MURCIA — Marie-Yasmine (Mimi) Alidou scored a hat trick Tuesday as sixth-ranked Canada won the Pinatar Cup women’s soccer tournament with a dominant 7-0 victory over No. 42 Taiwan.
Alidou, who plays her club football in Portugal for Benfica, completed her hat trick 32 minutes into the first half at the Pinatar Arena. The 29-year-old from Saint-Hubert, Que., now has five goals in eight appearances for Canada.
Jordyn Huitema scored twice and Megan Reid and Clarissa Larisey added singles for Canada, which led 5-0 at the break. Two of the goals came via penalties.
It was one-way traffic for the Canadians, who had 74 per cent possession in the first half when they outshot Taiwan 11-0 (7-0 in shots on target) with a 7-0 edge in corners.
Canada drew No. 17 China 1-1 and blanked No. 31 Mexico 2-0 earlier at the tournament while Taiwan lost 4-0 to both China and Mexico.
With Mexico (2-1-0) posting a 2-0 win over China (1-1-1) earlier in the day at the Pinatar Arena, the Canadians needed a win to lift the trophy at the four-team tournament.
The Canadian women have not lost in regulation time in 22 matches dating back to a 1-0 loss to Brazil in Montreal in October 2023. Canada had gone 14-0-8 since then with three of the draws turning into penalty shootout losses (two to the United States and one to Germany) and one into a shootout win (over Brazil).
Canada coach Casey Stoney made six changes to her starting lineup with only captain Jessie Fleming, Jayde Riviere, Olivia Smith, Reid and Huitema retaining their places. The starting 11 came into the game with 661 total caps, down from combined 750 for the Mexico matchup and 690 for the China contest.
Stoney said she wanted to see all her roster in action at the tournament and was true to her word, with only Simi Awujo and Jade Rose not seeing action.
Awujo picked up a knock in training while Jade Rose was not expected to play at the tournament as she continued her recovery from a prior injury.
Alidou opened the scoring in the fourth minute Tuesday after a Nichelle Prince pass put her behind the defence. Taiwan goalkeeper Wang Yu-ting made the first save but could not control the rebound and Alidou took advantage.
She added her second from the penalty spot in the 14th minute after Wang was judged to have taken Prince down in the penalty box. Huitema made it 3-0 in the 26th minute, knocking home a well-delivered Smith corner with Reid attracting attention from defenders.
Alidou completed the hat trick in the 32nd minute, looping the ball home off the side of her boot after Taiwan failed to clear a corner to make it 3-0. Reid, who had come up for another corner, scored her first for Canada in first-half stoppage time after Taiwan failed to deal with a Fleming cross.
Reid, a California native whose mother was born in Canada, gave up soccer after playing at the University of Virginia to pursue a career as a paramedic. She then returned to the sport, joining the NWSL’s Angel City for the 2022 pre-season as a non-roster invitee and remains with the team.
Ella Ottey and Carly Wickenheiser came in to start the second half to earn their second caps. Samantha Chang, Larisey, Adriana Leon and Nyah Rose followed off the Canadian bench.
It was a second Canada cap for the 19-year-old Rose, Jade’s younger sister. Leon joined the San Diego Wave on Tuesday, leaving England’s Aston Villa to return to the NWSL on a two-year deal with a mutual option for 2027.
Huitema made it 6-0 from the penalty spot in the 49th minute after Smith was taken down dribbling into the Taiwan penalty box. That upped her Canada goals total to 23 in 88 appearances.
Canada went up 7-0 on Larisey’s header from a Riviere cross in the 75th. While the goals kept coming, so did some tough challenges from Taiwan with Larisey scythed down late in the game.
Out of substitutes, Canada finished with nine players with Larisey and Riviere, also taking a knock, leaving in the dying minutes.
The tournament marked the Canadian coaching debut for Stoney, who told reporters Monday that she hopes the Canadians can play at home during the March-April international window.
It marked Canada’s first time at the Pinatar Cup, previously won by Scotland, Belgium, Iceland and Finland.
Canada was missing the injured Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea), Sydney Collins and Bianca St-Georges (North Carolina Courage), Cloe Lacasse (Utah Royals), Deanne Rose (Leicester City) and Quinn (Vancouver Rise).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2025.
The Canadian Press
