Caroline Weir’s late effort earns Team GB quarter-final against Australia

An 85th-minute deflected strike from the Scotland forward Caroline Weir cancelled out Adriana Leon’s goal for Canada and ensured Team GB topped Group E ahead of their opponents and set up a quarter-final with Australia.

“That was an important goal, for sure,” said Team GB’s manager, Hege Riise, with a big sigh of relief. “We’re top of the group, seven points, staying here [in Kashima], a little bit more rest, so obviously that was important, and we’re happy.”

It had looked as if Canada would inflict Team GB’s first defeat at the Olympics and leapfrog them in the table after Leon became the first player to breach the defence of Riise’s side in the tournament.

“It’s massive,” said Weir of her leveller. “It gives players confidence. It’s the third group game, Canada are a top team, we’ve played a lot of minutes, it’s just so important momentum-wise. We’re a new team, we’ve not really had tests and we’re going to be tested. We had difficult moments, we fought through it and came out on top of the group.”

Given the luxury of having already qualified for Friday’s quarter-finals, both managers had made changes, each swapping out six players from the starting XIs that played on Saturday.

Two of the trio of Team GB captains, Kim Little and Steph Houghton, dropped to the bench with Wales’ Sophie Ingle handed the armband. Millie Bright, Weir, Rachel Daly and Georgia Stanway returned to the lineup, and Jill Scott started in midfield.

Lauren Hemp was rested, as was the defensive midfielder Keira Walsh, while the Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy and Manchester United forward Ella Toone were called up to the bench, with Fran Kirby included in the matchday squad for the first time after sustaining a knock during the training camp before the team’s arrival in Japan. The international all-time record goalscorer Christine Sinclair (187 goals in 301 games for her country) was rested for Canada.

Most pleasing from a Team GB point of view was that despite the overhaul, their passing remained slick, with tight triangles artistically used to try to manoeuvre a way through a solid backline early on.

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Daly twice had the opportunity to put Riise’s side ahead in the first half. First, played through on the right, she shot straight at the keeper, Stephanie Labbé, with the angle tight; then a slick ball around the defence from Scott played her in but Canadian defender Ashley Lawrence was able to block the shot.

The best chance of the half, though, fell to Weir. A mistimed clearance from Kadeisha Buchanan landed at the feet of Nikita Parris and she fluffed a pass to Weir who, not expecting it, allowed Vanessa Gilles to clear.

The Canada manager and former England assistant Bev Priestman made changes at the interval – with Paris Saint-Germain’s Jordyn Huitema and Chelsea’s Jessie Fleming sent on. It did not take long for Team GB to be punished for their first-half profligacy. Full-back Lawrence swept from her own half towards the byline before slipping a cross past the outstretched foot of Lucy Bronze at the near post and through a sea of bodies for a barely marked Leon at the back to fire in.

Riise, unwilling to relinquish the side’s unbeaten record without a fight, turned to Ellen White, scorer of Team GB’s three goals to date, and the Scotland midfielder Little. It was Weir, though, who went agonisingly close to an equaliser, sending a shot off the inside of the far post, via the crossbar, from a tight angle on the left.

“Crossbar then post, I don’t think I’ve ever done that before,” Weir said. “I didn’t actually [think that it wouldn’t be our day]. I knew we were going to get chances. That was with 15 minutes to go and in this team you’re always going to get chances.”

Team GB kept knocking on the door and the magnificent Weir got luckier next time, her shot from 30 yards taking a heavy deflection off Nichelle Prince that wrongfooted Labbé and flew in.

“It’s taken a big deflection but we’re not bothered by that – we worked hard for that,” said Weir.

For Canada, who progress in second place and will play Brazil, it felt like a defeat. “That’s been the story, with Japan as well [another 1-1 draw],” said Priestman. “But I think I have to see the bigger picture. We rested some key, key players that will help us through the next round.”