Canadian women to face Australia in preparation for Olympic title defence

Canada will face 12th-ranked Australia in an International friendly on July 13 in Marbella, Spain, as part of its final preparations for defence of its Olympic women's soccer title.

After facing the Matildas, the eighth-ranked Canadians will play a match behind closed doors on July 17 against a yet-to-be-announced opponent.

Canada opens Olympic Group A play against No. 28 New Zealand on July 25 before facing No. 2 France on July 28 and No. 22 Colombia on July 31.

The game against Australia will likely give the Canadians a chance to get a taste of what New Zealand has to offer. The Canadian women are coming off a two-game series against Mexico, which was seen as a chance to experience the kind of game Colombia plays.

The camp in Marbella will see Canada's European-based players arrive Thursday with North American-based players joining on July 8.

The Canadians will continue in camp until the team heads to France for its Olympic opener in Saint-Etienne.

Canada has a 10-8-3 record against Australia, including 5-0 and 1-0 wins in B.C. in December in a series that marked longtime captain Christine Sinclair's final international outings.

They were the first meetings of the teams since co-host Australia ended Canada's World Cup with a humbling 4-0 win last July in Melbourne. That defeat consigned Canada to third place in Group B and a trip home while Australia went on to finish fourth.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2024

The Canadian Press