Chilliwack’s Jordyn Huitema played the second half for Canada’s national women’s soccer squad Friday as they battled the Czech Republic to a scoreless draw.
The match was played in at Estadio Cartagonova in Cartagena, Spain and was the first of two friendlies as Huitema and company prepare for the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Canada will face Brazil on Monday.
Huitema entered the game at the 46 minute mark, subbing in at forward for Nichelle Prince.
The 20-year-old almost scored a goal, getting her head on a cross from Ashley Lawrence cross near the back post.
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After the game, Canadian head coach Bev Priestman said she was pleased with her team’s effort, but she said her goal scorers will need to do a better job of scoring goals.
“We got the clean sheet and in the grand scheme of things this will push us on to the next match,” the first-year bench boss noted. “But if we want to change the colour of the medal we’ve got to look after the ball more and we have to finish the chances. We had some good chances but we’ve got to convert.”
Monday’s friendly against Brazil is a rematch for Canada, which fell 2-0 to the Brazilians at the 2021 She Believes Cup back in late February.
“We want to turn the table on that Brazil result we had,” Priestman said. “I think it will be a very exciting game and should feel like an Olympic Games fixture, that level of opposition, so I’m excited.”