Canada bagged bronze medal at Rio 2016, winning five of six matches in August, including victories against Australia and Germany. They took third place with a play-off win over hosts Brazil, whom they beat earlier in the year in the Algarve Cup final
They also netted the fastest ever goal in the Olympics, as Australia immediately conceded possession for Janine Beckie to score after only 20 seconds.
Canada Soccer says that in addition to those successes, John Herdman’s side also finished the year with a record of 15 wins from 20 matches.
“We said we’d try to win that tournament by being more adaptable than any other team,” said English-born Herdman of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. “Going into this next four years, we think we’ve set a precedent. With the type of group we have, we can spend more time building on-field chemistry that can develop. We know we have to be more creative … on the other side, teams can’t break us down.”
Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team previously won the award in 2012 (then known as the QMI Agency Team of the Year).
Canada will open their 2017 international season against Mexico on 4 February. The Bronze Medal Celebration Match will be played at BC Place in Vancouver.
