25.5.2009 - CAN 0:4 USA
Friendly match international amical
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| Location: | Toronto, ON |
| Stadium: | BMO Field |
| Attendance: | 10255 |
| Kickoff: | 00:00 |
| Broadcast: | Rogers Sportsnet |
| Match Tracker: | SCORE FINAL |
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| Canada: | WNT CAN |
| Opponent: | USA (USA) |
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Carolina Morace will just have to wait for her first taste of victory while on home soil. Tonight’s match was her fifth as the head coach for the Canadian women’s national team and her first at home during the 2009 season. Canada suffered a 4:0 shut-out by the Americans in front of 10,255 spectators at the BMO Field in Toronto.
The Americans weren’t worried coming into tonight’s match – after all, they had won their last 18 games. In fact, they made double-sure that the Canadians felt their confidence by scoring twice in each half. Canada ended up losing for the first time in seven matches at home.
The visiting team didn’t waste any time getting straight to the point. In the second minute of the game, forward player Shannon Boxx scored the first goal after making an incursion deep into the Canadian’s zone. Boxx waited until Canada’s defence backed up and then made a cross shot which flew by Karina LeBlanc, who dove in vain to the right trying to make the save.
Just before the half-time break, Megan Rapinoe doubled the American’s lead during the last play of the first half. She took advantage of a sudden reversal mid-way in her opponent’s territory. Rapinoe cut the ball just outside the penalty box which seemed to bypass goalkeeper LeBlanc to her left and then made its way into the back of the net just inside the far post.
Canada did have a shining moment during the 17th minute of the match when Kelly Parker intercepted a pass right in the middle of the field and then took off with the ball into U.S. territory. Parker moved the ball to the left to Christine Sinclair, but she wasn't in an accurate enough position to get a deadly shot on net.
Canada put on the pressure around the American’s penalty box which created another good scoring opportunity for the home team. In the 41st minute, Canada was awarded a short-distance free kick; Kara Lang's shot, unfortunately, was off target to the left side of the American goal.
In the 54th minute, Jodi-Ann Robinson intercepted the ball and beat her defenders to move into a shooting position. Her shot, however, went high over the cross bar.
Robinson didn’t give up though – she took a free kick just outside USA's penalty area during the 70th minute. The shot was to no avail as forward Diana Matheson was quickly pushed back by the American’s defence.
Mere oments later, USA's Heather O'Reilly cut her way through Canada’s goal zone, but her upward shot missed its target.
The American offence continued to push into Canada’s territory where Lindsay Tarpley took advantage of the confusion in the front of Karina LeBlanc’s net during a corner kick to score the third goal for the U.S. at the 76th minute of play.
The American players were unappeased as they came right back at the Canadians at full force as soon as the game picked up again. They made their fourth goal not long after during the 80th minute of play when Lauren Cheney head-deflected a centering pass into the near corner of the goal.
The Canadians just couldn’t come back in the second half after being dominated nine to three in shots taken at the net. By match's end, the Americans had fired 16 shots to the three by Canada.
Morace isn’t the only one who will have to wait ; she wanted her first victory in Canada while both Christine Sinclair and her opponent Abby Wambach will also have to wait before crossing the 100-goal milestone. They both have 99 international goals during their careers.
The teams will meet again on 19 July in Rochester, NY and then again three days later in Charleston, SC. | | |
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