Can Stoney’s Canada Finally Beat a Top-15 Opponent? Denmark Provides the Test

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The wait is finally over.

More than three months after a dominant 6-0 victory over Costa Rica in June and more than a year removed from their last home fixture, the Canadian women's national team returns to Canadian soil this week for a pair of friendlies against Denmark. Canada hosts the #12-ranked Danes in Montreal on October 9 before the series shifts to Toronto on October 12. It will be the teams' seventh and eighth meetings, with the all-time series tied at three wins apiece.

On the surface, these are merely friendlies. In reality, they represent one of Canada's last meaningful opportunities to refine tactical details, evaluate personnel, and build momentum before the CONCACAF Women's Championship begins in late November. That tournament will carry enormous weight, serving not only as qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup but also providing a pathway to the 2028 Olympic Games.

Denmark enters the series as one of Europe's most improved teams, already having secured qualification for the 2027 World Cup following an unbeaten campaign that included home-and-away victories over 8th-ranked Sweden. While Canada arrives with a deeper and more experienced squad, Denmark brings momentum, tactical clarity, and arguably the best player who will step onto the field across the two matches (I will accept arguments for Sonis, more on her later).

For both countries, these 180 minutes feel like far more than a pair of exhibition matches.

Casey Stoney's squad selection suggests a coach prioritizing stability and tactical cohesion. Despite calls for a transition to a new generation of stars, the timing is not yet right for the 90s kids to fully hand over the reins to the young guns.

Canada enters camp with one of its more experienced groups in recent memory. The squad averages approximately 28 years of age and brings roughly 1,345 international caps into the window. Six players have surpassed the century mark internationally (Fleming, Buchanan, Lawrence, Sonis, Zadorsky, and Prince), highlighting the veteran core that remains central to Canada's ambitions of making a deep World Cup run. That stands in contrast to Denmark's squad, which is only slightly younger on average, at 27 years of age, but carries far fewer caps, 895 total. Only one Danish player has reached the 100-cap milestone.

The October camp is notable for several absences, however. Vanessa Gilles was ruled out late through injury, leading to a call-up for Élisabeth Tsé. Kadeisha Buchanan's status remains uncertain after suffering an injury in Chelsea’s last WSL match requiring a substitution. She has not been ruled out but Brooklyn Courtnall has joined the squad. Jordyn Huitema (ACL) and Jayde Riviere (calf) continue to deal with medium-to-long-term injuries, while NWSL players Adriana Leon and Holly Ward were not selected due to limited club minutes.

One of the more intriguing roster decisions comes in goal. Canada has elected to bring four goalkeepers into camp: Kailen Sheridan, Sabrina D'Angelo, Lysianne Proulx, and Melissa Dagenais. While Sheridan and D’Angelo remain the undisputed number one and two, the expanded group provides an opportunity for Canada's new goalkeeping staff to evaluate depth and begin shaping the future of the position. Proulx's return to camp is particularly noteworthy after missing out due to injury and lack of club minutes. She has returned to good form with Ipswich Town, with two clean sheets and 3 wins in 5 starts in the WSL 2.

Beyond the tactical discussions and squad battles, the October window carries emotional significance. Allysha Chapman is expected to earn the 100th cap of her international career before retiring from the national team. The veteran fullback will become only the 24th player in CanWNT history to reach the century mark.

Chapman's career spans multiple generations of Canadian woso and is emblematic of the type of player Canada produced during the 2010s. From her emergence under John Herdman to Olympic success and multiple World Cups, she has been one of the program's most dependable contributors; a fighter through and through, and above all, an absolute character both on and off the pitch (you’ll remember that hot mic moment in Australia). We wish her all the best as her club future remains uncertain beyond her expiring Houston Dash contract. We would love to see her close out her career in the NSL. Perhaps pals Labbe, Sinclair, Scott, and Moscato have already been making some calls.

In addition, another Canadian legend will be celebrated as Melissa Tancredi is officially inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, for her contributions to the CanWNT program over her 14 year career. The “Tanc” scored 27 goals in 125 caps, good for 7th all-time, behind Kara Lang and ahead of Jordyn Huitema.

The biggest question facing Canada is whether the team can consistently compete with elite opposition again. They have yet to beat a top 15 opponent under Stoney, their last win against such an opponent was at the 2024 Paris Olympics vs France, fuelled by a sheer need to redeem their reputation on the global stage in the face of the drone scandal.

Canada has handled most opponents below its level comfortably under Stoney. The recent win over Costa Rica was another example of the team's ability to dominate weaker competition. The next step is proving they can do the same against nations that expect to compete in the latter stages of major tournaments. Denmark provides exactly that type of challenge.

Canada certainly has the experience, and they also have the quality needed to take at least four points from this series, while balancing cohesion and rotation. Several NWSL-based players enter the camp in excellent form, including Denver’s Janine Sonis who, at 32, is having her best club season ever with 12 goals and 6 assists in 26 games, as a fullback at that. Ranked as the top player in the league according to average Fotmob ratings (7.75), she is considered a lock to be named to the Team of the Season and is in the running for Defender of the Year. Cloé Lacasse (8G, 10A) is also enjoying a banner year with Utah, leading the league in assists and consistently creating chances (4th in the league in chances created). Kailen Sheridan and Jessie Fleming are among only 8 players who have played every single minute of the season so far (2,340).

Another storyline worth following is the growing influence of the Northern Super League. A record six NSL players were selected for this camp: Shelina Zadorsky, Sabrina D'Angelo, Marie-Yasmine Alidou, Melissa Dagenais, Delaney Baie Pridham, and Kaylee Hunter. Current top-scorer Jess De Filippo was omitted, however, Stoney told CBC that she is tracking the Vancouver Rise striker.

With the NSL's ambitions of becoming a destination league and eventually a top-five league worldwide, having a quarter of the CanWNT squad come from the fledgling domestic competition has to be seen as a positive sign.

For Canadian supporters unfamiliar with Denmark's recent journey, the transformation has been remarkable. The Danes entered the Euro 2025 in England with expectations and left with disappointment following three losses and a group-stage exit. The tournament exposed several flaws and raised questions about the future direction of the national team.

Rather than beginning a complete rebuild, Denmark chose a more gradual evolution. Jakob Michelsen assumed control after the tournament and immediately began reshaping the team tactically, while preserving the parts of the experienced core that were working.

The results have been outstanding. Denmark sailed through World Cup qualification undefeated, including home-and-away wins over rivals Sweden. Beating Sweden once can happen. Beating Sweden twice in the same qualification cycle is no fluke. In June, by the end of the campaign, Denmark secured direct qualification to the 2027 World Cup and re-established itself among Europe's most difficult teams to play against.

One of the most interesting aspects of Michelsen's tenure has been his willingness to make difficult selection decisions. High-profile veterans such as Nadia Nadim, Signe Bruun, and Katrine Veje have largely been phased out despite their accomplishments with the national team and at the club level.

Instead, Denmark has begun integrating younger players who fit the system. 

The Tactical Evolution Under Michelsen

The most significant change has not been personnel. It has been structure. Under Michelsen, Denmark has increasingly embraced a three-centre-back system that can morph into multiple different shapes depending on the opponent and game state.

At various points, Denmark has lined up in shapes resembling:

With these tactical tweaks, Denmark seeks to create overloads in wide areas, while maintaining compactness through central areas and providing freedom for Pernille Harder to find spaces and positions from which to influence the match.

Wingbacks are central to the system. Frederikke Thøgersen and Sofie Svava provide width in possession and frequently push high into attacking positions. When defending, they drop quickly, transforming the formation into a solid back five.

That has made Denmark difficult to break down. The Danes’ defensive organization remains a pillar of their game, and they have yet to concede more than one goal in a match since Michelsen took over.

The backline combines experience and positional discipline. 34-year-old Simone Boye brings nearly 100 caps. Vanessa Gilles’ teammate at Bayern, Stine Ballisager, is a leader and vice-captain. They are not flashy. They are simply reliable. And because Denmark often sits in a block, their lack of pace in central defense rarely hurts them.

Every conversation about Denmark eventually arrives at the same name. Pernille Harder. There may not be a more influential player in the series.

The Bayern Munich star enters the series with 173 caps and 85 international goals. She is a 2026 Ballon d'Or nominee, a nine-time Danish Player of the Year, and one of the most decorated players in women's football. She’s currently on an astonishing 11-year run of winning domestic Championships in Sweden, Germany, and England.

The most staggering statistic is this: Harder has scored 85 of the 145 international goals represented in Denmark's current squad. Nearly sixty percent.

Unlike traditional number 9s who remain high up the pitch occupying center backs, Harder operates virtually everywhere. She drops into midfield, breaks lines with her passing and dribbling, combines in tight spaces, and remains Denmark's most dangerous goalscoring threat.

That’s both an advantage and a liability. When Harder is at her best, Denmark becomes significantly more dangerous. When opponents succeed in limiting her influence, the Danish attack often becomes more predictable. Canada's defensive game plan will almost certainly begin with figuring out how to reduce Harder's impact.

While Harder understandably receives most of the attention, several other players deserve recognition and have taken on larger roles in the new system.

Kathrine Kühl is Denmark's most intriguing midfielder. Still only 23, the Atlético Madrid player emerged under Canadian coach Carmelina Moscato at FC Nordsjælland and has become a key part of Denmark's midfield pivot. She has matured considerably since she joined Arsenal as a teenager, playing 28 matches from 2022-2024.

Amalie Vangsgaard provides Denmark's secondary scoring threat. Now with Aston Villa, she enters the series with 14 international goals, second only to Harder among active squad members.

Olivia Holdt is enjoying a strong third campaign with Tottenham, scoring a hat-trick vs Crystal Palace on September 20th, and the game-winner in the Cup vs Brighton 10 days later. This follows a breakout 25/26 season in which the attacking midfielder scored 10 goals. She’ll likely slot in as part of a fluid front three.

Cornelia Kramer remains one of Denmark's exciting emerging talents. The Bayer Leverkusen forward has limited international experience but continues to impress at the club level and could see meaningful minutes during the series. The 23-yo already has 4 Bundesliga goals to her name in 6 matches this season, matching her output from 25/26.

On paper, Canada enters these friendlies as the favourite.

The Canadians possess the deeper squad, hold the higher FIFA ranking, and boast considerably more international experience. They will also enjoy home support in both Montreal and Toronto.

The Danes have quietly assembled one of Europe's most impressive qualification campaigns, developed a clear tactical identity, and continue to build around one of the world's elite attacking players.

For Canada, this series is about preparation. For Denmark, it is about validation.

For supporters in Montreal and Toronto, it should deliver two highly competitive matches between teams with realistic ambitions of making an impact at the 2027 World Cup.

And after a very long wait, Canadian fans finally get to see their team do it at home.