KEY TAKEAWAYS: CanWNT flex resilience, set piece prowess in shorthanded 3-1 win vs. Korea Republic
It was far from the way they would’ve drawn it up, but the CanWNT won’t mind, as they picked up an impressive 3-1 win vs. the Korea Republic in FIFA Series action in Cuiabà on Tuesday.
Despite playing over an hour while down a player, that didn’t slow down this Canadian side, who were able to score two second-half goals en route to a second consecutive victory at the FIFA Series - just the first time they’ve picked up back-to-back wins since last June.
Yet, that just shows why this victory was so important for them, as it represents another step forward for a team that entered 2026 with a lot to prove. Having ended last year on a rough run of form, as they lost five straight games to close out 2025, they’ve done well to quickly put that behind them this year, already sitting with a record of 3W-1D-1L in their first five matches of 2026.
Never panicked. Handled business.
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) April 14, 2026
Jamais paniquées. Le boulot est fait.
🇨🇦 🇰🇷 #CANWNT pic.twitter.com/4Bg2v1IFiR
More importantly, their performances are looking a lot sharper with every game they play, too, as they’re starting to look like the team that manager Casey Stoney one day wants them to be. They’re far from hitting their best level quite yet, but they’re playing with a clear identity, something that wasn’t always the case at the end of 2025.
Now, they’ll want to keep building on this, as tougher tests await. Of course, the biggest games ahead will come in the fall, when Canada participates in World Cup and Olympic qualifying at the Concacaf Championships, but even before that, some tougher matches loom - just this weekend, Canada will play another top 10 side in Brazil in Cuiabà to round off the FIFA Series.
Because of that, look for them to take another step forward in that Brazil friendly. While beating Zambia 4-0 and now South Korea at this tournament will fill this team with confidence, it’ll be a whole other challenge to bring that sort of performance against a Brazil team playing at home as they continue to prepare to host the World Cup next year.
Before looking too far ahead, however, here are three KEY takeaways from this South Korea victory.
Vanessa Gilles leads remarkable Canadian second-half performance:
Just as quickly as Canada had seemingly gained all the momentum, they lost it.
Having opened the scoring with a well-taken team goal that was finished off by Evelyne Viens in the 23rd minute, it seemed like Canada was well on their way towards another victory.
Given that since Stoney had taken over, they’d won seven out of eight of the games in which they’d scored first (with the lone time they failed to do so being a 1-1 draw vs. China in Stoney’s first game in charge), it couldn’t be understated how important it was for them to take an early lead, as they’ve typically been very solid when playing from in front.
Because of that, it made the sequence of events that occurred just four minutes after Viens’ goal so shocking to see. There, Canada’s centre back, Jade Rose, ended up getting sent off for DOGSO (denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity) after a last-ditch tackle, putting Canada down to 10 players - and then, to add insult to injury, South Korea’s Kim Shinji scored a beautiful free kick on the foul that Rose gave away to make it 1-1.
RED CARD🟥
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 14, 2026
The #CanWNT are down to 10 players vs. South Korea, as Jade Rose is sent off for a DOGSO challenge
But did she get the ball? 🤔
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer and TSN pic.twitter.com/LvHc7zipVT
All of a sudden, that put Canada in an extremely precarious situation - not only had they lost all of the momentum from their earlier goal, but they were left to play over an hour while down a player, something they haven’t done a whole lot of as of late (quick research shows that they haven’t earned a red card this decade, at the very least).
GOAL🇰🇷
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 14, 2026
South Korea didn't wait long to punish the #CanWNT for their red card, as Kim Shinji rips home a free kick right after Jade Rose's dismissal to make it 1-1
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer and TSN pic.twitter.com/DgWw6o17Ox
Yet, despite that, it didn’t slow down Canada, who finished the half well. Even though they were down a player, they did well to stay organized off the ball, and remained dangerous offensively - Viens almost found the net again in the 34th minute, only finding herself denied by an outstanding save from South Korea’s Seobin Woo.
Of course, when playing down a player, the impact of that challenge isn’t often felt immediately, though, so Canada wasn’t out of the woods yet. Typically, the big advantage from being up a player comes later in the match, when tired legs start to hit the team that earned the earlier red card.
What that shows, however, is why what Canada did to start the second half was so key. Just five minutes into the second frame, they won a free kick in a dangerous position, and they capitalized on that opportunity in a big way, as Jessie Fleming whipped in a perfect cross for Vanessa Gilles to head home from inside the box.
GOAL🇨🇦 🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 14, 2026
Down a player? No problem!
Vanessa Gilles flexes her set-piece prowess once again as she heads home after a fantastic cross from Jessie Fleming to put the #CanWNT up 2-1 vs. Korea Republic
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer and TSN pic.twitter.com/xLUfZN59P1
That was huge, as those are the exact sort of plays that a team down a player has to capitalize on to be successful, and Canada clearly got that memo, doing so at a time when their legs were still fresh. All of a sudden, they didn’t have to chase the game as much and were able to sit back and defend space in a compact 4-3-2, which made them a lot more dangerous - it’s a lot easier to sit deeper in a defensive block instead of chasing the ball all over the field when down a player, after all. 
Here's an example that shows how well Canada defended in their 4-3-2. As seen in this clip, they did well to sit in a compact block, taking away the sort of space that South Korea wanted to play in on the ball (OneSoccer/TSN)
Certainly, the way Canada closed out the game showed that, as they did well to defend what they had the rest of the way, while even adding to their lead. 
Here's a look at what Canada's 4-3-2 looked like to begin the 2nd half - they made a bunch of like-for-like changes as the game went on
Unsurprisingly, that third goal also came off a set-piece, too, with Gilles playing a big role once again, this time heading home a perfect Janine Sonis corner in the 70th minute to essentially seal this game.
GOAL🇨🇦 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 14, 2026
Vanessa Gilles can't be stopped!
Make it a brace for the #CanWNT defender, who this time heads home a great corner from Janine Sonis to put Canada up 3-1 vs. Korea Republic
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer and TSN pic.twitter.com/giDRov33UO
That capped off an outstanding performance from Gilles, who didn’t even start this game, it must be remembered - she only came in as a 30th-minute substitute after Rose’s red card. Despite that, she certainly left her mark on this game, coming up with two clutch goals while putting in a shift defensively, finishing with six clearances, one tackle, five recoveries and five out of six duels won.
Here's Gilles's defensive actions from this game, with tackles in orange, clearances in teal and recoveries in green, showing the work she did to help protect Canada's box (SofaScore)
Yet, this was the latest top performance in a long line of them for Gilles in a Canadian shirt, as she’s continued to be this team’s heartbeat defensively, while also showing that she’s more than capable of stepping up with goals when needed. That she’s already up to 11 goals in a Canadian shirt, with eight of them coming since the start of 2024, just cements that - and it doesn’t hurt that her goals, as they were in this game, are typically of the clutch variety, with this being the sixth time she’s scored a winning goal for Canada.
Overall, though, the entire Canadian team can be pleased with their response. While the play of Gilles stood out, as did the play of someone like Janine Sonis (who went the full 90 at full back despite the heat), this win came from a gritty team effort that required big performances from everyone who saw the field, allowing Canada to thrive in unlikely circumstances.
Not only did Sonis have an excellent game on both sides of the ball, but she also had a few moments of magic like this - she could've potentially had three or four assists on another day (OneSoccer/TSN)
For a Canadian team that hasn’t always been able to handle adversity as of late - at least, that was the criticism they faced during their losing run to end 2025 - that shows why this victory was so key for them, as they did well to step up in a big way despite being put behind the 8-ball early.
Considering that a hallmark of the best Canadian teams has typically been their ability to thrive with their backs against the wall, that’s encouraging to see. 
Evelyne Viens the latest Canadian attacker to shine:
While Canada did well to win while down a player, one unfortunate byproduct of the red card was that it limited Stoney’s opportunity to see what someone like Viens could do up front, as the AS Roma forward looked like she was on track to have a multi-goal performance based on how she started this match.
Between her goal and the big chance she had right after the red card, she looked lively and dangerous in and around the box in the first half, showing off the sort of form that she’s had for Roma in recent years - there’s a reason why she’s scored 40 goals and added 24 assists in 92 appearances across parts of three seasons in Italy.
Sometimes, though, Viens hasn’t been able to translate her scintillating club form over to Canada (this was only her ninth goal for her country), so it was extremely encouraging to see the way she took that goal, as it came on the sort of action she’s made a habit of converting with Roma.
After a great Canadian team move, she came alive around the box and then finished off the play in style with a clinical finish, showing off the sort of clinical nature that Roma fans are accustomed to seeing from her on a regular basis.
GOAL🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 14, 2026
The #CanWNT have taken a 1-0 lead vs. South Korea, as Evelyne Viens caps off a free-flowing attacking move from her side with a tidy left-footed finish
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer and TSN pic.twitter.com/sGXncxfKGc
Then, even while she didn’t score the big chance that came her way after, you can still be pleased with what she showed on that sequence, as she did well to make a dangerous run in behind South Korea’s backline before firing a quick shot, one that was only kept out by an excellent save. 
Here's that play, as Viens does a great job to get on the end of an outstanding pass from Sonis, but is just denied by an excellent save (OneSoccer/TSN)
Unfortunately, though, that’d be all that she’d be able to produce on the day, as she failed to generate another shot before coming out in the 60th minute, showing how much the red card affected her.
Yet, that shouldn’t take away from what she showed early. One thing Viens has struggled with when playing for Canada is translating her style of play into her team’s system, so it was extremely encouraging to see her making dangerous runs behind the defence, and playing with the sort of aggression she’s known for.
Typically, that’s been something Canada has struggled with when it comes to their strikers, as it often feels that no matter who starts up front, they end up quite isolated and struggle to create chances. Viens isn’t the only one to have dealt with that reality, as the likes of Jordyn Huitema, Nichelle Prince and others can attest to having also struggled with that problem when leading the line for their country.
As a result, it’s good news for Stoney, who has been slowly finding ways to inject new life into her team’s attack, to see that Viens was able to look the way she did in this game.
Given that this Canadian side has now scored three or more goals in three of their first five games shows that things are trending in the right direction for them as a group, showing that Viens’s play in this game is just a byproduct of the improvements Canada has made in the attack - there’s a reason why Canada is starting to get strong standout individual performances out of their attackers after struggling to do that at the end of 2025.
In this game, Viens was a standout, but in recent games, Prince, Annabelle Chukwu, Kaylee Hunter, Delaney Baie Pridham and Cloé Lacasse are just a few of the other names who have stood out in Canada’s attack.
When you consider that, and the fact that Canada is still looking to get more out of young star Olivia Smith, that’s all quite encouraging to see, as it shows that this team has the potential up front to be dangerous when it all clicks for them.
Now, the challenge is to find the right mix in the attack, to help ensure that attacking displays like this one or the four-goal showing they had against Zambia become a more regular occurrence, especially when it comes to what Canada did in open play.
If Canada can do that - while remaining dangerous on set-pieces - there’s no reason why they can’t be a lot more dangerous offensively going forward.
That this Canadian side generated 2.313 xG (OPTA) on 10 shots in this game, despite the red card, offers a glimpse of what they’re capable of offensively, even if they’re still far from their final form as a team. 
Canada plays with fire in possession:
As pleased as Canada will be with how they responded to adversity in this game, they’ll also feel grateful that they didn’t throw away the game, as they played with fire a lot more than they needed to in the end.
For example, just look at the red card as a moment that shows what that sort of play looks like. There, while Canada might’ve been unlucky to earn a red card, as Rose got a whole lot of the ball on her tackle (although that doesn’t always matter when it comes to DOGSO), the reality is that Canada only ended up in that situation because of their own poor decisions.
It’d be one thing if Rose’s red card came after a defensive error from her team, or something else of the sort, but instead, it started from a poor decision while Canada was comfortably in possession. Despite having control of the ball, they rushed a couple of passes, and they paid the price for that with the red card, which came on a play where Rose was still recovering after a Canadian turnover. 
Here's the sequence that leads to the red card - as seen here, Canada got cornered into an area of the pitch, and instead of resetting play with a safe pass, they took a big risk with a dangerous cross-field pass, and paid the price for that (OneSoccer/TSN)
And it’s not as if that play was an isolated incident. If that were the case, you could live with it a bit more - sometimes, plays like that can happen in a game. That’s sports for you.
After having been burned by their errant play in possession once, though, that didn’t stop Canada from playing from fire on several occasions, as they had several other moments in the second half where they almost threw away their lead with sloppy passing and errors at the back. 
Here's a play that could've cost Canada the victory, as Kailen Sheridan played an extremely dangerous pass to Emma Regan. Luckily, South Korea were not able to capitalize on that action (OneSoccer/TSN)
Considering that they were up on the scoreboard and down a player on the pitch, it was quite surprising to see Canada take some of the risks that they were taking, as they were lucky not to get punished for the errors they made on some of those plays. 
Canada didn't actually turn the ball over here, but look at how they forced some passes that weren't on, when they could've perhaps gone more direct, or looked to switch the play, instead of playing a slow pass in a dangerous area of the pitch (OneSoccer/TSN)
Because of that, look for this Canadian team to clean up this side of their game going forward, as this isn’t something new for them. As they continue to find their identity under Stoney, there have been growing pains with their possession play, and this is an example of what that can look like. 
Here's another moment where Canada put a midfieldera in a dangerous spot with a pass into the middle, allowing South Korea's press to win the ball in an extremely dangerous area of the pitch (OneSoccer/TSN)
Sometimes, they’ve been guilty of rushing things when they could slow things down, and vice versa, as they’re still finding the balance between playing quickly but not rushing, which is a hallmark of Stoney’s style of play.
At times, they’ve struck that balance perfectly, putting together beautiful sequences of play where they show great patience on the ball before springing to life to take advantage of the space they opened up between the lines.
Here's an example from earlier in the match where Canada showed off what they want to do in possession. On this play, they do well to draw South Korea's press out a bit, before playing a line-breaking pass, allowing them to create a dangerous attacking opportunity (OneSoccer/TSN)
When they do that, it’s a sight to behold - their first goal was another prime example of what that looked like, in fact.
But when they rush things in the wrong way, things can quickly get a bit dicey for them, as they showed in the second half, where they were perhaps lucky not to concede another goal from their own sloppy play. 
Lastly, here's one final clip of Canada playing their midfielder into trouble with a pass into a dangerous area - credit to South Korea for clearly having a pressing trigger for those sort of passes that Canada kept on playing (OneSoccer/TSN)
That’s worth noting, because Canada has remained pretty solid defensively under Stoney, five game slump at the end of 2025 aside. For all of the chances they conceded in this game, South Korea only generated 0.628 xG (OPTA) on seven shots, which shows that Canada were quite good defensively - and imagine what sort of numbers South Korea would’ve had if Canada didn’t gift them a few chances. 
Here's South Korea's pass map from this game - as seen here, despite spending most of the game up a player, they weren't able to penetrate the dangerous areas around Canada's box, turnovers aside (SofaScore)
Yet, this shows why Canada will want to clean up this side of the game, as they typically don’t give up a whole lot of dangerous chances, especially when they’ve got a full collection of defenders available to them. On paper, this remains one of the best defensive teams in the world, and for good reason, even if they’ve only kept two clean sheets in their past 14 games, as they’ve also only conceded more than one goal twice in that span.
Now, their goal is to find a way to be more dangerous offensively while not sacrificing that defensive solidity, and to do that, they’ll need to find a balance between taking the right risks in possession and not giving away chances from avoidable mistakes - a line they toed quite dangerously in this game.
