Canada’s male and female teams have progressed to the quarterfinals of the flag football world championships held in Germany. The men’s team, with a 2-1 record, secured a spot despite a 37-28 loss to Japan, who was led by quarterback Take Taniguchi with five touchdown passes, while Canada’s Michael O’Connor threw three. Due to Nigeria’s withdrawal from the tournament over visa issues, Canada received an automatic win. Next, they will face American Samoa, who upset the top-seeded U.S. team.
On the other hand, the women’s team dominated in their group with a flawless 3-0 record after defeating Japan 34-20. Quarterback Sara Parker shone with four touchdown passes, two of them to Caroline Moquin-Joubert. Their quarterfinal match will be against Austria, with a chance to advance to the semifinals against the winner of Mexico and Spain.
Not only are the teams vying for a world title, but they are also competing for a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as the top two finishers at the world championships will secure Olympic berths. All matches from the event are available for live streaming on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.