The Canadians dominated the first half of this friendly, but went goalless in six attempts, with a possession rate of 71%.
The attacks began in the fourth minute when a cross from Janine Becky found Jordan Hetema in the penalty area. Using a header, Huitema redirected the ball away from the target.
Pique did it again in the 17th minute, when she fired a free kick at Qadisha Buchanan’s head. However, the ball ended its course over the net.
Buchanan’s only attempt on goal was in the first half.
The South Koreans, 18th in the world, only attempted two shots, off target, in the first half. Ji So Yeon noticeably missed his chance with a shot from the edge of the penalty area that went to the left of the net.
It was still Ji He who could take advantage of South Korea’s best chance of the match, in the 52nd minute. She raced to the right, the ball at her feet, but her shot hit Canadian goalkeeper Keelen Sheridan.
Canadian substitutes tried to open the scoring. Vanessa Giles, coming in the second half, redirected a corner kick with a header in the 71st minute, but the ball did not reach the goal.
Nichelle Prince was the last of five substitutes for the Canadians, ranked sixth in the world, in the 75th minute. The host team attempted several shots late in the game, but the South Korean defense held on despite three quick successive shots in the last action of the match. Buchanan and Gill’s shots were blocked by the goalkeeper, while Diane Rose’s attempt to defend was blocked.
Canada outperformed 13-3. And Canadian captain Kristen Sinclair, who is in great shape, did not leave the bench and missed Saturday’s training with an injury.
The match, played in front of 15,616 fans, was the last rehearsal before the opening match scheduled for July 5 in the W in Mexico, which will serve as qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
