With two players concussed in separate accidents two days before Australia's second Women's World Cup game, Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson can forgive fans for questioning what's going on at practice.
Manchester City striker Mary Fowler and veteran defender Aivi Luik sustained mild concussions and joined star striker Sam Kerr on the injury list, team officials revealed Wednesday on the eve of Australia's Group B game against Nigeria. It's going to put a big strain on Australia's attacking stocks.
"I totally understand if you didn't see the training and if I were you sitting out there I would go `like what the heck is happening in training?"' Gustavsson said during a pre-game news conference Wednesday. "But it was a completely normal training."
Tuesday's session was part of the usual preparation schedule for the Matildas.
"Two days out you always have a high-intensity, medium-size game. We play eight-v-eight, high intensity," Gustavsson said. "Everything was good. Unfortunately two head knocks ... but pure unlucky."
"It's a bit to be unreal to be honest," added Gustavsson, a Swede with two decades of coaching experience -- including two stints as an assistant with the world champion U.S. women's team -- before taking over as Matildas head coach in 2020. "I've never experienced anything like it."
Caitlin Foord is the only recognized striker available to play against Ireland, with Kerr and Fowler injured and Kyah Simon on a careful, gradual return from a long-term injury.
"Sometimes you're unlucky and you need to deal with the cards you're handed," Gustavsson said, "and we're ready to play those cards." Australian captain Kerr missed the Matildas' opening game last week because of a calf muscle injury that was publicly revealed just an hour before kick off, silencing a record crowd of almost 76,000 at the match.
Gustavsson said there was no reason to keep the latest injuries confidential for so long.
The Matildas said Fowler, who replaced Kerr in the 1-0 win over Ireland, and Luik have recovered but have to go through Football Australia's graduated return to play protocols.
Having the World Cup on home soil has given Australia's team the confidence it can contend for the title even without some their biggest stars on the field. They're treating it as a chance to test the depth of their squad.
"We could play any one of us right now in the starting 11 and it would be the same as what we do on the training pitch," midfielder Tameka Yallop said from Australia's team camp in Brisbane earlier in the week. "So I think everyone has that ability and capability to step up and be a star at any point."
Steph Catley, wearing the captain's armband in place of Kerr, converted a penalty kick for co-host Australia's opening win. Despite the win, the Matildas' offense struggled to create scoring opportunities, with only two shots on target.
Against a Nigeria team that held Canada to a scoreless draw last week, Australia will need to prove that it has players throughout the team that can be game-changers in Kerr's absence.
Controversy bubbled for a Canadian drink company after its founders drew the ire of a Marvel superhero on an episode of a 'Shark Tank'-style reality series.
A major American retailer has stopped selling its new winter-themed candle over backlash from shoppers who said its design resembled Ku Klux Klan hoods.
Canadian stand-up comedian and former talk show host Mike Bullard has died.
China employed a record 125 aircraft, as well as its Liaoning aircraft carrier and ships, in large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands Monday, simulating the sealing off of key ports in a move that underscores the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait, officials said.
The 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, Spanish scientists said on Saturday, after using DNA analysis to tackle a centuries-old mystery.
A 39-year-old British woman was killed when a malfunctioning ottoman bed fell on her neck and asphyxiated her, a coroner’s report said.
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An especially warm fall in Ontario means the province may not get the colourful array of fall foliage that usually transforms treetops this time of year.
Three in four Canadians support defence spending on new submarines, according to a new survey from Nanos Research and Â鶹´«Ã½.
An especially warm fall in Ontario means the province may not get the colourful array of fall foliage that usually transforms treetops this time of year.
New data from the Angus Reid Institute shows that only one in five childless adults 50 or younger are confident they will have children.
The Ontario Provincial Police says the number of fatal collisions caused by distracted driving on the roads it patrols has increased by 40 per cent compared to this time last year.
Police have arrested and charged a 52-year-old man who wanted after failing to notify authorities about a dead person inside an apartment in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood.
A man died of his injuries after an altercation that escalated on a platform at Guy-Concordia station on Saturday night.
The woman was taken to hospital and is said to be in stable condition, paramedics say.
The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on Iran's deputy defence minister, senior members of its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and three airlines over allegations that they supplied drones, missiles and other equipment to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.
China employed a record 125 aircraft, as well as its Liaoning aircraft carrier and ships, in large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands Monday, simulating the sealing off of key ports in a move that underscores the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait, officials said.
An Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 18 people, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
A major American retailer has stopped selling its new winter-themed candle over backlash from shoppers who said its design resembled Ku Klux Klan hoods.
A Dutch woman who joined Islamic State in 2015 went on trial in the Netherlands on Monday for crimes against humanity for allegedly enslaving two Yazidi women in Syria.
A Sherpa teenager who became the youngest person to scale all the world’s 14 highest peaks returned home to Nepal on Monday to a hero's welcome.
Three in four Canadians support defence spending on new submarines, according to a new survey from Nanos Research and Â鶹´«Ã½.
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The Liberal Party has named Andrew Bevan as its new national campaign director for the next federal election. The announcement comes as party continues to face lagging polls and as party leader Justin Trudeau is facing new pressure to step aside.
The study, which uses a mathematical model, indicates that men and women may benefit from different breakfast choices to optimize metabolism and potentially aid weight management.
Your home – considered to be one of the safest havens from all the external stresses – is filthy.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a recall for Rana brand Tagliatelle Seasoned White Chicken and Mushroom sauce, citing possible Listeria contamination.
The 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, Spanish scientists said on Saturday, after using DNA analysis to tackle a centuries-old mystery.
Is geoengineering the environment ready for its closeup?
SpaceX pulled off the boldest test flight yet of its enormous Starship rocket on Sunday, catching the returning booster back at the launch pad with mechanical arms.
Canadian stand-up comedian and former talk show host Mike Bullard has died.
Ariana Grande performed one of her greatest hits on the latest episode of 'Saturday Night Live' – her famed Celine Dion impression.
A senior politician in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, who was also known for his close ties with Bollywood has been shot dead weeks before a key state election.
The Nobel memorial prize in economics was awarded Monday to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson for research that explains why societies with poor rule of law and exploitative institutions do not generate sustainable growth.
A major American retailer has stopped selling its new winter-themed candle over backlash from shoppers who said its design resembled Ku Klux Klan hoods.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled on a case she describes as a "bizarre mess" in a decision issued earlier this week.
Mike Grossman was adamant he wasn’t going to fall for anyone in Australia.
Sometimes love is written in the stars, but for one couple, it’s written in the aurora borealis.
The Government of Canada honoured Floyd H. Prosser through Parks Canada’s Hometown Heroes program during a ceremony in Halifax, N.S., Saturday.
It was a record breaking year at the Valley Harvest Marathon in Wolfville, N.S., on Saturday and Sunday.
Over his quarter century in the National Hockey League, Mark Messier witnessed sweeping technological changes to the game, from the advent of lighter hockey sticks to the use of video reviews.
Some prominent figures will be added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery on Sunday, a few hours before this year’s class is enshrined in Springfield, Mass.
The Ontario Provincial Police says the number of fatal collisions caused by distracted driving on the roads it patrols has increased by 40 per cent compared to this time last year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled on Thursday his vision of a 'a fun, exciting future,' an 'age of abundance' full of his company’s self-driving cars without steering wheels, parking lots turned into parks and robots that will walk among the population – that he once again promised would be available within a few years.
Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.
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Canadian hip hop artist Dillan King says running 100 marathons in 100 days was not only the hardest thing he has ever done, but the 'proudest accomplishment' of his entire life.
James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.
This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.
There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.
Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.
British Columbia's police watchdog group has found an RCMP officer to be justified in the shooting and killing of a man in a Hope hospital last year.
Just a couple of weeks after a new southern resident killer whale calf was first seen, its health appears to have taken a bad turn.
A man was taken to hospital after a home invasion in Burnaby early Sunday morning, according to local Mounties.
A man has been taken to a trauma centre with serious injuries after a vehicle struck a fire truck that was responding to a collision on the Gardner Expressway early Monday.
An especially warm fall in Ontario means the province may not get the colourful array of fall foliage that usually transforms treetops this time of year.
Here is a look at what’s open, what’s closed, and what’s on in the GTA during Thanksgiving weekend 2024:
A motorcyclist is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after a collision with a vehicle at MacLeod Trail and 39 Avenue.
Having never watched a live hockey game growing up Tatiana Straathof, is now working hundreds of goalies, helping them develop their focus in net.
Calgary fire and police are on scene of a watermain break along Bowness Road N.W. which has forced the closure of that stretch of road between 49 and 51 Streets.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what's open and closed in Ottawa over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The woman was taken to hospital and is said to be in stable condition, paramedics say.
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Almost half-a-million Quebecers could be eligible for a credit after a class action lawsuit settlement was approved by a Quebec judge over car dealerships that charged hidden fees.
Watch Â鶹´«Ã½ Montreal at six o'clock for Sunday, October 13, 2024 with anchor Kelly Greig.
Police are looking for witnesses to a single-car crash that closed Yellowhead Trail in both directions on Saturday night.
Your home – considered to be one of the safest havens from all the external stresses – is filthy.
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Power line technicians from Nova Scotia are on the ground in Tampa, Fla., assisting in power restoration after Hurricanes Helene and Milton barreled across the state, leaving extensive damage and millions in the dark.
It was a record breaking year at the Valley Harvest Marathon in Wolfville, N.S., on Saturday and Sunday.
Halifax-based musician Rich Aucoin is bringing an end to his popular parachute party performances with one last tour.
Sometimes love is written in the stars, but for one couple, it’s written in the aurora borealis.
Canadian stand-up comedian and former talk show host Mike Bullard has died.
A pack of dogs put their best paws forward when they were finally unleashed from a lifetime of animal testing.
Residents travelling in Regina's north end were sure to witness a large pillar of smoke Sunday morning, as fire crews battled a serious blaze on Angus Street.
Even a power outage didn't stop the Regina Thunder from trouncing the Calgary Colts 64-7 to move on to the Prairie Football Conference (PFC) Final.
Just under one million ballots are being printed for the upcoming provincial election in Saskatchewan, and 27 out of the 61 constituencies currently have their ballots being pulled hot off the presses in Regina.
According to police, when officers arrived they found the house fully engulfed in flames and were unable to make entry.
Â鶹´«Ã½ will be livestreaming the Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day parade.
The study, which uses a mathematical model, indicates that men and women may benefit from different breakfast choices to optimize metabolism and potentially aid weight management.
Just under one million ballots are being printed for the upcoming provincial election in Saskatchewan, and 27 out of the 61 constituencies currently have their ballots being pulled hot off the presses in Regina.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will host a playoff game for the first time since 2021 after defeating the B.C. Lions Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.
The Saskatchewan Party laid out its platform on Saturday, outlining their plan if they get re-elected in the Oct. 28 provincial election.
A northern Ontario driver faces multiple charges following a traffic stop on Highway 17 East.
Canadian stand-up comedian and former talk show host Mike Bullard has died.
The free trade agreement with ASEAN is expected to be signed at the end of 2025. If Trudeau is pressured to step down, or if his government falls and loses the next election, Trudeau will not, as prime minister, be there to see the fruits of his labour.
The London Police Service (LPS) has arrested three people in the early morning of Saturday following a shooting investigation.
With one day to go in the London Food Bank’s (LFB) Thanksgiving Food Drive, officials are not only thrilled, but surprised by the community response.
One person has died after a two-vehicle collision in the Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich on Saturday afternoon.
Provincial police remind motorists about the importance of buckling up after an officer discovered a passenger sitting on a kitchen chair inside the vehicle during a traffic stop in the Town of the Blue Mountains.
A plaque was unveiled at Veterans' Memorial Park Sunday morning to honour the friend of a cadet who died in a historic Orillia tragedy.
OPP continue to investigate a multi-vehicle crash that occurred midday Saturday in the City of Kawartha Lakes, resulting in five needing treatment for various injuries.
A member of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Hall of Fame and former Windsor firefighter who stayed active in the community despite being paralyzed in a fire truck rollover nearly two decades ago has died.
Windsor Mosque opened its doors to the public this weekend in an ongoing effort to foster understanding and correct misconceptions about Islam within the community.
The Windsor police has put out an appeal to the public, asking for help identifying a sexual assault suspect.
Just a couple of weeks after a new southern resident killer whale calf was first seen, its health appears to have taken a bad turn.
Vicki Huntington says two things are critical to be elected as an Independent member of the legislature in British Columbia — trusted name recognition and an angry constituency.
B.C.’s northern coast has been getting soaked by an atmospheric river over the Thanksgiving long weekend, with officials warning of heavy downpours and possible flooding.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
The Vancouver Giants scored late to force overtime before winning 4-3 over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday night.
If you’re looking for something to do this long weekend, the Lethbridge Corn Maze is open and hosting its annual fundraiser on Monday.
Local photographers were amazed by the aurora borealis display in the night sky over Lethbridge on Thursday night.
Provincial police in Hearst, Ont., stopped an unlicensed northwestern Ontario driver for a morning traffic infraction.
A 32-year-old woman has been charged in connection with the death of an 18-year-old man this past January, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
Two people are facing multiple charges after a dead person was brought to North Shore Health Network in Blind River this summer.
A five-hour drive from St. John's, N.L., and well off the beaten path, Point Leamington seems an unlikely spot for a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction.
A Conservative MP from Newfoundland and Labrador says some small towns in his rural riding are overrun with crime, but police say they haven't received reports to that effect.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
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