Father of Canada’s Julia Grosso describes watching daughter’s golden penalty kick

Soccer fans across the country were on edge Friday morning as the Canadian women’s soccer team faced Sweden in a penalty shootout that would decide who would win gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Perhaps no one was more nervous than the parents of Julia Grosso, the Canadian midfielder who was pegged to take the penalty kick that could give Canada victory.

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Coquitlam soccer star on world stage

“Tension” was the word Carlos Grosso used to describe the atmosphere at their family home in Coquitlam, B.C., as Julia approached the penalty spot.

Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl managed to get a hand on Grosso’s shot, which deflected into the top of the net to give the Canadian women’s soccer team its first-ever Olympic gold medal.

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Tokyo Olympics: Canada defeats Sweden, takes gold after nail-biting shootout in women’s soccer final

“We were all nervous, very, very nervous,” Carlos told 980 CKNW’s Simi Sara. “But when she scored that goal, it exploded in my house, big time.”

Carlos said he talked to his daughter via Facetime after Canada’s win.

“She’s over the moon right now,” he said.

Amid the elation, Carlos had time to reflect on Julia’s path to Olympic gold, starting with youth soccer to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite to her current club, the University of Texas Longhorns.

“It’s not what she does on the field, it’s what she does off the field when nobody’s watching her,” he said.

“She’s dedicated basically the last six months [to] making the [Canadian] team and trying to win that starting position. Kudos to my kid. She put in all the effort in and she was rewarded.”