By the end of 2012, the Canadian women’s team was honored by the Canadian press as the National Team of the Year, but they wanted more. She wanted an Olympic gold medal.

Giulia Grosso’s penalty shootout goal allowed Canada to defeat Sweden in the final at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, almost realizing that 10-year-old dream.

The final victory was the highlight of a 13-game winning streak in which the Canadian women’s soccer team was once again unbeaten for the Team of the Year title from the Canadian Press. Thursday.

Head coach Bev Priestman said that her third place finish in London as well as at the 2016 Rio Olympics motivated her players to put in even greater efforts to win a gold medal.

“I think this moment (in London) has created a lot of momentum, faith and passion for the young players over the past eight years,” Priestman said, noting that Grosso focused specifically on the end result in London as a source of motivation. .

“You would like to believe that this gold medal will now have the same impact on the young players in Canada, because they will witness such a moment that we hope will inspire them to represent Canada in the future.”

The Canadian women’s soccer team finished 2021 with nine wins, six draws and three defeats. Her unbeaten streak of 13 mid-year unbeaten carried the Canadian women through the Tokyo Olympics included two wins over New Zealand in the subsequent “Celebration Round” intended to commemorate his gold medal win.

According to Priestman, the team’s success in 2021 is due to a good mix of young and old players, all united by their passion to reach the next level and inspire a new generation of female players.

“We have a great mix of experienced players who have gone through many Olympics and World Cups, and a young group that, in fact, also participated in the Olympics.”

Priestman and his players have no intention of resting on their laurels and the 2023 World Cup is their next target.

The event will be presented in Australia and New Zealand and Canada will have to earn its place in the regional tournament that will take place in July.

“We have done something amazing by winning three Olympics in a row. Now we want to get to the podium at the World Cup, which we have not done before.

The Canadian Press Team of the Year title was established in 1966 and awarded to teams that won the Stanley Cup, Gray Cup, World Baseball Championship and the 1972 Century Series, among other teams.

The women’s soccer team received 38 out of 44 votes cast by editors, reporters and broadcasters across the country. The women’s Olympic swimming team finished second with three votes.

The other three votes went to the women’s national hockey team, the men’s national soccer team, and the Montreal Canadiens.

In 2020, this honor was given to the men’s junior hockey team.

Laval tennis player Leila Fernandez was named Bobby Rosenfeld as Female Athlete of the Year on Tuesday. Athlete Damien Warner, on Wednesday, was awarded the Lionel Konacher Award as the Male Athlete of the Year.