Canada ties England 0-0 in a closed-door match, its final World Cup warmup

BOKARINA, Australia –

Canada tied England 0-0 in a closed-door match Friday, its last outing before the July 20 kickoff of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The game at Queensland Sports Stadium was deemed a training fixture, not an official game, with no caps awarded. It featured two 45-minute halves and unlimited substitutes (with three substitution windows allowed).

Canada Soccer and England’s Football Association provided the score and the players who saw action but no other game details.

Seventeen of the 23 players on Canada’s World Cup roster took part including forwards Nichelle Prince and Deanne Rose, who both overcame Achilles injuries to make the tournament squad.

Kailen Sheridan, Canada’s No. 1 goalkeeper, played the full 90 minutes.

Not seeing action were goalkeepers Sabrina D’Angelo and Lysianne Proulx, defenders Gabby Carle and Shelina Zadorsky, midfielder Sophie Schmidt and forward Evelyne Viens.

Friday’s game took place on the Sunshine Coast, two hours north of Surfers Paradise where the Canadians have been holding their pre-tournament camp.

Seventh-ranked Canada opens World Cup play against No. 40 Nigeria on July 20 in Melbourne in Group B play. No. 4 England faces No. 53 Haiti on July 22 in Brisbane in Group D action.

Canada and England could meet in the round of 16 at the tournament, given the top team in Group B takes on the runner-up in Group D and the second-place side in Group B faces the Group D winner in the knockout round.

The 32-country competition runs through Aug. 20 in nine host cities in Australia and New Zealand.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2023