Courage), Cloé Lacasse (Utah Royals), Deanne Rose (Leicester City) and Quinn (Vancouver Rise).

Midfielder Simi Awujo missed the game after picking up a knock in training.

It’s Canada’s first time at the Pinatar Cup, previously won by Scotland, Belgium, Iceland and Finland.

The Canadian women have not lost in regulation time in 21 matches dating back to a 1-0 loss to Brazil in Montreal in October 2023. Canada has gone 13-0-8 since then with three of the draws turning into penalty shootout losses (two to the U.S. and one to Germany) and one into a shootout win (over Brazil).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2025

The Canadian Press