Sinclair leads all players with 18 career goals in the qualifying tournament for the North and Central America and Carribbean region. It’s also something else. The U.S. came back from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, eventually scoring their third goal after Canada’s goalkeeper received a penalty for holding the ball for longer than six seconds. “The rivalry is there but focusing on us and knowing what threats are there that the USA team can bring and just sticking to our game plan and putting our bodies on the line for each other”. It’s going to be tough, gritty.
Advertisement
But given Canada’s record of failure against the US, there’s no way the Reds are going to take its foot off the gas in this one.
Afterward, Trinidad and Tobago coach Richard Hood praised his team for the effort, but admitted they were simply outmatched by the World Cup champions.
Canada improved to 4-0 in the tournament and has only conceded one goal.
The tactic of playing without any full-backs might be one rarely used, but it looks like the Canadian team follows Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola very closely, as the maverick Spaniard is the only one now who experiments with formations and playing players in multiple positions, sometimes going defender-less in matches, playing midfielders and full-backs in roles they are alien to, and gives them such confidence that they excel in it. Two more headers went wide with Labbe kept busy as Canadian marking went astray. “Not everyone gets it, and I think just making the most of it when it comes is really cool”.
Having employed a side half-full of young, internationally inexperienced players this month to see out CONCACAF’s qualifying process, Herdman has decisions to make.
“‘That’s honestly the most stressful game in a four-year cycle every time”, she said. Earlier in the tournament, Sinclair passed American Mia Hamm (158).
The Americans made it official Friday night with a solid win over an overmatched Trinidad & Tobago side.
Because of CONCACAF’s ludicrous schedule for this tournament-in which teams played five games over 12 days-the US and Canada will enter the final on less than 48 hours rest. With 189 caps, she is the leader for caps by a goalkeeper in US history. It has been nearly 15 years since Canada beat the USA 3-0 at the Algarve Cup in March 2001. “I think it will be a good match”.
“When you ask her to deliver, she delivers”, he said. Despite the overwhelming performance from team captain Christine Sinclair, who is slowly climbing the scoring list, health issues will be a question for her as she was seen limping as she was substituted in the 82 minute of their semifinals match. Sinclair, who played for the University of Portland and is now on the roster for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, sat out of that match. Fans will be able to Jill Ellis and gang play in the 2016 Olympics and build upon their success at the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Now he’s onto his youth experiment.
Veteran names like Kaylyn Kyle, Lauren Sesselmann, Jonelle Filigno and Adriana Leon were excluded for a new crop of young players who weren’t tested in the first four games of the competition.
Advertisement
Costa Rica halved the deficit in the 72nd minute on Raquel Rodriguez’s penalty kick. Midfielder Ashley Lawrence is 20; Shelina Zadorsky is 23.
