Canada vs China [R]

[Auger9]

some articles:
Quebec trio clicks for Canada
http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/story.asp?id=078FE2A3-D69B-468F-B8FE-5038814E360C

C'mon Even you can tell us
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/WorldCup/Women/2003/10/02/215358.html

Experience means ...
That sometimes you don't play
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/WorldCup/Women/2003/10/02/215357.html

China a true test of Canada's mettle
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1065046214460&call_pageid=1044529386722&col=1044529386490

Capitalizing on errors crucial to Canadians
http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/story.asp?id=F94E3AF2-24BD-42A9-B011-902E4E9EF91A

and on a side note...Canada is in last place for the FIFA Fair Play crap:
JAPAN 867
CHINA PR 857
SWEDEN 848
BRAZIL 810
RUSSIA 791
GHANA 790
GERMANY 781
AUSTRALIA 767
USA 762
NORWAY 762
KOREA REP. 753
NIGERIA 752
KOREA DPR 733
FRANCE 705
ARGENTINA 657
CANADA 614
way to show 'em ladies!

[littleD]

I guess everyone's watching the game. :)

52nd minute, Canada up 1-0 from a 10th minute goal from Hooper. China controlling possession.

[littleD]

I guess everyone's watching the game. :)

52nd minute, Canada up 1-0 from a 10th minute goal from Hooper. China controlling possession.

[Elaine]

glad we're on top, but upset that izzy's out b/c of injury. tough blow for her, as she's been working so hard, but i'm glad it doesn't look like a serious injury and she hopefully will be back up and going soon.

WAR CANADA!!

[Elaine]

glad we're on top, but upset that izzy's out b/c of injury. tough blow for her, as she's been working so hard, but i'm glad it doesn't look like a serious injury and she hopefully will be back up and going soon.

WAR CANADA!!

[littleD]

Hey, Canada got a shot on goal. :D

[littleD]

Hey, Canada got a shot on goal. :D

[Lord Bob]

We're kinda getting killed in every category except on the scoreboard. I really think we're going to totally blow this.

[Lord Bob]

We're kinda getting killed in every category except on the scoreboard. I really think we're going to totally blow this.

[littleD]

It's not been pretty, but Canada is in the semi's.

WOO HOO!

[littleD]

It's not been pretty, but Canada is in the semi's.

WOO HOO!

[Jarrek]

It wasn't pretty indeed.

[Jarrek]

It wasn't pretty indeed.

[Lord Bob]

No sooner do I post it.

Oh, Canada! I really had no faith in you!

The best part is, I won my bet (My friend said that Canada would win by two goals or more. I took that bet). No, that's the second best bit. The best bit is, we're through! Even if we didn't really deserve it much. Swiatek is an absolute heroine and a half.

[Lord Bob]

No sooner do I post it.

Oh, Canada! I really had no faith in you!

The best part is, I won my bet (My friend said that Canada would win by two goals or more. I took that bet). No, that's the second best bit. The best bit is, we're through! Even if we didn't really deserve it much. Swiatek is an absolute heroine and a half.

[Trillium]

quote:Originally posted by Elaine

glad we're on top, but upset that izzy's out b/c of injury. tough blow for her, as she's been working so hard, but i'm glad it doesn't look like a serious injury and she hopefully will be back up and going soon.

WAR CANADA!!


Well a good result...thanks to the keeper..and solid defending.

But I have said it before Latham is horrible, and yet Sportsnet thinks she is great..I dont get it..Lang plays both ways..Latham does nothing defensivly and loses ball 9 times of out 10...and they say she works hard...

Arrgh.

[Trillium]

quote:Originally posted by Elaine

glad we're on top, but upset that izzy's out b/c of injury. tough blow for her, as she's been working so hard, but i'm glad it doesn't look like a serious injury and she hopefully will be back up and going soon.

WAR CANADA!!


Well a good result...thanks to the keeper..and solid defending.

But I have said it before Latham is horrible, and yet Sportsnet thinks she is great..I dont get it..Lang plays both ways..Latham does nothing defensivly and loses ball 9 times of out 10...and they say she works hard...

Arrgh.

[littleD]

quote:Originally posted by Jarrek

It wasn't pretty indeed.


I don't think it ever was going to be pretty. Canadian women's soccer and pretty don't go together. [:p]

[littleD]

quote:Originally posted by Jarrek

It wasn't pretty indeed.


I don't think it ever was going to be pretty. Canadian women's soccer and pretty don't go together. [:p]

[Crazy_Yank]

Hmmmm....well I have a completely different take on it. I thought Canada played quite well. They seemed to be more the more intelligent team. I think you guys are being overly critical. It wasn't like China had all the possession and Canada just bunkered and prayed. Canada had their moments. Your backline is bad ass. Fast, intelligent, and worked very well together. Your goalkeeper impressed me too. Not enough communication between the midfield and forwards though. They didn't seem to link up very well, but they made due. All in all, an excellent win.

[Crazy_Yank]

Hmmmm....well I have a completely different take on it. I thought Canada played quite well. They seemed to be more the more intelligent team. I think you guys are being overly critical. It wasn't like China had all the possession and Canada just bunkered and prayed. Canada had their moments. Your backline is bad ass. Fast, intelligent, and worked very well together. Your goalkeeper impressed me too. Not enough communication between the midfield and forwards though. They didn't seem to link up very well, but they made due. All in all, an excellent win.

[Gordon]

I just saw a Canadian team with 3 of its 4 starters on Defence out injured, a midfielder hobbled by a hamstring problem; only a handful of players on the bench fit to play and its (arguably) best player only partially fit beat the "most technically skilled" team in the world. I am going to stow any criticism of style, skills or coaching for at least 24 hours and revel in it.

[Gordon]

I just saw a Canadian team with 3 of its 4 starters on Defence out injured, a midfielder hobbled by a hamstring problem; only a handful of players on the bench fit to play and its (arguably) best player only partially fit beat the "most technically skilled" team in the world. I am going to stow any criticism of style, skills or coaching for at least 24 hours and revel in it.

[matthew]

Pheque ugly. Yeah you heard me! **** UGLY! We're in the semifinals! When we have four World Cups and then start playing ugly we can get jaded like Brazil and bemoan the fact that we're winning ugly. Right now we're winning and that's all that matters. Yeah we need to do some things if we want to try to keep our stature up in the coming years.

In the meantime, we play direct, we defend in numbers, we're aggressive in the tackle and we might hard for balls and try to disrupt the other team's attack. The long ball game isn't as pretty as total football, but when played well it's effective.

We played it well tonight. China one-touched it all night and the only goal came on a hit-and-hope that beat the offside trap. And we had two other strong chances, same as the Chinese IMO (the far post cross late in the second that the Chinese couldn't get to and the ball that fell to the left of our goal in the first half and was mis-hit). We're playing with make-shift defence. We finally flooded the midfield, pressed the ball and got our forwards back to close the gap between the mids and the forwards.

Five of our 10 outfield players are teenagers to boot! Come on we have the next 50 years to be negative about our national teams, let's try to enjoy the success we do get!

cheers,
matthew

[Daniel]

That's just about the best game you can play with 35% posession.

[jonovision]

I have to give it to that makeshift Canadian defence. They were solid all night long, especially Hooper and Nonen in the middle. While China controlled the posession, I didn't really feel like they were in control of the match (perhaps a function of them being behind 1-0).

Of course Swiatek was great as well. No really difficult saves, but outstanding at coming off her line to make brave challenges.

Bring on Sweden.

[Chet]

China had 16 shots, five of which were on goal. Canada had five shots, all of which were on goal. Weird how a team that passes the ball with such precision can't shoot with the same precision.

Canada were by far the better team defensively. China passed the ball around nicely, but it always ended with a Canadian player cutting out the last pass or muscling the Chinese player off the ball. As patient as China was with the ball, Canada was equally patient without it.

Speaking of pretty, there was an article in the New York Times that said some of the more talented Brazilian players had been cut from the women's team because team officials thought they weren't physically attractive enough to appeal to the Brazilian fans.

[Lord Bob]

quote:Originally posted by Chet

Speaking of pretty, there was an article in the New York Times that said some of the more talented Brazilian players had been cut from the women's team because team officials thought they weren't physically attractive enough to appeal to the Brazilian fans.


I'm not sure what's worse. The fact that the Brazilians would pull some stunt like that or the fact that they have the talent to get away with it.

Actually, now that I think about it, then don't have the talent, do they? So, a richly deserved HA HA HA to the Brazilian football association in charge of that one.

[Chet]

quote:Originally posted by Trillium
But I have said it before Latham is horrible, and yet Sportsnet thinks she is great..I dont get it..Lang plays both ways..Latham does nothing defensivly and loses ball 9 times of out 10...and they say she works hard...


Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that she's our leading scorer.

Just a theory.

[The Ref]

I think the game was pretty, our girls are pretty, we scored a pretty goal and we played pretty good defense. Was not impressed by the referee although the assisstants were right on the money. The Chinese could not figure out how to beat our defenders, they never changed their tactics. I could not understand why all their subs, as it was not the case they would be tired from just knocking the ball around. We looked fit this time and well organized. I look forward to the game on Sunday.

[strobe_z]

Maybe it wasn't pretty... but then China played pretty and lost - you think they're excited about that?

I thought we played very very well tonight. We soaked up a lot of the Chinese offence, but it didn't look like bunker-style at all. Our defenders stopped the run, but for the most part they didn't just boot the ball aimlessly away either. They made some intelligent plays. Despite the possesion, I thought we hade some pretty even scoring chances so I don't have a problem with that.

Timko continues to impress too...with a little seasoning she'll be just as good with the ball as some of the Chinese mid-fielders.

A great win.. congratulations Canada! Bring on Sweden.. I have a feeling that that's gonna be a very interesting game. I'm also looking forward to the USA-Germany match. I wonder how good Germany is gonna look against a team that isn't rolling over like the Russians... man they looked baaaad.

[Cheeta]

quote:Originally posted by jonovision

I have to give it to that makeshift Canadian defence. They were solid all night long, especially Hooper and Nonen in the middle. While China controlled the posession, I didn't really feel like they were in control of the match (perhaps a function of them being behind 1-0).

Of course Swiatek was great as well. No really difficult saves, but outstanding at coming off her line to make brave challenges.

Bring on Sweden.



Echo that.

Looked a wee bet vulnerable on the flanks, but apparently not vulnerable enough.

Nice to see Lang take the initiative as the match got on there. Not holding the ball, not threatening a counter? Well this just can't bloody well go on! Hooper must be rubbing off on the lass. A little power running training and she'll be tearing up the opposition but good.

Geez, ref'ing and womens football. Ug. Worse. Sportsnet commentary and womens football. I was hopeful it'd get better...

[mattbin]

Well I for one thought it was a brilliant win. So I'll keep the negative comments out.

Dennis was exposed at least twice in the first half, but she turned it around and started to control her flank better. I was much impressed with that; I was really worried about her but she improved throughout the game. Good coaching as well as a player with more potential than we might have thought.

I was waiting, waiting, waiting for Kiss to come on. If we were behind I expect she would have been on around the 65-70 min. I wondered if they would take Neil out for Kiss, but I imagine Neil is an organizing factor in the mid and was worth keeping in.

Anyhow. Great game. Edge of my seat the whole way. But that's okay, as long as we win.

And I'd like to point out that I have said from the start that Canada would get to the finals.

Woo hoo!


Allez les Rouges,
M@

[amacpher]

quote:Originally posted by Daniel

That's just about the best game you can play with 35% posession.


Well, possession means diddley in soccer. Actually, it means diddley in every sport! I hate that stat cuz it makes it look as though Canada held on and were lucky to those people who didn't actually see the game. But apart from maybe the first 15 minutes after Canada scored, Canada was in complete control of the match!

[massimo]

This win made me very happy. The Canadians were on the defence most of this game, which remained organised and disciplined.

Disappointed in the Chinese, with all that possession, you'd think they would have had more quality chances, missing the net 11 out of 16 chances.

Canada reminded me of watching an Italy game, one goal then defence all the way. The only difference is Canada held them off until the whistle, unlike many Italy games I've watched. Maybe Italy can learn something from this game.....okay maybe I'm exaggerating.

Ciao
Massimo

[bettermirror]

i hope that by the next world cup we can make more than 2 consecutive passes.

that said, WE'RE IN THE SEMI FINAL! guaranteed a top-four finish. 2 more games. fantastic.

good work ladies.

please, play with some panache next time round tho. do you ever see a canadian within 20 yards of one another when in possession of the ball?

[Elaine]

hey guys-

got a tip that the team is having a new conference about last night at 9:30am local time (12:30pmET) that hopefully cbc newsworld will pick up ... so tune in in case they do show it!

also, it's quite possible that a few players will be interviewed for radio-canada internationl ... and yours truly will have a few minutes too.

http://www.rcinet.ca/

the show is called 'canada today' and airs at 4pmET ... and you can listen in online etc.

elaine

[Auger9]

OMG! 1 more game and......we're in the WC!!!

anyway:
A triumph for physical football

China are unquestionably one of the most technically accomplished teams in the women’s game, and Brazil too, with a samba style, briefly set the world stage alight. And, Asian Champions North Korea emerged from isolation to play free-flowing football, pleasing to the eye. Yet all three have been sent home before the semi-final stage, punished for their inability to pack a punch. Silky skills no longer suffice in the women’s game, where the trend is unquestionably towards “men’s style” tactics.
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/03/en/031003/1/buk.html

[Auger9]

not sure if these are already posted but:
Canada doesn't wilt, upsets China 1-0 to advance to World Cup semifinal
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/WorldCup/Women/2003/09/30/213538-cp.html

Hoop, Hoop Hooper-eh!

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/WorldCup/Women/2003/10/03/216432.html

Cinderella story continues

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/WorldCup/Women/2003/10/03/216431.html

Whoa, Canada pulls upset
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1065182309314870.xml

Hooper-duper win for underdog Canada
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1065132613684&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064

Canada shocks China
http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/story.asp?id=2CAC6C12-FDE3-4F78-9F7F-3EA1C4E38BE9

[Auger9]

good pics from the game:
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/03/en/t/team/can/photos.html?i=9&d=0