Canada vs USA (CSA press release)

[loyola]

Women’s National Team

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Canada drops first game of season to United States

FINAL - Canada 0:4 United States

Canada’s women’s national team lost their first game of the 2008 season to the United States. The Canadians kept the game scoreless for the first 50 minutes before the Americans scored four late goals en route to a 4:0 victory at the 2008 Four Nations Tournament.

Canada’s women’s national team - whose title sponsor is Winners - played the United States at the Guangzhou Olympic Stadium in their first of three round-robin games. Canada plays hosts China on Friday 18 January and Finland (Suomi) on Sunday 20 January.

Canada created several good chances in the first half. It was an even first half, even with a late push by the Americans against which the Canadian defence stood their ground. The second half started out well until American Amy Rodriguez opened the scoring in the 51st minute.

Despite the American goal, the Canadians continued to hold their own. Five minutes after the Rodriguez goal, Canadian defender Melanie Booth was making good at both ends of the pitch. She first saved a goal from the goal line in her own end and then created a great opportunity with her corner kick in the American end.

In the last 25 minutes of the game, however, Canadian mistakes led to three American goals - Rodriguez’s second of the day in the 65th minute and Lindsay Tarpley’s pair in the 75th and 80th minutes.

In the second half of the game, three young Canadians earned their first caps with their senior team - Jonelle Filigno (17 years old) in the 46th minute, Julie Armstrong (17) in the 67th minute, and Kaylyn Kyle (19) in the 80th minute. Midfielder Clare Rustad (24), meanwhile, made her first Canadian start in more than four years.

Canada’s next match is against hosts China on 18 January (14.00 local time). Canada has posted two draws and three losses against China in the four years since they upset the Chinese senior team in the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003 quarter-final (1:0 win on 2 October 2003).