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SOCCER MEDIA REPORTS:

CANADA WINS BIG IN PANAMS 18th July, 2007

From a CSA Report

Canada's Women’s National Team won their third-straight game at the XV Pan American Games Rio 2007 this morning. With an 11:1 victory over Jamaica, the Canucks have now sealed their place in next Monday’s semifinal.

Canada’s fourth and last, round-robin game will be played Friday 20 July against hosts Brasil. Both Canada and Brasil are tied with 3-0 records, although Canada is ranked first with a better goal differential. Canada is +21 while Brasil is +19.

"A continuous attack with the whole team had to end in a massacre; and so it did," said coach Even Pellerud. "Jamaica, who gave us a fight in the CONCACAF Gold Cup last November, seemed to arrive at the Pan American Games quite unprepared."

Canada’s Christine Sinclair led the way - again - with four goals, including both the opening and winning goals in the first half. She added two more in the first 45 minutes as Canada took a 7-0 lead into the break.

Sinclair now has 80 goals in 97 career games with the national team. It was her second hat trick in these Pan American Games. Other first-half goals were scored by Kristina Kiss, Rhian Wilkinson and Amy Vermeulen. In the second half, Kara Lang and substitutes Katie Thorlakson twice) and Andrea Neil each added goals. Vermeulen and Thorlakson both scored their first goals with the senior team. Thorlakson, meanwhile, registered her second two-goal game at the Pan American Games (she was part of a U-22 team that represented Canada in 2003).

"It was an easy win, but no time or reason to celebrate,' said Pellerud. 'In two days we will face stiff competition against highly-ranked and host nation Brazil. The entire battery of stars have showed up here in Rio with the spectacular Marta 2006 FIFA Player of the Year) leading the pack."

Canada vs Brasil will be played on 20 July in the impressive Marana stadium, located about 30 minutes away from the Athletes Village. It was originally built for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, but has undergone extensive renovations and now houses a sports complex as well as the soccer pitch. The stadium can still accommodate 73,916 fans, and most seats are expected to be full.

. If both Brasil and Canada are successful in the semifinals, they could meet again in the gold-medal match on 26 July.