Canada downs China in women’s soccer friendly
The Canadian women’s soccer team snapped a three-match winless streak Thursday with a 3-1 win over China at BMO Field.
Diana Matheson, Melissa Tancredi and captain Christine Sinclair scored for Canada as it won on home soil for the first time 2006. The women’s team is the first Canadian national team to win a game at BMO Field.
“It felt really good,” Matheson said after playing in her 101st game for Canada in front of a crowd of 5,427. “It was important for us to get a good result and doing it in front of the home crowd was extra special for us.”
Canada opened the season with five straight wins, but had two losses and a draw dating back to an April 2-0 road loss to China.
Thursday’s match served as a warm up for the Women’s Gold Cup, which begins Oct. 28 in Cancun, Mexico. Canada is in a group along with Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana at the eight-team competition.
The two tournament finalists advance to the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany. The third-place team moves on to a playoff against a European team for the final berth.
“It was important for us, not only to get the result, but to play well and to play tactically the way (coach) Carolina (Morace) wants us to leading into the tournament,” Matheson said. “I think we did that today and the win gives us some confidence going into the tournament.”
Matheson opened the scoring for Canada in the 23rd minute taking a feed from Sinclair and beating Chinese goaltender Zhang Yanru.
“Sinky passed me the ball on the right side, a great ball, and I probably should have finished that first one,” Matheson recounted. “But it ended up bouncing back to her and she found me again on the right side and I was able to finish it.”
China responded before the halftime whistle when Canadian goalkeeper Karina Leblanc mishandled Zhang Na’s long-range shot. Matheson admitted the goal was a bit deflating, but she said their response in the second half was revealing.
“It was a bit of a drain. It’s tough to give up a goal with two minutes left in the half,” she said. “I think we rebounded well. We almost got one before the half ended and we knew we had created lots of chances. Coming into the second half we just new we had to finish a little better.
Tancredi put Canada in front for good with a strong finish in the goal area to beat Yanru in the 65th minute. Sinclair, with the 102nd goal of her career, finished the scoring in the 68th minute.
Diana Matheson, Melissa Tancredi and captain Christine Sinclair scored for Canada as it won on home soil for the first time 2006. The women’s team is the first Canadian national team to win a game at BMO Field.
“It felt really good,” Matheson said after playing in her 101st game for Canada in front of a crowd of 5,427. “It was important for us to get a good result and doing it in front of the home crowd was extra special for us.”
Canada opened the season with five straight wins, but had two losses and a draw dating back to an April 2-0 road loss to China.
Thursday’s match served as a warm up for the Women’s Gold Cup, which begins Oct. 28 in Cancun, Mexico. Canada is in a group along with Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana at the eight-team competition.
The two tournament finalists advance to the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany. The third-place team moves on to a playoff against a European team for the final berth.
“It was important for us, not only to get the result, but to play well and to play tactically the way (coach) Carolina (Morace) wants us to leading into the tournament,” Matheson said. “I think we did that today and the win gives us some confidence going into the tournament.”
Matheson opened the scoring for Canada in the 23rd minute taking a feed from Sinclair and beating Chinese goaltender Zhang Yanru.
“Sinky passed me the ball on the right side, a great ball, and I probably should have finished that first one,” Matheson recounted. “But it ended up bouncing back to her and she found me again on the right side and I was able to finish it.”
China responded before the halftime whistle when Canadian goalkeeper Karina Leblanc mishandled Zhang Na’s long-range shot. Matheson admitted the goal was a bit deflating, but she said their response in the second half was revealing.
“It was a bit of a drain. It’s tough to give up a goal with two minutes left in the half,” she said. “I think we rebounded well. We almost got one before the half ended and we knew we had created lots of chances. Coming into the second half we just new we had to finish a little better.
Tancredi put Canada in front for good with a strong finish in the goal area to beat Yanru in the 65th minute. Sinclair, with the 102nd goal of her career, finished the scoring in the 68th minute.
