Manchester City’s Janine Beckie believes that Canada will be respected by the English players in the Team GB squad at this summer’s Olympic Games.
Canada have beaten England in each of their last two meetings while Bev Priestman’s side will come up against a Team GB side which are largely made up of English players in the group stage of the Olympic Games’ Women’s Football Tournament later this month.
Speaking in a Canada Soccer press conference in which FAWSL Full-Time were present, Beckie said that the Canadian threat has been underestimated by England in the past but the nation will be more respected by a Team GB side packed with English players at the Games in Japan.
“They’re going to bring a really strong squad;” Beckie said when discussing the threat of Team GB. “I think in the past, if I am honest, I think we have been overlooked by England and I think that they have been caught the last two times that we have played them. I do think that there is a level of respect there for us now which wasn’t there in the past.”
Beckie netted three goals in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil as Canada collected a Bronze Medal. She goes into the latest Games having last scored an international goal in March 2020 and the player admits that returning to goalscoring form is important if Canada are to progress in the competition.
She said “In 2016, I had very little pressure on me and I am definitely more of a known player now. I have high expectations of myself and the team have high expectations for me in this tournament so all of that makes it more difficult.
“If I am scoring and doing my job for the team, then that puts the team in a really good position to progress as far as we can in the tournament and my three goals in 2016 were important in helping us to get where we got to. In my mind, I should have had a few more but I am always going to say that looking back.
“I have been on a bit of a scoring drought for Canada lately so it would be great to get the cover off the goal in a tournament like this.”
Beckie sustained a training injury last month which saw her miss Canada’s friendly double header with the Czech Republic and Brazil. The player has confirmed that she has returned to fitness and she is in good shape for the Games.
“I’m back in full training and I’m 100%;” Beckie said. “It was more of a precautionary issue to keep me out of those two friendlies but the medical staff here are incredible and they’ve got me back to 100%. I’m back in training and feeling really good.”
Canada begin their Olympic Games with a group fixture against host nation Japan on 21 July.
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