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This is really the first full four-year cycle where Canada is displaying the program Herdman has established since taking over after the disastrous 2011 Women’s World Cup.
Costa Rica finally got on the board in the 72nd minute when Raquel Rodríguez, the budding young star who won the NCAA Player of the Year honors this past season, netted her sixth goal of qualifying play with a penalty kick that made it 2-1.
Trinidad and Tobago will face the U.S.in the other semifinal later Friday.
Sixteen-year-old Rose scored off a cross from Nichelle Prince in the 85th minute for the final margin.
Costa Rica made its World Cup debut last summer tying Spain 1-1 and South Korea 2-2 before losing 1-0 to Brazil.
Stellar goalkeeping when needed from both sides kept the match close although official stats ruled only four shots on goal for Canada and one for Costa Rica.
“They play a solid defensive game with great transition”, Herdman said.
About the worst thing to happen to the Canadian team thus far was when Lawrence took a knock to the head in the first half of the game against Trinidad and Tobago, but she’s no worse for wear heading into Friday.
Christine Sinclair isn’t quite sure how she scored the second of two goals that helped send Canada back to the Olympics.
Sinclair left to applause in the 82nd minute after upping her goals total to three at the tournament and a record 18 in career CONCACAF Olympic qualifying.
Canada started pressing with the long ball trying to open up Costa Rica.
The United States went 3-0 with a 16-0 goal difference in the group stage of the eight-team tournament.
And there was danger in the Canadian end in the 14th minute when Melissa Herrera just missed getting to a long through ball as a sliding McLeod beat her to it.
“We’d expect them to probably throw a deep block out there and ask Canada to come and break us down”, he told the pre-match news conference.
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In CONCACAF Olympic qualifying play, Canada is 15-2-1 while Costa Rica fell to 6-10-1. The 12-team field will be completed by two teams from Asia and one of Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
