Canada & USA to Renew Rivalry in Cary, NC

Ottawa, Ontario – Canada’s Women’s National Team and their American counterparts will renew their rivalry in Cary, NC on July 30, 2006.



Tickets for the game will go on sale starting Wednesday, April 12, at 10 a.m. ET online at ussoccer.com, at all Cary, NC area Ticketmaster outlets (including Hechts, FYE, and Publix Stores) and by phone at (919) 834-4000. Groups of 15 or more can purchase tickets by logging onto ussoccer.com or calling (312) 528-1290.



This will mark the 36th time (3 wins, 3 draws, 29 losses) Canada and the USA have met since their first encounter in 1986, easily the most of any Canadian opponent (China and Brazil are second with 13 matches).



While the US may enjoy a staggering advantage in the 20 year old border-series, some of the more recent results indicate the rivalry has become far more competitive.



In August 2000, the Canadians embarked on a four-game unbeaten spell (from August 20, 2000 to June 30, 2001) against the two-time World Cup Champions but have recently run into a resilient US side, losing the last five against the Americans – the last defeat coming on US head coach Greg Ryan’s debut with the US Women’s team; a 2-0 loss on June 26, 2005 in Virginia Beach, VA. Since the August 20, 2000 match, Canada and the US have met 13 times (2 wins, 3 draws, 7 losses).



“The level of competition between the top women’s teams in the world is getter tighter and tougher but when you look at the US, they are consistently in the top three,” said Canadian head coach Even Pellerud.



“They (USA) are always a challenge to play and even more of a challenge to get a result from. Add the tension and rivalry that comes with any Canada vs. USA match, and you are bound to have an entertaining game.



“For both teams, the match in July will round off two months of extensive training camps and international friendlies as we head towards the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in November and this game in the summer will provide us with an excellent measuring stick leading up to that tournament in the fall.



“In the end, there are really no ‘friendly games’ between our two teams, and I am sure both countries are expecting a physical and tactical encounter.”



The next time Pellerud’s squad meets will be for a four-city, five-match tour of the USA where they are expected to play the University of Louisville and Purdue University in Louisville, KY, the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO, the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS, and the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE.



The team is expected to depart for Louisville, KY on April 6th and return to Canada from Omaha, NE on April 15th, the day after the match against Nebraska. Details of the training camp will be released in the coming days.



Match Details

July 30, 2006 – CANADA vs. USA – SAS Soccer Park, Cary, NC – 13:00 ET