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  • So, where do we really sit ahead of the Women's World Cup?


    Squizz

    This is to take nothing away from what was a solid performance against the reigning world champions on Tuesday night, especially given the absence of stalwart midfielder Diana Matheson (whose status will have a massive impact on Canada's hopes next summer). If not for a heartbreaking last-second defensive lapse, Big Red would have escaped B.C. place with a draw, after a dramatic stoppage-time equalizer from Sophie Schmidt.

    But here's the thing about tournaments -- what's "fair" doesn't come into the equation. At the end of the day, if you get the results, you move on. If you don't, you don't. Was Canada's 1-0 victory over France in the Olympic bronze-medal game two years ago a "fair" result, based on the run of play? Not at all. But at the end of the day, our ladies are the ones who can wear the medals.

    On Tuesday night, Herdman adjusted his tactics to accommodate the absence of Matheson. That, combined with the return of Desiree Scott to the starting lineup, made Canada a much more competitive side than they were in Saturday's 3-0 loss.

    What was also on display was Herdman's ongoing aptitude at identifying the right talent for his side -- Allysha Chapman effectively slid into Herdman's system, and while she's not necessarily a replacement for Lauren Sesselmann, the last seven days should make us feel a bit less terrified about the prospect of Sesselmann not recovering from her knee injury in time for the tournament.

    Jessie Fleming, the 16-year-old, demonstrated why Herdman -- and many others in the country -- have faith in her, future as a midfield spark plug with on-field vision that would be the envy of players twice her age. Speaking of which, it's distinctly possible that some day down the road, we'll look back at Fleming's career intersecting with Christine Sinclair's in the same way we consider Mario Lemieux's stint as a teammate of a young Sidney Crosby.

    And speaking of repaid faith, it's worth noting that Kadeisha Buchanan, who wasn't even in the CanWNT picture during that Olympic run, is already an unquestioned rock on the back line and well on her way to not only being a Canadian fan favourite, but a potential future captain of the team. Yes, she made a mistake on Japan's second goal, but find me one top-level player who's never made a howler of a play in their careers and I'll forward you a million dollars.

    Melissa Tancredi appears to be back to full fitness after being largely absent from the national team since London 2012, which is an encouraging sign given that she almost single-handedly bulldozed Canada through the group stage at that Olympic tourney.

    Tancredi, remember, had the tournament of a lifetime in London, which was one of the many stars that aligned in getting Canada to the podium. Sinclair, as has become Canadian lore, was at the peak of her powers. Jonelle Filigno cracked a perpetual-highlight-reel goal to solidify the team's quarter-final victory against the hosts. Throw in solid goalkeeping, bend-but-don't-break defence and a healthy helping of good fortune, and Canada found its way to that feel-good story.

    Let me be clear -- anyone making predictions right now about Canada's finish at next summer's World Cup, in either a positive or negative manner, is being foolish. Without knowing who Canada will match up with in the group stage (and who they'd potentially meet in the knockout rounds), predicting where they'll end up is less than pointless.

    Heck, even knowing who they'll play and evaluating their recent form isn't always instructive -- the team had high hopes after a hot run heading into the 2011 WWC, and finished dead last. Based on that, few would have given them a prayer of hitting the London podium a year later, yet there they are.

    As it stands right now, depth is a serious issue (when isn't it?), but if the group of players Herdman has at his disposal are healthy and willing to buy in, literally anything is possible for this team at the next Women's World Cup.

    This team could make the final, as Herdman keeps saying. This team could also fail to get out of the group stage. We just don't know. That includes you. You don't know.

    That's a testament both to the rapid growth of the global women's game, and a nod to the aforementioned capricious (and often cruel) nature of tournament play. After all, Team A might beat Team B 99 times out of 100, but if that 100th time happens to come during the knockout round of a big competition, that changes everything.

    Based on the four big friendlies this year, it is conceivable that Canada could defeat the USA, Germany or Japan. But also based on those games, it is clear that those three teams aren't ranked top of the world for nothing. At times, they appear to be operating on a completely different plane than the Canadian team does.

    Here is one pronouncement I am prepared to make at this point, though -- whatever happens at next summer's World Cup, locking up Herdman was the right move. No matter what happens at WWC2015, Herdman must remain the head coach of the women's national team.

    Sure, much of the support for him comes from the fact that he's an eminently likeable guy -- though as we've seen before in this country, cults of personality can be profoundly dangerous. But it's not just about his public persona (though that has its own role in growing the game here). As mentioned, his player evaluation has been spot-on thus far. He clearly has the buy-in and support of the team. And it's clear from the two years' worth of evidence we have that he seemingly always has a plan -- be it for a specific game or for the bigger picture as it relates to the integration of the different levels of the program.

    The generation that stepped onto the podium in London was full of remarkable talents. But by the time Herdman's contract is done, nearly none of those players will remain. Another unavoidable reality is that there exists a void between that golden generation and the next generation, the one that will be the backbone of Canada's squad at the 2019 Women's World Cup.

    Herdman's job is to bridge that gap, to integrate a new generation of players as the likes of Sinclair, Tancredi, Matheson, Wilkinson, Moscato, Sesselmann, McLeod, LeBlanc and others drift away from the national-team scene. We already have an idea of some names that may step into those roles. But there is much work yet to be done. Herdman must be permitted to see his plan through to completion.

    The 2015 Women's World Cup will be promoted in this country as a triumphant moment, the pinnacle for the women's program, a chance to build upon the London Games and ascend to the top of the mountain right here at home. This is what will sell tickets. This is what will fill youngsters' minds with dreams, and fill the players' hearts with motivation.

    In fact, the 2015 tournament is almost a transitional one. We'll see the London heroes with a celebratory last hurrah in their own backyards, and a number of youngsters will get the opportunity of a lifetime. This doesn't mean the team will bow out meekly; indeed, as has been said already, Canada is a good team and has the potential to make an impactful showing.

    Can Canada, right now, properly be considered in the same stratosphere as the Americans, Germans and Japanese on a consistent, month-by-month basis? The last few months have given us an answer -- no, they can't.

    Can Canada, some day, climb its way into that discussion as one of the world's top teams? That answer remains unclear -- and while next summer's World Cup will provide some key insight, it will not give a definitive answer one way or another.

    If, however, one day down the road, other nations start bringing Canada into their backyard to help them prepare for an upcoming World Cup, to see how they stack up against a team like ours -- that will be the clearest sign of all.



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