NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Vanessa Gilles and Evelyne Viens each scored for Canada in a 2-0 victory over Brazil in the SheBelieves Cup on Sunday.
The United States won the earlier match 1-0 against Japan to take the lead in the SheBelieves standings heading into the final games in Frisco, Texas, on Wednesday.
Gilles scored on a header in the 31st minute to give Canada the lead. It was her third international goal. Viens added Canada’s second goal in the 71st.
Canada, which fell 2-0 to the United States in its tournament opener on Thursday, was second in the standings with the win over Brazil.
All four teams are using the SheBelieves tournament as preparation for the Women’s World Cup this summer in Australia and New Zealand.
Canada is in the midst of a labor dispute with its federation. The team initially planned to boycott team activities during the SheBelieves Cup and sat out of a practice before the start of the tournament. Canada Soccer said the action amounted to an illegal strike and the players acquiesced, but said they would play in protest.
The Canadian men’s and women’s teams have been in negotiations since last year for a new contract. The Canadian women are seeking equal pay to their male counterparts.
Players on the Canadian squad wore purple T-shirts during the anthem that read “Enough is Enough” and purple armbands during the game.
Players on Japan’s national team wore purple armbands in solidarity during their match against the United States earlier in the day, and England’s national team wore them in a Sunday match against Italy.
“I think it’s such an important time to be a part of this fight and an important time to be a part of women’s sport. You always say sport is an avenue for change. And I think to be able to continue to use our voices and try and ignore the trolls as much as possible and kind of push forward in this fight is really important,” said Janine Beckie, who made her 100th career appearance for Canada.
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