Substitute Julia Grosso scored a brace as a rampaging Canada attack eventually wore down Trinidad and Tobago in a 6-0 win at the Concacaf W Championship on Wednesday night.
Talismanic striker Christine Sinclair was in the right place, in the 27th minute, to meet an Ashley Lawrence cross to score the first goal for the Canadian side. The goal moved Sinclair to 190 goals in 311 international games.
Canada kept pushing and in the 32nd minute, after a VAR review, the referee Katia Garcia awarded a penalty for Canada. Jessie Fleming stepped to the spot but missed the chance to extend the advantage by sending the shot over the crossbar.
Canada didn’t slow down in the second half though and kept trying to add to their goal count, but the Trinidad & Tobago defensive line, led by GK Kimika Forbes, stood firm and kept it a one-goal game past the hour mark.
But in the 67th, after enterprising play and a backheel pass from Jordyn Huitema, Grosso managed to extend the team’s lead with a good finish for her first international goal.
Grosso didn’t stop there. In the 78th, she scored her second goal of the night, increasing the Canada lead to 3-0. Fleming then redeemed her earlier miss and scored the fourth goal for Canada in the 84th.
After positive attacking play all match, Janine Beckie made it 5-0 in the 86th and then stepped into the role of playmaker in the 91st, assisting Jordyn Huitema, who scored the sixth goal of the night for her fifth career CWC goal.
The Olympic champions will next face Panama to try to remain Group B leaders, while Trinidad & Tobago will be tested against Costa Rica.