Canada’s women’s soccer team was named Canadian Press Team of the Year after Olympic gold
John Chidley-Hill, Canadian Press
Published Thursday, December 30, 2021 10:51 AM EST
Last updated Thursday, December 30, 2021 10:53 AM EST
Nine years ago, Canada’s women’s national team won bronze at the London Olympics after a controversial semi-final loss to the United States.
Canadian women were named Team of the Year by The Canadian Press in late 2012, but the national side wanted more. They wanted Olympic gold.
Julia Grosso’s goal in penalties lifted Canada to a 1-1 victory in penalties over Sweden in the Tokyo Games final this summer, and realized the almost decade old dream. That championship victory was the culmination of a 13-match unbeaten streak that once again gave Canada’s women’s team Thursday’s awards from The Canadian Press.
Manager Bev Priestman said that the placement in third place in London and then again at the Olympics in Rio 2016 made her team push harder for the gold.
“I think that moment (in London) created a lot of speed and confidence and passion for the younger players over the last eight years,” said Priestman, adding that Grosso had specifically referred to falling short in London as motivation.
“You would think that this gold medal will now have the same impact on all young players in Canada, because they got to see such a moment that will hopefully inspire them to go and represent Canada in the future.”
Canada’s women’s side finished 2021 with nine wins, six draws and three losses. The 13-match unbeaten series in the middle of the year led the Canadians through the Olympic tournament in Tokyo and included two wins against New Zealand in a Celebration Tour to celebrate the gold medal win.
Priestman said that her team’s success in 2021 was thanks to the right mix of young and old players, all united in their passion to reach the next level and inspire a new generation of players.
“We have a fantastic mix of veteran players with many, many Olympics and World Cups in their experience and a young team that actually has the Olympics behind their belt,” said Priestman. “And then it’s ready to bring a whole new group of faces on that journey now to help us maintain success in the future.”
The Canadian Press team of the year award was founded in 1966 and has been awarded to Stanley Cup champions, Gray Cup champions, World Series champions and the longtime Summit Series team in 1972 – both in 1972 and again in 1999 as the team of the century – among others.
Sports editors, writers and broadcasters from across Canada are voting for the award. The football ladies won this year’s prize in a landslide and took 38 out of 44 possible votes.
Canada’s Olympic women’s swimming team was second with three votes, followed by the women’s national hockey team, the men’s national football team and the Montreal Canadiens who had one vote each.
“Team Canada must be a lock in what must be one of the most competitive areas in decades to win this award,” said David Trifunov, editor-in-chief of the Kelowna Daily News. “Finally reaching the top of women’s football after years of congestion on the podium was inspiring for the tens of thousands of children who first laced up their blocks all over the country.”
Priestman and her team are not resting on their laurels, with a World Cup title Canada’s next goal.
“We have done fantastically with back-to-back podium places at the Olympics. Now it’s about us trying to get on the podium for the World Cup, which we have not yet done,” says Priestman.
The Women’s World Cup will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand in 2023. Canada will need to qualify through a regional tournament next July.
Tennis player Leylah Fernandez won the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as CP’s best female athlete on Tuesday. Olympic ten-year-old Damian Warner won the Lionel Conacher Award as CP’s best male athlete on Wednesday.
The Canadian junior hockey team for men won the prize in 2020.
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This report from The Canadian Press was first published on December 30, 2021.
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