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RHIAN SOCCER JOURNALS

CANADA IS OFF TO LONDON 28th January 2012

(From M. Weber, The Province, M. MacMahon, Sportsnet)

In front of a record crowd of 22, 954 fans, a record for a CONCACAF women's soccer qualifier, Canada qualified for the London Olympics with an emotional 3-1 win over Mexico at B.C. Place on Friday. The win means that Canada has booked their trip to the London Olympics. “We gave up that goal in the second half. In the past we would have collapsed, but this time we just kept going and kept battling, and got that third goal to close out the game,” Sinclair said, following the victory.

“It’s the qualification games that are more nerve-wracking than the actual games in the tournament, because obviously if you lose you don’t even get to go,” Sinclair said. “I think it’s a huge step for us, especially with Canada hosting the next World Cup (in 2015). To show that we can put on an event like this and get the support we did for a qualification tournament -- so this is just a start for the next World Cup.”

Melissa Tancredi also found the net for Canada, scoring the second goal of the game in the 23rd minute after a set-up from Kelly Parker.

With the win, Canada continues its domination of Mexico, improving its all-time record to 17-1-1 against its regional rivals.

Canada started the scoring through Sinclair in the 15th minute, as she made a late run into the box after a cross from Lauren Sesselmann found Tancredi. The 30-year-old forward used her left foot to find the rushing Sinclair, who took a touch before firing past a helpless Cecilia Santiago to give Canada the lead. “I took a touch that, I wasn’t sure how the goalie was going to react to it,” Sinclair said. “But then when I looked up, she was in sort of no-man’s land and I saw her go down, so I knew to put it up, and it went in.”

Six minutes later, Sinclair did her best to return the favor for Tancredi, sending her through on goal with a lob over the Mexican defence. The forward controlled the ball well but scuffed her outside-of-the-foot strike to the right of Santiago’s goal.

Twenty-three minutes in, Canada made it 2-0 through Tancredi. Rhian Wilkinson played a good ball into Sinclair in the box, who then touched on to Kelly Parker. The midfielder crossed across goal for Tancredi to finish easily from close range. However, this play initially caused more fright than jubilation for the Canadians, as Sinclair was clattered by Marylin Diaz and appeared to turn her ankle.

The explosion of noise on Tancredi's 2-0 goal was quashed immediately by an eerie silence as Sinclair lay in a heap, writhing in pain. But she picked herself up, as she always does, and after some time on the sideline, she carried on. "That's Christine, isn't it?" said Herdman. "Broken nose. Broken ankle. She'd play with anything. But you've got to start talking about the players behind her. There's more to this team than Christine and some girls really put themselves on the line tonight."

Mexico continued to target Sinclair following her return, as Maribel Dominguez clipped the 28-year-old’s ankles in the 38th minute, causing her to go down hard. Referee Dianne Ferreira-James spotted the foul and promptly carded the Mexican skipper.

Sinclair recovered enough to run herself through on goal on 40 minutes, as Sophie Schmidt picked her out with a wonderful ball from around centre. Sinclair’s left-foot effort was saved well by Santiago to keep the score at 2-0.

One minute later the Mexicans had their best chance of the half, as goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc scuffed her clearance and the ball founds its way to Teresa Noyola. Fortunately for Canada, Noyola rushed her effort and fired comfortably wide of the stranded LeBlanc. In the final minute of the second half, Canada once again looked dangerous, as Marlene Sandoval gave the ball away deep in the Mexican half. The ball reached Christina Julien, but she was closed down quickly.

Canada’s first opportunity of the second half happened two minutes in. Julien appeared to be wide open after Tancredi found her with a pass from the ground, but the forward fired well wide. Mexico got their first real chance in the 55th minute, as Guajardo crossed into Dominguez, but the striker couldn’t get on the end of the ball. Two minutes later, Canada made its first substitution, as Kaylyn Kyle replaced Julien, and in the 63rd minute Melanie Booth replaced Sesselmann.

Mexico's Ocampo controlled the ball well before hitting a powerful effort at LeBlanc, but the ‘keeper acrobatically knocked it over the bar to safety. On the ensuing corner, taken by Dinora Garza, LeBlanc punched out, but an unmarked Veronica Perez blasted a fine low shot through the crowd to bring the score to 2-1.

In the 74th minute, coach John Herdman used his final substitution, bringing Brittany Timko on for Schmidt.

A minute later, Tancredi hit a wonderful pass behind the Mexican defence toward the onrushing Sinclair. Canada’s captain opted to chip Santiago, and her ball took a bounce before going straight into the Mexican goal to restore the two-goal cushion. “It was incredible,” Sinclair said of the pass. “Tank and I have had quite the connection this tournament. When she’s healthy, she’s such a force out there and takes attention away from me -- she’s incredible to play with.”

Martinez came in for Ocampo in the 86th minute. Dominguez had a strike in the 88th minute after a back heel from Perez, but LeBlanc held on well. In the final minute Tancredi found a rushing Kyle, but the chance came to nothing.

“We’re going to enjoy this tonight, and then tomorrow we’re going to get right back at it,” LeBlanc said. “We think it’s important to enjoy this, because I was there eight years ago when we lost (and failed to qualify for the Olympics) and that was so gutting. “This is a feeling you want to remember, so that down the line you remember what it feels like to be on this end.”

"It's been an amazing journey," said Canada's coach John Herdman, who took over in September following the resignation of Carolina Morace. "They're an inspiration to their country. They knew what they had on their shoulders and there was no way they were going to let Mexico tip them over in their own country, in their own stadium.

"Some just unbelievable performances tonight."

The tears, the hugs, the victory lap with the flag, the mobbing of former teammate and current television analyst Kara Lang, the singing in the locker room. The post-game reaction spoke volumes about how deeply this team felt the disappointment of last summer's Women's World Cup, and how badly it wanted a shot at redemption. Redemption, they have been saying for two weeks here, can only come in London, not from qualifying for London. But now that door is open. The soccer team's "road to redemption" has been marked out by CTVOlympics.ca staff is one the most exciting stories of London 2012.

Now, Canada has to play the finals against the United States. The

game is basically for bragging rights only. But Canada hasn't beaten the U.S. since 2001 and this is a rare home opportunity to topple FIFA's top-ranked squad and build some more confidence. Canada is 3-41-5 all-time against the U.S., who beat Costa Rica in Friday's early semifinal to qualify for London. They are the two-time defending Olympic gold medallists.

Coming into this event, Herdman laid out three goals: Win their group, qualify for the Games, and win the tournament. "You try telling the players it's a glorified friendly," he said of the final. "The sleeves are up right away. We expected to play the U.S. and the girls are ready for it."

"To show we can put on an event like this, I think this is just the start."

It's also, perhaps, the start of a compelling redemption story. Next stop London, but first up, the U.S.

Congratulations to Candace Chapman, who made her 100th career international appearance for Canada in this game. Chapman is the ninth player to reach the milestone.

Soccer Suffragist