RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: CanWNT losing streak stretches to four games after 3-0 defeat to Japan

The CanWNT’s year-ending slump continued on Saturday, as they fell 3-0 to Japan in Nagasaki. 

In the first of two friendlies these two teams will play to end 2025, Canada’s struggles continued to mount, as they suffered their fourth straight defeat. 

Plus, to add to those woes, the goals have completely dried up for them, too, as they’ve now gone four games without finding the net, something that hasn’t happened to them since the 1990s.  

Yet, Canada’s misery started early in this match, as Japan came flying out of the gates in chase of a first-half goal. 

As a result, they did well to quickly pepper Kailen Sheridan’s goal with shots, as Kiko Seike forced a nice save out of Sheridan in the third minute, before Mina Tanaka was also denied by Sheridan in the sixth minute. 

Soon after, Aoba Fujino decided to have a shot of her own, doing well to cut inside and fire a vicious strike, one that Sheridan had no chance of saving. Unfortunately for Fujino, however, while she beat Sheridan with her shot, she was unable to find the back of the net, as her attempt hit the post and stayed out. 

From there, Canada did well to finally settle into the match and started to hold more of the ball. Through that, they were able to finish the first half with 53% possession, although they weren’t able to find the sort of dangerous chances they craved. 

Because of that, their best attempt came in the 38th minute, as Jayde Riviere found Marie Levasseur with a dangerous low cross, but the Canadian right back’s first-timed attempt hit the outside of the net to stay out. 

While it didn’t seem like it at the time, that miss would prove to be costly, too, as Japan opened the scoring less than 10 minutes later. After an extended scramble in the box, one that saw several impressive clearances from Canada’s Jade Rose, the ball eventually fell to Momoko Tanikawa after a nice header from Tanaka, and she made no mistake with a calm left-footed finish to put her team 1-0 in the 43rd minute. 

For Canada, that goal couldn’t come at a worse time, as they could’ve been poised to build on a decent stretch of play on the ball, but that was unfortunately undone by the goal. Because of that, the mission changed from ‘more of the same with slight improvements’ to ‘chase the game’, and for a team struggling to score goals, that appeared to be a tall task. 

Meanwhile, with that goal under their belt, Japan were given new life again to begin the second half, where they’d waste no time in finding a second goal. 

This time, though, they didn’t have to work as hard for that marker, either. After receiving the ball in front of her goal, Sheridan tried to dance past Tanaka, and the Japanese forward did well to dispossess the Canadian goalkeeper before dropping the ball into an empty net to make it 2-0 in the 51st minute. 

Continuing a strong start to the second half, Tanaka almost made it a brace minutes later, as she got on the end of a dangerous cross into the box, but this shot attempt would fly into the grateful arms of Sheridan. 

Then, in a busy sequence, Jessie Fleming nearly found the net with a probing low shot from distance, before Hinata Miyazawa almost made it 3-0 with a first-time shot on a cutback just moments later. Right after, Seike nearly got in on the action, as she got in behind the Canadian defence for a breakaway attempt, but Sheridan would deny her with an excellent kick save. 

Eventually, though, the onslaught of Japanese chances would yield a third goal. After a flurry of half-chances, Japan found their third in the 68th minute, as Tanikawa found Fujino with an excellent low cutback, and Fujino managed to squeeze her shot through the arms of Sheridan to put her side up 3-0 in the 68th minute. 

From there, it felt like the game was over, and for good reason, as Japan began to really protect their lead. 

Despite that, Canada continued to push for a goal, one that would be huge for their morale, but other than a late Florianne Jourde shot that was blocked spectacularly inside the box, their other shot attempts would be handled quite easily by Japan. 

As a result, Japan would easily see out the victory from there, doing well to keep their clean sheet to go along with the three goals they found on the night, cruising to a deserved result. 

Now, the challenge for Canada will be to bounce back, and quickly, as they get set to face this same team in just a few days - safe to say, their hands will be full if they’re to find some goals and a result. 

Box Score

Lineups:

Japan: Yamashita; Takahashi, Koga, Kumagai (Minami 88’), Kitagawa (Moriya 64’); Seike (Hamano 64’), Miyazawa, Nagano, Fujino (Yoshida 88’); Tanaka (Matsukubo 64’), Tanikawa (Narumiya 74’)

Canada: Sheridan; Riviere, J. Rose (Gilles 72’), Zadorsky, Levasseur (Collins 81’); Fleming (Jourde 81’), Regan, Awujo (Grosso 58’); Sonis, Prince (Huitema 58’), Ward (Viens 72’)

Goals:

43’ – Momoko Tanikawa (Japan)

51’ – Mina Tanaka (Japan)

68’ – Aoba Fujino (Japan)

Discipline: 

56’ – Yellow: Simi Awujo (Canada)

77’ – Yellow: Jayde Riviere (Canada)

Player of the Match:

Momoko Tanikawa, Japan

Tanikawa was a lively presence up front for Japan, as she scored her team’s first goal before teeing up their third, making the most of her 74 minutes on the pitch. While she did her best work offensively, chipping in with two shots and four key passes to go along with her goal contributions, she also had two tackles, one clearance, one block, four recoveries and won three out of four of her duels in a sturdy all-around performance. 

What’s Next?

These two teams will wrap up this window and the calendar year as a whole with the second of two friendlies they’re scheduled to play in Japan. This time, however, they’ll meet at Transcosmos Stadium in Isahaya, Nagasaki, on Tuesday, December 2nd (12:00 a.m. ET/9:00 p.m. PT).