Canada’s male and female teams have progressed to the quarterfinals of the flag football world championships in Germany. The men, with a 2-1 record, secured a spot despite a 37-28 loss to Japan, who was led by quarterback Take Taniguchi’s five touchdown passes. The Canadian team, also featuring former CFL quarterback Michael O’Connor’s three TD passes, was granted a walkover win against Nigeria due to visa complications.
In the upcoming quarterfinals, the Canadian men will face American Samoa, who caused an upset by defeating the top-seeded U.S. team. On the other hand, the women’s team finished first in their group with a flawless 3-0 record following their 34-20 victory over Japan. They are set to clash against Austria in the quarterfinals, with a potential semifinal match against the winner of Mexico and Spain.
During the match against Japan, quarterback Sara Parker shined with four touchdown passes, two of which were caught by Caroline Moquin-Joubert. Notable contributions also came from Alexane Fournier, Marianne Quirion, and Frederique Morneau, who scored crucial points to overturn a halftime deficit.
Aside from aiming for the world title, the teams are vying for a chance to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The top two finishers at the world championships will secure Olympic berths in the sport’s debut at the event. To catch all the action, viewers can live stream the matches on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.