In the second round of the World Aquatics Championships, regulars Canada were too strong for Great Britain.
After playing against Europe's elite in recent months, Great Britain faced a new challenge against two-time bronze medalists, but lost 20-5 to a clinical Canadian team at Doha's Aspire Dome.
Similar to the match against Italy, Great Britain managed to get a lot of shots off the board, but Olympic hopefuls Canada were too strong throughout the match.
This means England face a crucial moment in their final group game against South Africa on Thursday.
The result against the African side will decide the fate of the crossover match. If they win, they will finish in third place and advance to the crossover, but if they lose, they will be at the bottom of Group D with 13 wins and 16 losses.th Put the playoffs.
Canada got off to a strong start with two goals within the first two minutes, but a third goal was awarded after a VAR review.
Shay La Roche's counter-attacking shot looked like a great save from Sophie Jackson, but a review revealed that the ball had just crossed the line.
Canada then asserted their dominance, building a 6-1 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Great Britain created a number of chances of their own early on. Brooke Tafazoli's long-range shot headed for the top corner but was stopped by the always impressive Canadian defense.
Lily Turner then had a man-up chance and had a shot, but after a clever block from Hayley McKelvey, Amelia Peters' shot was well saved at the near post.
It took until the final moments of the first quarter for the GB team to finally break through Canada's last line. Another man-up opportunity arose when Turner chipped a pass past his marker to Toula Falvey, who grabbed the pass and fired a shot into the bottom right corner.
Improves as the match progresses
GB came out even stronger in the second period and took the lead with a goal from Katie Cutler. A cross-field pass left England's No. 7 free on the left-hand side and he slotted the ball past the keeper to reduce the gap to just four points.
Brooke Tafazoli's deflected shot bounced into the top corner, but the Canadians regained control with a fast-break double from man of the match Elise Lemay-Lavoie.
Leading 11-3 at half-time, the match was essentially out of reach for the British side, who continued to fight throughout.
GB defenseman and keeper Sophie Jackson kept Canada's attack quiet to start the second half, not allowing a second point in the first six minutes, but was unable to create the necessary openings on the other end.
Alex Robinson received significant playing time in the final period of the World Championship, replacing starting goalkeeper Jackson.
The Rotherham Metro keeper was quick to get into action, reacting well to stop a close-range shot from inside just 30 seconds into the final period.
She and the British team continued to battle, but were unable to stop the experienced Canada from extending their advantage to 15 at the final whistle.
Turner scored a hat-trick against Italy before getting England back on the scoresheet with a long-range shot that put them back in goal.
Falvey then scored the winning goal of the match with a powerful shot from Katie Brown's tee-up, completing Britain's scoring.
'Thank you for your support'
After the game, GB captain Cathy Rogers said: We're back on the world stage, so we have to start somewhere.
“We haven't been here in over 10 years, so this place is like ground zero. We want to get back to these tournaments, but first we have a baseline that we can build on over the next few years. Must have.
“It was a physical game and I’m really happy for the girls. Our third quarter was really strong, everyone was in the water and it was really good for the whole team to contribute. I am proud of the female players who persevered.
“I think when you play against a top team, the speed of moving the ball and the physicality of the press are important. As you play against them, you learn the little things, like we have to move the ball faster ourselves to score goals. Become a little more physical to create more opportunities.
“When you play against these top teams, you can find little things that you can put into the next game to help your performance.
“The game against South Africa is a really important game and finishing third in the group is really important for us. The last time we were here was in 2013, we had 13 players.th And if they win against South Africa, they are guaranteed to finish in third place and within the top 12.
Rodgers also took the time to send a message of thanks to everyone who supports the team in their home country.
“First of all, I’m so grateful to them for watching and supporting me,” she said.
“We want to make them proud because we're here representing them. It hurts to lose, but the junior girls could be us next year and the year after.” I am very grateful for your support and I know that you are watching with this in mind.
“But watching the Italians play, watching the Canadians play, seeing the goals, I think that’s the level we want to be at, so I’m going to keep working hard and thank you for your support.”
The British women's team returns to action against South Africa on Thursday at 7.30am UK time. The match can be watched on Eurovision Sport.
