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TEAM CANADA:

Canada takes Bronze Medal in Pan American Games

From Lori Ewing of Canadian Press

Christine Sinclair and Kristina Kiss scored as Canada's women's soccer team bounced back from disappointment to beat Mexico 2-1 in Thursday's bronze-medal match at the Pan American Games.

The win provided the Canadians some consolation after earlier heartbreaks, and a positive ending to the tournament fewer than two months before September's World Cup in China.

Now the Canadians head home with valuable international games under their belt, some knowledge of where their weaknesses lie — and a wakeup call before they head to China to play on the game's biggest stage. "Overall, it was a better performance than before," Canadian coach Even Pellerud said after the win. "So it's good to finish off on a good note, but it was never great. This is not the World Cup level, we need to get better."

Brazil defeated the United States Under 20 team by 5 - 0 in the Gold and Silver medal match up.

Sinclair, who was playing her 100th game for Canada, scored in the 21st minute Thursday. The striker from Burnaby, B.C., knocked a cross from Brittany Timko of Coquitlam, B.C., past Mexican 'keeper Anjuli Ladron de Guevara. Kiss, from Ottawa, stretched Canada's lead to 2-0, connecting on a penalty shot in extra time before the break, after Sinclair was taken down from behind in the box.

Teresa Worbis scored Mexico's lone goal on a penalty shot in the 65th minute, slotting the ball to the right corner past Canada's 'keeper Karina LeBlanc of Maple Ridge, B.C.

The Canadians were using the Pan Ams to fine-tune for China, but were stunned after a 7-0 loss to Brazil in their final preliminary-round game, their worst loss in six years. They then went on to lose 2-1 to the U.S. — which fielded an under-20 side at Rio — in the semifinals.

The Canadians will head back to their training base in Vancouver with some key areas to work on. On the physical side, Pellerud is concerned about his players' fatigue. "It was a general lack of energy, and that has to be rectified," said Pellerud. "It's quite evident to all of us that the juice in the legs is not there."

From a technical standpoint, the biggest problem is individual defending. The Canadians were beaten repeatedly against a quicker and more skilled Brazilian side. "We are losing fights all across the field," said Pellerud.

The Canadian coach has been frustrated over the lack of international games for his team — other than exhibition series against China and New Zealand, the team's only action has come against boys teams in Vancouver. Canada will have one international friendly against Japan before the World Cup kicks off.

"The games in Rio) were crucial for us," said Pellerud. "We didn't do well, but the games are important. "The Canadians said leaving Rio on a high note was crucial after a disappointing tournament. "Obviously we still have a lot of work to do before we're ready, but at least beating Mexico and playing pretty well, at least we're a little more confident now, "said Sinclair, who finished the tournament with seven goals.

The Canadians played with far more poise against No. 22-ranked Mexico, which had upset ninth-ranked Canada in the 2004 Olympic qualifying tournament. "We really played smart and read Mexico, instead of only playing the way we play, "said defender Martina Franko of Squamish, B.C. "That's what I think was the problem in the last two games; we just continued to play how we play, with high pressure. Instead, this time we just dropped and relaxed, and passed the ball around." LeBlanc said this wakeup call may play to Canada's advantage. "We've been together for awhile, and I think we just took it for granted that we'd just be able to play," said LeBlanc "But you've got to find good out of the bad and I think the good thing we found out of this is that we've got to come to play every game."

Thursday's early-morning game began in a near-empty 97,000-seat Maracana Stadium, but the cavernous stadium was noisy by the final moments as fans poured in for Brazil's battle with the U.S. for gold. The gold-medal game at the storied stadium — the site of the 1950 World Cup — was played before a near sell-out crowd. "Just walking through the halls underneath (the stadium), seeing the players who have played here, Pele, Ronaldo, it's just amazing," Sinclair said of playing in the famous stadium.

The Canadians won silver at the 2003 Pan Am Games with an under-23 side, losing to Brazil in the gold medal game.