Canada draw with Brazil in Toronto

July 10, 2008

Canadian Press

Canada's women's national team lingered long on the pitch after Thursday's friendly with Brazil, the players saluting the fans, signing autographs, and posing for pictures.

Christine Sinclair scored the lone goal for Canada in a 1-1 draw with Brazil on a night that marked both the Canadians' first game on home turf in nearly two years and their final full-fledged match before their Olympic debut.

"The crowd was awesome, it was just nice to finally play a home game and to see the little kids in the stands, cheering for you," Sinclair said. "They all know all our names…it was just a perfect atmosphere."

Sinclair scored her 92nd career goal in the 53rd minute, sprinting onto a header from Clare Rustad and striking a first-time shot into the left corner. The striker was one of several Vancouver Whitecaps players to be in Even Pellerud's starting XI that faced the Women's World Cup finalists from last year.

Canada only had 10 players on the field for the goal, coming a minute after striker Melissa Tancredi was helped off the field with a broken nose after taking a boot to the face.

"Overall, it's a good result for us, considering they're probably one of the top three or four teams in the world right now," Sinclair said. "I think this is a good springboard for us into the Olympics."

The tie was a far better result for the ninth-ranked Canadians than the previous time these two teams met - a 7-0 rout by number four Brazil at last summer's Pan American Games.

But there was one glaring absence in Brazil's lineup Thursday. Marta, the 2007 FIFA Women's Player of the Year, who scorched Canada for five goals in that Pan Am match, didn't make the trip because of commitments to her Swedish club team.

"She has a skill that she is able to solve problems that other players don't even see," Brazil's coach Jorge Barcellos said of his star player.

Even without Marta, Brazil out-shot Canada 11-7.

Sinclair, making her 120th appearance for the senior side, almost scored a second goal in the 68th minute when she gathered a cross from Kara Lang just outside the six-yard box, but the Brazilian goalkeeper Barbara just got her hands on it.

Brazil's goal came in the 81st minute off a bit of a defensive blunder on Canada's part, the ball bouncing to a wide-open Raquel, who back-heeled it into the net.

Canadian coach Even Pellerud said the goal shouldn't have counted.

"Unfortunately for us, it was three metres offside, but I'm sure the referee found out later," Pellerud said.

The coach didn't seem all that bothered, as the night was as much about an emotional sendoff for a Canadian team that's far more accustomed to playing in front of other team's home crowds.

"It was good to see that they haven't forgotten us, they came back," Pellerud said. "Again, further proof that we see again the women's game in Canada is very popular."

The game - Canada's first at home since a 1-1 tie with China on August 22, 2006, in St. John's, Newfoundland - drew 13,544 fans in the 22,000-seat BMO Field stadium - normally home to Toronto FC of Major League Soccer. The stands were dotted by numerous groups of young girls dressed in their own team jerseys.

"We know there's people supporting us, but we can't really feel it when we're overseas, and this makes it real for us," said Canadian midfielder Diana Matheson. "We see all these people supporting us and it really gives a boost."

The game was Canada's first in Ontario since a 2-1 win over Italy in June 2006.

Tancredi said she had 150 family members and friends at the game alone, plus two school buses full of children from her hometown in Ancaster, Ontario.

Tancredi, whose nose was swollen to the size of a child's fist, said it was the fifth time she'd broken her nose in her career.

"I basically went to head it on and she came with her foot and went right through my face. There was blood everywhere," said Tancredi, who talked to the media through a nose stuffed with cotton.

The aggressive Canadian forward said she will have to likely have to wear a mask to play for the next couple of weeks.

When someone mentioned her injury was more in keeping with Canadian hockey players, she joked, "I just need a mullet, and I'll be fine."

After a sluggish start by both sides on Thursday, the Canadians had their first scoring chance in the 15th minute when the Brazilian keeper misplayed the ball and Tancredi, Canada's top scorer at the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament, fired a shot that sailed just wide of the net.

"All in all, a good test match, not the most exciting performance from either of the teams, for sure more solid than fantastic," Pellerud said.

The Canadians were coming off a strong performance in a 1-0 loss to the number one-ranked United States at last month's Peace Queen Cup in South Korea. The women will make their first Olympic appearance in Beijing, and first for a Canadian team since the men played in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

Brazil, meanwhile, is the defending Olympic silver medalist, and won silver at last summer's World Cup.

Canada is in Group A in the 12-country Olympic tournament with Argentina, China and Sweden in Beijing. The Canadians open the tournament on August 6 versus Argentina in Tianjin.

Before the team heads to the Far East, the Whitecaps will give the Canadian women's team a rousing send-off at their final USL W-League regular season game against Real Colorado Cougers on Sunday, July 20. Kick-off takes place at 4pm at Swangard Stadium.

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