TORONTO, ONT – Canadians are getting it done in CONCACAF, well, getting it done in FISU Americas.
The uOttawa Gee-Gees opened up the FISU Americas women’s soccer tournament with a 4-0 win over Brazil’s University Salgado de Oliveira, winning their first international match since the 2019 FISU University World Cup.
The Gee-Gees, who already have a spot clinched at the 2023 University World Cup tournament in China, are playing the FISU Americas in Mexico to ensure their spot at the tournament while also looking to add another trophy to their cabinet.
With a thin roster, the Gee-Gees opened the scoring through 2019 FISU World Cup MVP Trinity Esprit in the 9th minute, as the native of Toronto, Ont. got the Canadian representatives off to a quick start.
From then, uOttawa maintained possession and controlled the pace of play, with Olivia Allen bursting through a pair of defenders on the left wing before chipping the ball over the Brazilian goalkeeper and into the far netting in the 42nd minute.
Less than a minute after Allen made it a 2-0 lead, Angelina Gendreau extended the advantage as her sliding shot hit the back of the net to send Ottawa into halftime up 3-0.
Cassandra Provost, the U SPORTS and OUA leading goalscorer, opened up her international scoring account in the 56th minute to make it 4-0 for the Gee-Gees, as they held possession and cruised to a tournament-opening win over the Brazilians.
“It’s going to be a different environment and a different climate,” said Gee-Gees head coach Steve Johnson to uOttawa Athletics ahead of the tournament. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the competition gives us. We have no idea how these teams will play, so it’s going to be a challenge for the players and staff to make sure we get the best result possible.”
While the opening win is a perfect start for the Gee-Gees, they move on to their next group stage match on Oct. 17, when they face Mexico’s Monterrey at 5:00 pm ET.
The Gee-Gees close the group stage on Oct. 19 against Brazil’s Paulista University, the team they beat in the 2019 World Cup Final, before approaching the knockout stages on Oct. 21.
Cover Photo: @GeeGeesWSOC on Twitter