TORONTO – After seeing its World Cup dreams shattered, the Canadian women’s soccer team will try to avoid the same for its Olympic hopes when it faces Jamaica in a home-and-home match that will decide which team gets a ticket for the Paris Games in 2024.

The Concacaf region will have two spots in the 12-team Olympic tournament and, with the United States having already secured one of those spots, Canada or Jamaica will grab the other.

The Canadians have been Olympic powers with one gold and two bronze medals in the last three Summer Games, but they will watch the Paris tournament from home if they can’t beat Jamaica.

Jamaica will host the first match on Friday (Saturday morning Singapore time) in Kingston. The second leg will take place on Tuesday at a sold-out BMO Field in Toronto, and the coveted spot will go to the team that finishes with the most goals.

“Obviously we can’t hide from away (goals), we have to go out there looking for goals. We definitely took a step forward from the World Cup,” Canada coach Bev Priestman said Thursday.

The Reggae Girlz have lost nine straight against Canada but will be buoyed by the support of a raucous home crowd and the confidence gained from a successful World Cup, where they reached the round of 16 for the first time.

They were a surprise, securing draws against powerhouses France and Brazil and beating Panama for their first ever victory in the competition.

On the other hand, there are concerns around the Canadian camp after an uninspiring performance at the World Cup where they dropped out in the group stage.

Priestman admitted it’s been difficult to put that failure behind them, but it’s also motivated her team, which she said is hungrier than it has been in some time.

Her team of 25 women includes 21 players who were on the World Cup team and 14 who won Olympic gold in Tokyo.

If early elimination from the World Cup was a shock, not making it to Paris would be an even more humiliating setback.

“It’s going to last for a while…I don’t think defeat will ever leave you the way you feel. But I feel like the group is in a really good position and there’s obviously a lot at stake,” Priestman added.

“In many ways, that’s probably what we need, which is to get back on the horse. It’s always in the pit of your stomach, you feel it, but I think you’re most dangerous when you’re coming out of disappointment.

“I would like to think this group is hungrier because of such a big setback.” REUTERS