TORONTO — Canada's women's soccer team will host Costa Rica in a pair of June friendlies in Winnipeg and Toronto.
The series starts in Winnipeg on June 8 before shifting to Toronto for a June 11 game.
It's the latest addition to a fixture list that sees the fourth-ranked Canadians defend their title at the Algarve Cup in early March in Portugal before playing No. 8 Sweden on April 6 in Trelleborg, Sweden, and No. 2 Germany in Erfurt, Germany, on April 9.
The Canadians will open play at the Algarve Cup against No. 15 Denmark, No. 23 Russia and No. 38 Portugal.
Canada last played No. 29 Costa Rica in February 2016 at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Houston, winning 3-1 to secure its berth in Rio where it went on to win bronze.
"Getting to play in front of Canadian fans is really special, so we are obviously thrilled to be coming home for another June two-match series,” coach John Herdman said in a statement. “We'll be coming off away games against both Sweden and Germany, Olympic silver and gold medallists respectively, so we're confident the team will be in good shape to produce a winning performance for both sets of fans.”
Canada last played in Winnipeg in 2014, tying the U.S. 1-1 in a game that saw young defender Kadeisha Buchanan help make her name.
The Canadian women played in Toronto last June prior to the Olympics, losing 2-0 to Brazil at BMO Field. Herdman's squad beat Brazil 1-0 three days later in Ottawa on a late Janine Beckie goal.
The Canadian Press
