Canadian Women @ Four Nations Cup

[Elaine]

hey guys-

thought i would post something about the women's team!

anywho, the team will be taking part in the four nations cup in china next week, and it's a top notch tourney and a great way to start off the year.

the 3 other teams taking part are host china, sweden and the united states. all teams play each other once and whoever finishes on top of the "table" wins the cup.

anywho, here's the players called in:

Sasha Andrews
Tanya Dennis
Randee Hermus
Charmaine Hooper
Christine Latham
Karina LeBlanc
Véronique Maranda
Diana Matheson
Erin McLeod
Isabelle Morneau
Carmelina Moscato
Marie-Ève Nault
Andrea Neil
Sharolta Nonen
Christine Sinclair
Taryn Swiatek
Brittany Timko
Rhian Wilkinson

kara lang was named to the roster early on but replaced. she has a few nagging injuries that needs some rest so that she'll be ready to go in february for oly qualifying.

team gathers in vancouver on the 23rd for a few days of training before heading to shenzhen, china on the 26th via. hong kong.

for more info and random thoughts i have about this tourney etc., check out this thread over at the Go Big Red!! forums:

http://www.gobigred.ca/forum/ubb/ult...c;f=2;t=000049



elaine

[The Ref]

Guess no TV coverage right? Anyhow you can get copies of the TV tapes that surely will be taken over in China and get them copied for us soccer nuts. You must have connections perhaps?

[Elaine]

quote:Originally posted by The Ref

Guess no TV coverage right? Anyhow you can get copies of the TV tapes that surely will be taken over in China and get them copied for us soccer nuts. You must have connections perhaps?

we'll see? i think there's local broadcast of the games ... and i'll have to ask around to see if i can get copy.

just to update, seems like two more players have been added to the roster going to china ...

aysha jamani and isabelle harvey

and christine latham has been replaced although i am not sure the reason etc. so that makes it 19 players going to china, and they are:

Sasha Andrews
Tanya Dennis
Isabelle Harvey
Randee Hermus
Charmaine Hooper
Aysha Jamani
Karina LeBlanc
Véronique Maranda
Diana Matheson
Erin McLeod
Isabelle Morneau
Carmelina Moscato
Marie-Ève Nault
Andrea Neil
Sharolta Nonen
Christine Sinclair
Taryn Swiatek
Brittany Timko
Rhian Wilkinson

... yipee on isa's inclusion!!! :: does happy dance ::

elaine

[Auger9]

here's an article about Alysha Jamani:
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/...BNStory/Sports

[DJT]

Jan. 23, 2004. 01:00 AM

Depleted soccer squad off to China

Four top women's players hurting Pellerud turns to `youngsters'

NORMAN DA COSTA
SPORTS REPORTER

After the euphoria of an unexpected fourth-place finish at last year's World Cup, Canadian national women's coach Even Pellerud has set his sights on making it to the Olympics in Athens this summer.

On paper, one wouldn't expect that to be a huge hurdle, since Canada must finish in the top two of a CONCACAF qualifying tournament to be held in Costa Rica at the end of next month.

But Pellerud, who in four short years has transformed Canada from also-rans to contenders, has been dealt a severe blow prior to the qualifying and the Four Nations tournament that kicks off in Shenzhen, China Jan. 30.

He will be without four of his top players, out with injury, as well as striker Silvana Burtini, who recently announced her international retirement after earning 78 caps for her country.

Defender Candace Chapman (knee), strikers Christine Latham (torn muscle) and Kara Lang (knee) and midfielder Breanna Boyd (neck) will miss the trip to China. Lang and Boyd could recover in time for the qualifying games, but Pellerud said he is not holding his breath.

Only defender Randee Hermus, who will miss the China tournament because of a stress fracture, is expected back for the qualifiers.

With his top three strikers out, Pellerud has unearthed another young goal scorer in Calgary's Aysha Jamani, who gets her first shot with the senior team.

Pellerud, who has shown he can find talent, said two others from the junior ranks will get their first taste of international competition in China.

"I always believe in giving the youngsters a chance of playing internationally as it is good for them to be challenged," said Pellerud, who led the Norwegian women to the 1995 World Cup.

It will certainly be a challenge because the other countries in the tournament are host China, World Cup runner-up Sweden and the U.S.

"It is flattering that we received an invitation for this Chinese tournament," said Pellerud. "While we will not be at full strength, it will give us the competition we need to get prepared for Costa Rica."

Pellerud will have the squad together for just three days in Vancouver before the team departs for China on Monday.

In Costa Rica, Canada will be grouped with the host, Jamaica and Panama while the U.S. is pooled with Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti.

The winner of Pool A meets the runner-up of Pool B and vice versa in the semis.

The biggest challenge for top place will come from the U.S., a former world champion still smarting after taking the bronze medal at last year's World Cup. The others with a chance of qualifying for Athens include Mexico and Costa Rica.

Costa Rica gave Mexico a tough fight in the Gold Cup a year ago.

Pellerud said he realizes after the country rose to support the team during the World Cup, the expectations at home will be high in China and Costa Rica despite the injury woes.

"The team brought a lot of attention to the country and all of the feedback we received was positive," Pellerud said.

"The squad is very aware of what they did last year. Now we have to readjust and refocus to get to our goal — Athens."

[Elaine]

i have a bone to pick with norman decosta ... it's called: LOOK AT THE ROSTER!!!

quote:Originally posted by DJT

Only defender Randee Hermus, who will miss the China tournament because of a stress fracture, is expected back for the qualifiers.

dude ... look at the roster going to china!!! randee's going!!! she's healed back up ...

elaine

[beachesl]

Well, Elaine, he did interview Pellerud directly (maybe before the official rooster was released by the CSA, who are notoriuoisly ineffiecient in timely and full notice). Perhaps Pellerud told him this shortly before it was released. Maybe Hermus is just a hopeful add-on to the roster because Pellerud doesn't need to bring any more players to a three game friendly tournament.

I agree that sports journalists have to be more careful in checking their details, even when things change quickly. Although perhaps not the calibre of a Davidson, Da Costa is one of the better soccer writers in Canada, and certainly several steps above a number who shall remain unmentioned herein. His overall very postive contribution surely outweighs any small slip-ups.

[Rodway]

quote:Originally posted by beachesl

Well, Elaine, he did interview Pellerud directly (maybe before the official rooster was released by the CSA, who are notoriuoisly ineffiecient in timely and full notice). Perhaps Pellerud told him this shortly before it was released. Maybe Hermus is just a hopeful add-on to the roster because Pellerud doesn't need to bring any more players to a three game friendly tournament.

I agree that sports journalists have to be more careful in checking their details, even when things change quickly. Although perhaps not the calibre of a Davidson, Da Costa is one of the better soccer writers in Canada, and certainly several steps above a number who shall remain unmentioned herein. His overall very postive contribution surely outweighs any small slip-ups.

Boy beachesl you sure have some balls trying to defend Da Costa on this forum. If he were a sports writer in England, he won't have made it passed the first day on the job. Unfortunally in Canada we have to take what we can get when it comes to soccer coverage.

Also yesterdays Globe and Mail article (link posted above) suggests Lang and Latham will both be ready for the ever important Olympic qualifications. This is much different then Da Costa's take on the sitaution.

[Elaine]

bottom line: randee hermus is going to china. she was on the roster that was selected a few weeks ago in which b/t then and now kara lang and christine latham have been replaced.

i'm just saying dacosta made the mistake of saying randee was not going to china when obviously she is. i think he just got confused with all the other injuries on the team ...

[beachesl]

quote:Originally posted by Rodway


Boy beachesl you sure have some balls trying to defend Da Costa on this forum.

On this forum, buddy, that's a compliment!