At the final obstacle, they fell just short of the trophy.
The Canadian Women's National Team's FIFA Series ended in heartbreak, with the hosts Brazil grabbing a 1-0 win in a game that had everything.
Casey Stoney made five changes to the side that defeated South Korea by a 3-1 score, with the only forced change being Vanessa Gilles in for the suspended Jade Rose. Jayde Riviere, Kadeisha Buchanan, Emma Regan, and Simi Awujo were brought in for Sydney Collins, Shelina Zadorsky, Carly Wickenheiser, and Marie-Yasmine Alidou, with Janine Sonis shifted to left back due to Riviere's start.
Brazil attacked out of the gates, and in the fourth minute, had a chance on goal with the ball bouncing in the Canadian box before a volley from Tainá Maranhão went wide of Kailen Sheridan's goal.
Two minutes later, however, a bad back pass gave the ball to Olivia Smith, and after getting ahead of a defender, her acute angled shot ended up in the hands of Letícia.
Brazil threatened again in the 22nd minute, as clever footwork from Dudinha led to a shot that Sheridan saved, but the North Carolina Courage goalkeeper parried it into the path of Kerolin, whose follow-up was cleared off the line by Janine Sonis to deny a certain goal.
From the resulting corner, Duda’s delivery was headed onto the bar by Lauren, with the rebound falling to Ludmila, who fired well off target.
Brazil picked up the game’s first yellow card in the 32nd minute, with Duda going into the book.
The hosts continued to push, and after a clearance from a scramble, Duda struck a half-volley that narrowly missed the target.
In the 36th minute, a misplaced pass from Emma Regan sparked another Brazil attack, but Sheridan was equal to Kerolin’s effort from a tight angle.
Canada received its first booking of the game, with Emma Regan seeing yellow for a foul on Kerolin in Brazil's half.
One of the CanWNT's best chances came in the 41st minute, with Jayde Riviere slipping the ball through to Olivia Smith, who was denied from close range by Letícia.
A misplaced pass from Cloé Lacasse allowed Brazil to break again, with Kerolin slipping a perfect ball through to an unmarked Ludmila, but she missed the 1v1 as Kailen Sheridan made a comfortable save to keep it scoreless in the 44th minute.
That brought an end to the first half, as the three minutes of added time produced little action.
The second half began, and the controversy followed almost immediately.
In the 47th minute, Évelyne Viens was taken down from behind by Isa Haas, but the referee waved play on as Brazil broke the other way. A lofted pass from Ary Borges sent Kerolin through, but Sheridan denied her once again before Kadeisha Buchanan attempted to clear. The underhit clearance fell to Aline Gomes, who struck a superb volley into the top corner from just outside the six-yard box.
GOAL 🇧🇷
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 19, 2026
Aline Gomes gives Brazil a 1-0 lead over the CanWNT 🇨🇦 early in the 2nd half despite calls for a VAR review, which go unanswered
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer & TSN pic.twitter.com/xjX6FKgnlK
Despite a VAR review, the goal was awarded to Brazil, and what added to the frustration was that Viens had been called for a much softer foul moments earlier, a decision that denied her a clear run in behind the Brazilian defence.
Canada made its first change in the 61st minute, with highly rated prospect Annabelle Chukwu replacing Cloé Lacasse after a quiet outing.
A set piece in the 64th minute nearly brought an equalizer, as Jessie Fleming’s delivery found Évelyne Viens at the near post, but her header glanced off the far post.
In the 69th minute, Emma Regan and Simi Awujo made way for Carly Wickenheiser and Julia Grosso as Canada continued to push for a goal.
Brazil’s physical play eventually led to another booking, with Ary Borges shown a yellow card after throwing Julia Grosso to the ground.
Four minutes later, Borges was involved again, this time bringing down Canadian captain Jessie Fleming. The referee issued a second yellow, sending off the Angel City FC midfielder and giving Canada a numerical advantage for the final minutes.
Canada responded with a quadruple substitution, as Olivia Smith, Jayde Riviere, Évelyne Viens, and Kadeisha Buchanan were replaced by Nichelle Prince, Sydney Collins, DB Pridham, and Shelina Zadorsky.
In the 87th minute, Prince combined with fellow substitute Pridham, but her effort from a tight angle was cleared by the Brazilian defence.
Despite seven minutes of added time, Canada could not find a late equalizer, as Brazil closed out the match to win the FIFA Series on home soil.
While the result was influenced by controversial decisions, as Casey Stoney noted post-match, Canada also had chances to change the game. Missed opportunities, including Smith’s 1v1 and Viens’ header, proved costly. It continued a trend from the previous matches, where strong attacking moments were not converted.
Canada now awaits confirmation of its next fixture.
