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RHIAN SOCCER REPORTS AND MEDIA
NARROW OPENING LOSS 26th June 2012 Based on Calgary Herald, Sun Media, Canadian Press, The Province
Canada’s women’s soccer team opened its London Olympic campaign before an
announced crowd of 24, 549 at the City of Coventry stadim, with a 2-1 loss to
Japan on Wednesday.
First Nahomi Kawasumi scored from inside the box in the 33rd minute for a 1-0 lead. It was 2-0 in the 44th as captain Aya Miyama’s header squeezed past goalkeeper Erin McLeod. Japan nearly made it 3-0 in the 51st minute, when Lauren Sesselmann cleared the ball off the goal-line. Then, Canada got back in the game when Melissa Tancredi tipped Rhian Wilkinson’s pass into the goal to make it 2-1. But that’s as close as they could get. Canada played one short for the final five minutes plus three minutes of stoppage time after defender Candace Chapman went off the field with an injury. Canada was already at its three substitution limit. The Tancredi goal could have significant importance. The top two teams from the three pools advance to quarter-finals along with two wildcards. Goal differential will likely come into play so it was important that Canada score in its opener and keep the game close.
The Canadians need to finish top-two in their pool to advance to the
quarter-finals of the 12-team tournament.
Canada plays 61st-ranked South Africa on Saturday, then battles No. 4 Sweden next Tuesday in Newcastle, a crucial game that could determine the Canadians’ Olympic fate. Security was stiff at the stadium 150 kilometres northwest of London that’s normally home to the Coventry City Sky Blues. Fans were required to carry the contents of their bags and purses around in large transparent plastic bags.
"When you play against Japan, you know there’s going to be some real scary
moments," said Canadian coach John Herdman. "They can do things that other
teams can’t do to you. They move the ball so quickly, it’s scary for
defenders. But when you see (Canadian) players pulling their mates out of the
mire, with last-ditch tackles, that’s what this team has got to be about. And
that’s what I loved about them."
"I think you’ve got to keep the expectations real," said Herdman, an Englishman who took over as head coach in just under a year ago, following Canada’s dismal 0-3 performance in the 2011 World Cup. "This team will grow through the tournament, we’ll build momentum off little performances like this; we’ll take the positives out." "They’re quick, they're crafty, they get into those tight little spaces that you don’t think they can get into," said Canadian defender Lauren Sesselmann, who made an incredible save on Japanese forward Yuki Ogimi in the second half which gave the Canadians a lift. "The only thing I can ask for from the players that they put Personal Bests in. You looked at every Canadian player there, there was not one ounce of Canadian left out there." “Look,’’ continued Herdman, “we knew it was going to be a tough game
tonight. They’re world champions for a reason. They can handle the ball better
than any team in the world. But I give our girls credit. They dug in. When we
tired, we looked vulnerable. But for long periods we can be happy with what we
put out there. We learned things tonight. When you’re 2-nil down against the
world champions, you don’t roll over. Even with 10 men, we were digging in to
try and get a win.’’
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