Jamaica looking to change history against Canada | OneFootball

MIAMI, Florida – The growth of the women's game over the years has been incredible for the different national teams in Concacaf, as they continue showcasing the talent of the region to the world. The latest encounter to demonstrate this evolution will be the Concacaf Olympic Play-In between Jamaica and Canada.

The first leg of this play-in will be this Friday at Independence Park in Kingston, Jamaica. The second game will take place at BMO Field, in Toronto, Canada, on Tuesday, September 26.

The winner of this play-in will not only punch their ticket to the Olympic Games in Paris next year, but they will also qualify for the first ever Concacaf W Gold Cup, which will also take place later in 2024.

The Canadian Women's National Team, current Olympic Champions and two-time Bronze medalists are no strangers to pressure when it comes to big games. They also know what it is to face the Jamaica Women's National Team for an Olympic spot.

These teams have faced each other nine times previously, mostly in either the Concacaf W Championship or in an Olympic Qualifier since 1991, with Canada coming out victorious every time, holding an overall record of 9W-0D-0L.

However, the gap has been closing. The Reggae Girlz made history in 2019 when they became the first Caribbean nation to participate in a FIFA Women's World Cup, and again this year, when they were the first Caribbean nation to win a Women's World Cup match and also qualify to the Round of 16. Now, they want to become the first from the Caribbean to qualify for the Olympic Games.

The last result between the two teams in the 2022 Concacaf W Championship was a 3-0 Canada win in the semifinals, with goals from Jessie Fleming, Allysha Chapman and Adriana Leon, helping the Canadians reach the Final.

Captain Christine Sinclair, the Canadian player with the most caps in the squad, has been called up again to lead the team to get a chance to defend their Olympic title. She also holds the record as the all-time top scorer for her country with 190 goals.

Another captain that will lead her team once again is Jamaica's Khadija Shaw, who ended up with three goals in the 2022 CWC. After her performance along the rest of the squad this summer in Australia/New Zealand 2023, Jamaica will take their home field first to show why the gap between these two countries has been closing over the years.