In Focus: Grosso and Canada could see more gold as standards rise

Julia Grosso has already won Olympic gold for Canada and is now setting her sights on the Women's World Cup. 

In 2021, the midfielder scored the decisive goal in a penalty shootout victory over Sweden which saw her nation triumph in Tokyo. 

With the Juventus star being tipped as a star to watch at the upcoming tournament, we turn the spotlight on her career and what we can expect from this summer. 

Juventus success

It is fair to say that Grosso's winning penalty at the Olympics changed her life forever. 

Canada does not have a professional women's league and she went into the Olympics playing for amateur side TSS FC Rovers. 

Within four months of winning gold, Grosso was snapped up by Juventus on an initial one-year contract. 

It was an appropriate move for a player with Italian-Portuguese heritage — her family name being a famous one in Italy thanks to Fabio Grosso's decisive penalty in the 2006 World Cup final. 

The 22-year-old seems at home. In her first season, Juve completed a domestic treble. 

A further Coppa Italia medal came in 2022-23 when Grosso was also named as the Serie A midfielder of the year. 

Winning mentality

Grosso has spoken about how much she enjoys life as a professional footballer in Italy. 

She said: "I just loved the culture here. It's just different. I love the training sessions. 

"Here it's very quick, sharp touches on the ball which I love. It's also like that in the NWSL as well but I just like the vibes here in Europe. 

"The mentality is just a winning mentality. We all want to win. We don't want to ever lose or tie." 

Grosso was a substitute when she came on and made her impact on the Olympics final. Now she is an important member of Bev Priestman's team. 

Canada are benefitting from the professional standards that the Vancouver-born player is now expected to meet. 

Having made her international debut at just 17 years old, Grosso has already amassed 50 caps for a team that have a mix of youth and experience. 

Tight group

Despite their recent Olympic success, Canada are not rated among the favourites to win the World Cup. 

That could be due to a recent run of bad results which has seen them lose four of their last five games, albeit against strong opposition. 

They have also been drawn in the tournament's supposed group of death alongside hosts Australia, Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland. 

Though every game promises to be close, Canada's defensive tightness is a major asset. 

Grosso is a player that can make a major difference in narrow contests, contributing to the team's defensive solidity, yet also possessing the passing ability to split defences. 

Further forward, footballers do not get more experienced than the 40-year-old Christine Sinclair, who has scored an incredible 190 goals for Canada in 323 games. 

For the older members of the squad, this represents a final chance to win the World Cup. 

Grosso and the younger generation should have plenty of opportunities for further glory. 

At a time when the top players in Canada are campaigning for a professional league that would increase standards, winning gold need not be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.