SOCCER REPORTS

 CANADA QUALIFIES FOR FIFA WORLD CUP 5th November 2010

From a CSA Report

A second-half offensive outburst against Costa Rica earned Carolina Morace's squad a 4:0 victory and booked Canada's ticket to the FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany next summer. Three goals in the space of 13 minutes (plus a fourth in added time) gave Canada its fourth consecutive shutout win at the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifiers.

After numerous missed chances in the opening period, Josée Bélanger opened the scoring in the 62nd minute and Jonelle Filigno and Christine Sinclair then put the game out of reach soon after.

Karina LeBlanc was busier than she had been during this tournament and fully earned her fourth consecutive clean sheet. Canada in their red kit dominated the match from the opening with a rapid and early attack. Kyle saw her early strike hit a defender in the rear end for a corner kick, then Filigno put a diving header from a cross by Rhian Wilkinson wide of the goal. Despite maintaining possession and creating scoring opportunities, Canada could not beat Costa Rican goalkeeper Dinnia Diaz.

After the break, however, the Costa Rican defence broke down. at 65 minutes, Bélanger fired home a rebound from a Filigno shot after captain Sinclair had rounded the Costa Rican defence to deliver a dangerous low cross. Filigno doubled the lead ten minutes later.

Three minutes after Filigno scored, a corner kick found Sinclair inside the penalty area and she coolly slotted the ball past Diaz in goal.

LeBlanc was in goal once again with Marie-Eve Nault, Candace Chapman, Sophie Schmidt and Rhian Wilkinson left to right across the back. Kaylyn Kyle and Diana Matheson joined Desiree Scott in the midfield and Bélanger, Filigno  and Sinclair completed the attacking three.

Match Highlights

Canada's opponent for Sunday's Final will be the victorious Mexican team, who against all odds defeated the United States 2 - 1 in the other semi final match.

Mexico scored twice in the first 26 minutes and played most of the second half in its own end to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in its history.

The United States had won 24 of 25 previous meetings with Mexico, but buoyed by a large raucous crowd at Estadio Beto Avila, the Mexicans went ahead in the third minute.

The Americans were slow to respond, not building any serious possession until the 13^th minute but equalizing in the 25^th when the they earned a corner.

On its ensuing possession from the kickoff, Mexico retook the lead in the 26th. The United States held most of the possession in the second half with Mexico occasionally countering. The loss was the first for the United States in the CONCACAF women's championship in 28 matches, lowering its record to 26-1-1