HAITI FOR STARTERS      20th January 2012

First, I don't think I could write this journal without mentioning the tragic death of Sarah Burke. The team has had her in our thoughts since the horrific accident on the 10th January, and the news of her death really hit home yesterday morning. We were honored to recognize her huge legacy in Canadian sport with a minute of silence before the start of our match against Haiti. Thank you CONCACAF for organizing this.

This morning I was a little sore and tired after the game, but glad to have now seen the tournament get underway. It is easy for many in the press and crowd to say that Haiti was an easy win. I have read as much on the internet. The truth is that Haiti worked their tails off and made us work for every part of the success we had on the field.

Haiti really showed grit and determination throughout the match and even though we won comfortably, they impressed me throughout the 90 minutes. For us, te game was a good start to the tournament and I want to thank all the fans who came out to the game to cheer us on.

 I have been on the national team a long time and this is the first tournament I have played on home soil. It is an amazing feeling to be playing in front of friends and family, and it is almost odd not to hear any booing from the opposition fans.

Today was all about rest and recuperation. This tournament has a quick turn around time and we are going to have to be diligent about doing all the little things right (ie. ice baths, stretching, and recovery) to be at our best for each and every game.

I am now watching the US game versus Dominican Republic. Could there be an argument for a mercy rule here? Who thought up this match?