RHIAN'S SOCCER REPORTS

CANADA DEFEATS MEXICO TO REACH SEMI FINALS

(From CSA report)               2nd November 2010

Canada finished first in Group A following a comprehensive 3:0 victory over Mexico on Tuesday 2nd November. The team is now one win away from a berth in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011.

 The Canadian squad will face Costa Rica in one of two semi-final matches on Friday 5 November, knowing that a victory will qualify the team for Germany 2011.

Candace Chapman and Josée Bélanger fired Canada into a 2-0 half time lead and Jonelle Filigno added a third goal midway through the second half to complete the scoring for Canada as it dominated the Mexican side. Playing in front of a large and boisterous crowd at the Estadio Beto Ávila in Cancún, Mexico, Canada’s well prepared squad enjoyed a territorial advantage throughout the match.

"The players have grown lots," said Canadian national head coach Carolina Morace. "They showed they wanted to win this game. They don't want to give up. They fight until the end of the match. It is not easy to score three goals against Mexico."

The match, which kicked off in pouring rain, started at a high tempo with both teams understanding the importance of finishing first in Group A and avoiding the powerful USA side in the semi-finals. In the opening 15 minutes Canada struggled to find their rhythm. The wet, difficult conditions and feisty Mexican defenders threw the Canadians off their game. 

However, Canada's Diana Matheson began the turn around. She forced the Mexican goalkeeper to push her shot wide for a corner kick and her effort changed the momentum of the game. Rhian Wilkinson next whipped in a cross that bounced through the penalty area four minutes later, and Canada finally converted on its pressure in the 20th minute. Mexican goalie Santiago tried to punch clear Matheson's corner, but the ball fell to Chapman at the penalty spot, where she shot through the crowd and high into the net.

Melissa Tancredi came close to adding to the Canadian lead just two minutes later as her hard drive across goal had to be tipped over the bar by Cecilia Santiago in the Mexican goal.

Bélanger doubled the Canadian advantage in the last seconds of the first half when she capped a good opening 45 minutes for Canada. Mexican goalkeeper Santiago bobbled the ball with Sinclair bearing down and the Canadian captain was alert enough to dig the ball out of the scrum at her feet and feed Bélanger at the top of the penalty area. Bélanger calmly chipped her shot over the Mexican defenders struggling to get back into position and into the empty goal.

Mexico enjoyed its best period of the match at the start of the second half. Their renewed attacking purpose forced Canada onto the back foot for the first time in the match. The Canadians quickly rallied and rode out the early pressure as Coach Morace made some small adjustments to the Canadian formation to get more players behind the ball.

Canada’s third goal was a wonderful team effort converted by second half substitute Jonelle Filigno. The Canadian forward was picked out by an inch-perfect cross from Bélanger and she headed home from the penalty spot. Sinclair and Matheson combined well in the build-up to goal as they worked the ball out to Bélanger in space on the right for the 66th minute marker. Filigno has been a “super-sub” at the competition scoring all three of her goals off the bench.

Coach Carolina Morace’s starting line-up against Mexico featured Karina LeBlanc in goal, Marie-Eve Nault, Candace Chapman, Sophie Schmidt, and Rhian Wilkinson left to right across the back line, Kaylyn Kyle, Carmelina Moscato, and Diana Matheson in midfield and Josée Belanger, Melissa Tancredi, and Christine Sinclair in attack. Second half substitutions saw Tancredi replaced by Filigno in the 54th minute, Bélanger replaced by Desiree Scott in the 68th minute, and Kyle make way for Chelsea Stewart in the 78th minute.

Canada, whose title sponsor is Winners and presenting sponsor is Teck, will now prepare for its semi-final showdown with Costa Rica on Friday 5 November. In the other semi-final, Mexico will face USA for the second automatic qualification spot at Germany 2011.

Match Highlights