Canada’s Jade Rose (12) found the back of the net past Argentina’s goalkeeper Solana Pereyra (1) as Catalina Roggerone (4) looked on during the opening half of their international friendly in Vancouver on Friday, April 4, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns)
Canada’s women’s soccer team delivered a commanding 3-0 win over Argentina on Friday night, with rising star Jade Rose opening the scoring and marking a special milestone in her career.
The 22-year-old defender from Markham, Ontario, scored her first-ever international goal in the 24th minute. It came from a well-placed free kick that bounced through the crowd, where Rose was perfectly positioned to guide it past the goalkeeper.
The Canadians kept up the pressure, and just 15 minutes later, Nichelle Prince doubled the lead. After a skillful buildup, Prince pounced on a rebound from close range, slamming it into the net for her 17th career goal with the national squad.
Canada wasn’t done yet. In the closing minutes of the match, Julia Grosso—who hails from Vancouver—put the result beyond doubt. After Janine Beckie’s shot hit the post, Grosso reacted quickly and fired a powerful shot into the net from outside the box. The 87th-minute goal was her fifth for the country.
Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan had a relatively quiet night but still earned a clean sheet, as Argentina struggled to find any rhythm against the seventh-ranked Canadians.
This victory also held special meaning for head coach Casey Stoney. Hired in January, this was her first game leading the Canadian side on home soil. The win improved her record to three wins and a draw in four matches, showing a promising start to her tenure.
The friendly, held ahead of Tuesday’s rematch in Langford, British Columbia, saw Canada take control right from the first whistle. Within the first 15 minutes, the home side had already tested Argentine keeper Solana Pereyra several times. One of the early threats came after Canadian captain Jessie Fleming was fouled during a run. She took the resulting free-kick herself, sending it into a crowded box, but Pereyra managed to collect it under pressure.
That pressure, however, never let up. In the 24th minute, Adriana Leon delivered a floating free-kick into the danger zone. Vanessa Gilles met it with a strong header, and though Pereyra got a hand on it, she couldn’t hold on. Rose was right there to tap it home.
Later in the first half, Marie-Yasmine Alidou nearly added to the tally with a powerful header, but Pereyra made a diving save to deny her.
Leon continued to cause problems for the Argentine defence. Just before halftime, she twisted past multiple defenders and sent a cross into the box. Prince took the shot, and although it was blocked, she stayed alert and tucked in the rebound for Canada’s second goal.
Canada looked like they had scored again early in the second half when Leon fired from distance, but an offside flag cut the celebrations short.
The final say came from Grosso, who stepped up late and capped off a stellar performance by the home team.
Canada now looks ahead to their next meeting with Argentina on Tuesday, hoping to repeat the result and build on their strong momentum.
