Tied for 8th place in the FIFA women’s world rankings, Canada and Brazil faced off in the penultimate match of the 2021 She Believes Cup. A masterclass from Debinha and Marta led Brazil to a crushing 2-0 victory over Canada.

Without veteran defender Allysha Chapman who suffered an injury prior to the match, the Canadian defense was disorganized and struggled to clear the ball out of the box. Debinha, Brazil’s leading goal scorer under Head Coach Pia Sundhage capitalized on Canadian disarray, tapping in a ball that ricocheted off of the far post in the 15th minute.

Aside from intermittent attacking spurts from the likes of Nichelle Prince and Janine Beckie, Brazil dominated offensively with eight shots in the first half as opposed to just one from Canada. In the 39th minute, 23 year old Julia added her second international goal for Brazil, leading her team into halftime with a two goal lead over Canada.

Brazil maintained a high level of intensity to begin the second half. Solid defense efforts from Gabrielle Carle and midfielder Janine Beckie prevented Brazil from scoring again but Canada was still unable to clear the ball forcefully. Canada began to experiment more as the second half went on, weaving through Brazilian defenders.

Forward Adriana Leon subbed in in the 65th minute and made an immediate impact for Canada. Her creativity on the ball gave Canada some of its best chances of the night but she was unable to finish. Chaos on the Brazilian goal line almost gave Shelina Zadorsky a goal for Canada but clearances from Brazilian defenders Souza and Benites denied her.

With a new coach and without the majority of its starting players, Canada struggled throughout the tournament. Over three matches, the Canadians only registered one goal. Equipped with veterans and new blood, Brazil played well. Their trademark creativity and goal-scoring abilities led them to two wins and one loss.