Deanne Rose (#6) scored Canada's only goal in a loss to host Germany in an international friendly on April 9, 2017, in Erfurt, Germany. (Photo courtesy of Canada Soccer)
ERFURT, Germany – Although a late goal gave host Germany a 2-1 win over his team in a women’s international friendly on Sunday, Canada head coach John Herdman left the Steigerwaldstadion satisfied.
“I'm pretty comfortable with that performance,” the 41-year-old said after the game. “I didn't think Germany dominated us in any way, but it was just a solid defensive performance from Canada and I am really proud of the players.
Days earlier, in the opener of a two-match European tour, the Canadians defeated Sweden, 1-0.
“This European tour has been a success,” remarked Herdman. “The result against Sweden was crucial, and then moving into Germany we knew a two day turn around was going to be tough for our starting XI. I thought our players showed real resilience today, but Germany were the better team in terms of possession.”
An own-goal by Kailen Sheridan gave Germany a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute, but Canada leveled 25 minutes later, when Deanne Rose found the back of the net off a Janine Beckie cross.
“These kind of teams prepare us for where we want to go and a 2-1 result against the world's number one is obviously not good enough for us, and I think that's a big statement,” Beckie said. “There are a lot of players in the dressing room really disappointed that we walk away with a loss in this game when we competed and we can play with the world’s best, so I think the rest of this year you'll start to see the results that we want.”
Canada returns to action with a pair of matches against visiting Costa Rica on June 8 (Winnipeg) and 11 (Toronto).
