WLS: Can you describe the moment when you were asked to work as Chair for the Next Women's World cup? I felt very honoured by the DFB's decision to entrust this pivotal position as president of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Organising Committee to me. The great support I received from the very first minute from the president of the German FA, Dr. Theo Zwanziger, made me feel confident. Besides, we have excellent people working at the OC, which makes things easier. WLS: How are the plans coming? (More)
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FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup |
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Saturday 10 October 2008
Coach Rosenfeld selects squad for New Zealand 2008
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Canada’s women’s U-17 team has selected its squad for the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Coach Bryan Rosenfeld has selected 21 players for New Zealand 2008, which runs this 28 October to 16 November. The Canadian team will meet this Tuesday 14 October in Toronto, ON before leaving for New Zealand three days later. 'It is an exciting time for the players and staff as we move into our final preparations for New Zealand 2008,' said coach Rosenfeld. 'The selected players are very honoured and anxious to represent Canada. The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will be an excellent competition to enhance the development of the female game.' Sixteen of coach Rosenfeld’s 21 selections won bronze medals at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship in July, including team-leading scorer Tiffany Cameron (five goals in five games). It was Cameron that scored the lone goal in a 1:0 win over Mexico on 27 July, ensuring Canada’s qualification for the first-ever FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Other bronze medalists at the CONCACAF tournament included midfielder Amy Harrison (who actually missed the 27 July match because of a suspension) and goalkeeper Cynthia Leblanc (who posted the clean sheet in the win over Mexico). 'The past 14 months have gone by very quickly,' said Rosenfeld. 'We have had an opportunity to look at many players and dealt with many adversities as per the health of the team. We have taken on different looks as per what suited the selection of different player personal and we are now a more experienced team to take on the challenges that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will bring. We are all excited at the possibility of creating a positive winning formula of success at this inaugural FIFA tournament.' Canada, whose title sponsor is BMO Financial Group, will face New Zealand on 28 October, Colombia on 1 November and Denmark on 4 November. Canada’s first two games will be played at the North Harbour Stadium in Auckland while its third game will be played at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton. The top-two teams in the group will advance to the quarter-finals on 8 November to face a top-two team from Group B (Germany, Costa Rica, Korea DPR or Ghana). Canada’s quarter-final match would be played at Wellington Stadium in Wellington. The two semi-final matches will be played on 13 November at QEII Park in Christchurch while the final two matches (the final and the match for third place) will be played on 16 November at North Harbour Stadium. Kayla Afonso - Toronto, ON Tiffany Cameron - Mississauga, ON Sabrina D’Angelo - Welland, ON Nkem Ezurike - Sackville, NS Lauren Granberg - Sherwood Park, AB Amy Harrison - Winnipeg, MB Karli Hedlund - Edmonton, AB Julia Ignacio - Edmonton, AB Rachel Lamarre - Laval, QC Marialye Laramée-Trottier - Charlesbourg, QC Cynthia Leblanc - Granby, QC Annick Maltais - Val d’Or, QC, Bryanna McCarthy - Ajax, ON Nicole Mitchell - Guelph, ON Alyscha Mottershead - Brampton, ON Geneviève Richard - St-Bruno-de-Montarville, QC Diamond Simpson - Mississauga, ON Alexandra Smith - Calgary, AB Caroline Szwed - Oakville, ON Danica Wu - Edmonton, AB Shelina Zadorsky - London, ON Head of delegation / Chef de délégation : Francis Millien Head Coach / Entraîneur-chef : Bryan Rosenfeld Assistant Coach / Entraîneur adjoint : Lewis Page Goalkeeper coach / Entraîneur des gardiens : Owen Braun Athletic Therapist / Thérapeute athlétique : Alicia Crelinsten Strength and Conditiong - Equipment Manager / Entraîneur de force et condition - Gérant des équipements : Paolo Pacione Doctor / Docteur : Dr. Philip Lee Manager / Gérant : Stephanie Rushton | |
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Canada falls in quarter-final heartbreaker |
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(Courtesy Canadian Soccer)
Canada's women's football team conquered the rain, the storms and the forecasts. As has often been the case, however, Canada couldn't defeat its American rivals, falling 1:2 to the United States at the Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai, China. Canada has been eliminated in the quarter-final stage of the 2008 Women's Olympic Football Tournament.
"I don't think we gave up," said Karina LeBlanc after the match on CBC. "I feel like right now I still haven't given up. I feel like I'd still go back out there because it's a lifelong dream to be here."
Natasha Kai scored the winning goal in the 101st minute after sneaking in behind the Canadian defence. Kai took a centering pass from Shannon Boxx before firing it into the net.
The Shanghai sky came down on the Canadians from the get-go. It wasn't too long before the Americans came down on the Canadians, too: their offence opened the scoring in just the 12th minute of the game. Amy Rodriguez fired a pass that Heather O'Reilly headed on target, but was stopped by Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod. American Angela Hucles, though, was in the right place to fire home the rebound. Just like that, the United States was up 1-0.
Unfortunately, McLeod was injured on the play. She tried to stay in the game, but within a few minutes was replaced by her goalkeeping partner LeBlanc. Not to long thereafter, the rain was accompanied by lightning, forcing a stoppage in play for more than 90 minutes.
Less than 10 minutes after the match resumed, Canada's Christine Sinclair fired the equaliser in what was just the 30th minute of the game. The goal was a real "cracker", the 95th of her international career in 125 games. Clare Rustad tackled the ball away from the Americans and to the feet of Sinclair, who then fired her shot from 25 metres out. Goalkeeper Hope Solo had no chance on the shot.
The United States went right back onto the attack, but it was unable to beat the Canadian defence led by LeBlanc. LeBlanc was terrific, keeping the match even and forcing it into extra time. Canada was outshot 7-17 in the match.
After starting the match with the same starting XI as he had against Argentina and Sweden, coach Even Pellerud was forced to make two of his three substitutions because of injuries. LeBlanc for McLeod was the first and Jonelle Filigno for Brittany Timko was the second. Timko had originally come in for Melissa Tancredi in the 46th minute, but then was replaced by Filigno in the 92nd minute after colliding with Solo on an attack on goal.
Canada's all-time record against the United States is now three wins, four draws and 37 losses. In four matches at the Women's Olympic Football Tournament, Canada posted one win, one draw and two losses.
While Canada was eliminated, the United States has advanced to the 18 August semi-final to face Japan. The winner will advance to the 21 August final to play either Brazil or Germany |
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Canada falls in Olympic quarter-final |
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(Courtesy Canadian Soccer)
Canada's Olympic dream has come to an end after a 1:2 loss to the United States at the Women's Olympic Football Tournament. Canada held the world's number-one ranked Americans to an even score for much of the 15 August quarter-final, but the United States finally went up for good with the winner in extra time |
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Soccer player Melissa Tancredi takes a hit and keeps on kicking |
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August 13, 2008
Doug Smith
SPORTS REPORTER
BEIJING–Melissa Tancredi is battered, beaten and happier than possibly at any other time in her life. The
Olympic women's soccer team forward scored in Canada's 2-1 loss to
Sweden in the final preliminary round game yesterday, adding a bright
spot at the end of a rather eventful few weeks. In a Toronto friendly against Brazil in July, Tancredi had her nose broken in a collision. Then an ankle injury in her Olympic debut forced her to miss Canada's second game. Plus, against Sweden, she got whacked in the nose again, leaving her writhing on the ground in pain for a spell. "Oh,
man, I can't kick this thing; this thing's a mess," she said of the
nose. "It's obviously not healed. It had only been a month, maybe, and
it kind of got split on the outside." But the thing about injuries is that they don't seem to hurt quite as much after scoring a goal in the Olympics. "Amazing,"
was Tancredi's description of the feeling that came over her after the
strike, a lovely diving header of an Amy Walsh through ball. "I just
love scoring no matter what, no matter where it is. "So scoring a goal in the Olympics against a team like Sweden is just a huge feat for me." The
native of Ancaster is an integral part of Canada's attack, one that has
failed to capitalize on a handful of good scoring chances throughout
the tournament. When she's on the pitch, it makes everyone else a
little bit more dangerous. "She's such a great target player, she
has a nose for the goal," said Christine Sinclair, in quite the turn of
phrase given Tancredi's proboscis issues. "And with her there, it
allows Kara (Lang) to play wide right and we're three pretty big
players up top. It's nice to have her back." Tancredi said she felt no lingering effects of the ankle injury and she played all 90 minutes. "The ankle felt great and it was great to be out there and contribute in a hard game against Sweden," she said. "It's just a great feeling for me, a lot of confidence and momentum going into the next game."
Toronto Star |
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Women's soccer team ready to battle the US |
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(Courtesy Edmonton Sun)
BEIJING –Win and bounce the Americans out of the tournament prior to the
medal round, and it'll be the biggest
story of the Olympics to this point for Canada.
Lose it and it will be the last time they play for coach Even Pellerud and it
will be a very emotional evening the other
way.
It's Canada VS. USA in women's soccer Friday in Shanghai and it's not just
another game at the Olympics.
“It's obviously the most important game of our careers,” said captain and
superstar Christine Sinclair.
“Win and we have a very good chance for a medal,” she said of the team
sport medal Canada hasn't won since the
Hitler Berlin Olympics of 1936.
“Win and it would be huge for soccer in Canada. Win and it would be
great for our country at these Olympics. Lose and... we're not spending
any time thinking about that,” said the
player who will equal Charmaine Hooper's
Canadian record with her 122nd start for the team Friday in the
quarter-final.
Kara Lang said there's not a gal in the group who isn't totally aware of
the upside with this game.
“Oh, my gosh, yeah,” she said.
“It would not only mean we'd advance to the medal round, which is our main
goal, it would mean we finally beat the
U.S. To do that at the Olympics would just be so awesome... We've been so
close so many times.”
But is there reason to think it won't just be another USA-Canada game?
Canada is 3-36-4 all time against the Americans.
Our girls haven't beat the USA in a soccer game since March 2001 at the
Algarve Cup in Portugal when a significant
number of players weren't available because of U.S. college commitments.
The United States is ranked No. 1 in the world.
They won two of the three previous Olympic tournaments and settled for
silver in the other losing to Norway in
overtime.
Canada has never been in the Olympic women's tournament before.
The Americans are two-time Women's World Cup winners.
The Americans have been the dominant team on the planet since Mia Hamm and
friends put the sport on the map in the
United States and then around the world in the first place.
“It's the way our team has been playing recently,” said Lang. “I think
we're even a better team than we were the last
two times we played them and they aren't as good a team as they were then.”
The Americans admit it's been tough getting their team in synch so far at
the Olympics with the loss of superstar
Abby Wambach and two other injuries. And the Canadians point to the fact
they lost 1-0 to the U.S. on a goal in the
91st minute the last time the two teams played in June at the Peace Cup in
Korea.
Back in April the Americans
needed a shootout to beat Canada in the final of the CONCACAF tournament in
Juarez Mexico where both teams
qualified to get to Beijing.
“We've been getting closer and closer,” said Sinclair. “And there's the
injuries they suffered."
“When I first started with the team they were beating us 6-0 every single
time. Now we're playing the best we've ever
played for Even. This is the time to play them.”
U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said it's not like these two teams don't know each
other.
“We've played them many times,” she said yesterday. “But going into a game
against them in the Olympics, it will be
different of course. Whoever can capture that Olympic feeling and play
their own game will have the best chance."
“We have a couple of injuries and, of course, Abby Wambach broke her leg
just before the tournament,” she said of
her superstar.
“That is a challenge. But those are things you can't do anything about, you
have to find a way to win.”
Actually it's three injuries and a pregnancy.
In addition to Wambach, midfielder Leslie Osborne and defender Cat
Whitehill are out. And Christine Williams was
pregnant, just giving birth to a baby girl, which might be a good thing for
the 2028 Olympics for the U.S.A. but not
for this one.
Several American players went on the record about the match-up, which they
were mostly happy with because it
meant they didn't meet Brazil.
“It's going to be a battle,” said defender Lori Chalupny. “We have a good
feeling for them and familiarity with them
but it's always a battle."
"The last couple games have been one goal games.
So we'll be prepared and excited for that
game,” she added.
“I've been part of the team for a couple of years and I feel like I played
them so much. We know how they play and
we know they have a strong team with some really good players.” |
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