In the clash between the USA and Canada, who had not lost any points in the tournament, the Maple Leafs came out on top with a narrow 2:0 victory. The top-of-the-table game was hard-fought and provided great entertainment.
The game really got going after two minutes: Cerilli scored in front of goal to put the reigning world champion Canada ahead. However, it soon became clear that this could be as close a game as at the last World Cup in 2022, when Canada only narrowly won. Every ball was fought for and the duels were fierce. The rivalry was palpable. And the longer the game went on, the more the Americans took control of the game. The Canadians who are strong in attack had to practise their defence. Even the Upshall-Vigneau Sargeant duo, so dominant at this World Championship, struggled to make an offensive appearance. But even the most promising scoring attempts by the US ladies, with Steadman and Seitz at the forefront, were miraculously fended off by Canada goalkeeper Prockiw.
In the middle of a long American pressure phase, the USA had to play in boxplay. The Maple Leafs capitalized on this after 26 minutes: Karpenko skillfully slotted the ball under the crossbar. However, the Americans did not give up and put a lot of energy into trying to score and get back into the game.
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