Canada in Olympic qualifying semis

April 6, 2008

CSA & Whitecaps FC

Canada's women's national team are in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Women's Olympic qualifying tournament after 1-0 win over Costa Rica on Sunday.

A first-half goal by Melissa Tancredi gave Canada their second straight win in Juarez, Mexico, with Even Pellerud's side winning Group B as a result. Canada will now face Group A runners-up Mexico in Wednesday's decisive semifinal.

The late morning kickoff saw the Canadians struggle in the warm and sunny conditions, despite Sinclair hitting the post after just four minutes. On 13 minutes, Alexandra Marton struck the crossbar with a far-post header after Candace Chapman swung over a corner from the left.

On the quarter-hour mark, Tancredi scored Canada's winner when she neatly knocked home Randee Hermus' flick after Robyn Gayle had launched a long throw into the Costa Rica box.

Canada kept pressing for a second goal, with Sinclair volleying a strike right Costa Rica goalkeeper Priscilla Natalia Tapia on 36 minutes before Marton struck a long-range free kick just wide of the target a minute before halftime.

Two minutes after the restart, Diana Matheson was unlucky not to get on the end of Tancredi's cross from the left at the far post before Tapia did brilliantly to deny Hermus scoring at close range after the Canadian defender connected with Chapman's long free kick forward on 55 minutes.

Costa Rica struggled to test Erin McLeod in the Canadian goal, with Cristin Granados striking a free-kick effort over Canada's crossbar on 65 minutes.

Seven minutes later, Canada thought they had sealed the win when Sinclair knocked home Hermus' flick after Chapman played another long free kick into the Costa Rica box, but the goal was disallowed by American referee Kari Seitz.

McLeod secured a clean sheet for Canada on Sunday, with the Vancouver Whitecaps keeper making an easy save from Amara Wilson's weak shot with a quarter of an hour remaining, while substitutes Jodi-Ann Robinson and Kara Lang missed the target with late efforts at the other end.

Though they claimed the result they desired on Sunday, Pellerud was far from satisfied with his team's performance. "The players did not perform to their ability," Pellerud told CanadaSoccer.com. "They played very careless and apprehensive. Their play really affected (the outcome of) the game."

Canada will now look ahead to Wednesday's crucial semifinal game against Mexico after the tournament hosts lost 3-1 to the USA on Sunday. The Americans won Group A with the result and will play Costa Rica in the other semifinal match-up. Pellerud's side must win the match in order to claim one of two berths in the Women's Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing, China, this August. Kickoff is at 6:30pm Pacific Daylight Time.

All of Canada’s matches in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament will be webcast live on CBCsports.ca. The team's two Group B games and the two tournament semifinals will also be broadcast on GOL TV (Shaw Cable channel 151 in the Greater Vancouver region).

Canada (Whitecaps players in bold)
18-Erin McLeod, 5-Robyn Gayle (13-Amy Walsh 46'), 6-Sophie Schmidt (21-Jodi Ann Robinson 68'), 7-Rhian Wilkinson, 8-Diana Matheson, 9-Candace Chapman, 11-Randee Hermus, 12-Christine Sinclair (captain), 14-Melissa Tancredi (15-Kara Lang 76'), 16-Jonelle Filigno, 19-Alexandra Marton

Costa Rica
1-Priscilla Natalia Tapia, 4-Karol Galvez, 5-Amanda Esquivel, 6-Gabriela Trujillo, 8-Monica Malavassi (captain) (11-Raquel Rodriguez 67'), 10-Katherine Alvarado, 12-Laura Rebeca Sanchez, 14-Amara Wilson (13-Megan Chavez 82'), 15-Cristin Granados, 16-Yuliana Maria Rodriguez, 20-Wendy Patricia Acosta (9-Paola De Los Angeles Alvarado 90')

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