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Canada v. China: Aug 9 2008


Vic

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Opening lines for day two of the women's tournament:


Time  2008-08-09 / Win/Draw/Win

10:00 Sweden Women - Argentina Women    1.10 8.00 15.00 

10:00 Usa Women - Japan Women    1.35 4.50 7.25 

10:00 Nigeria Women - Germany Women    15.00 8.00 1.10 

12:45 Brazil Women - North Korea Women    1.60 3.50 5.25 

12:45 Canada Women - China Women    3.55 3.40 1.90 

12:45 New Zealand Women - Norway Women    13.00 6.50 1.15 

They give the edge to China but also the game is closest of the day and the most likely to be a tie.

i.e. at the Four Nations in China in January we tied China 0-0 without Lang, Tancredi and McLeod and with Filigno and Julie Armstrong starting and Kaylyn Kyle playing the last half hour.

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Remember China's missing some key attackers. I think a draw is likely but my gut is saying Canada win. Still remember that loooong ball off Hooper's head that took them out in the World Cup. Dominate in the air and anything can happen.

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Exactly, play to your opponents weaknesses and anything can happen. I'm sure we'll have the same height advantage player for player but will have to find ways around Li Jie. She takes everything long out of the air. Tancredi, Lang, Sinclair, Franko and Zurrer are all close to 175cm (5'9") and will probably all be in the hunt on corners.

I'm sure everyone who watched remembers that magic goal. Perfect ball over the back of the outcharging defenders from Matheson after a failed corner, great awareness and air from Hooper who if I remember correctly was inside fullback at the time.

5u695f

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quote:Originally posted by Vic

Exactly, play to your opponents weaknesses and anything can happen. I'm sure we'll have the same height advantage player for player but will have to find ways around Li Jie. She takes everything long out of the air. Tancredi, Lang, Sinclair, Franko and Zurrer are all close to 175cm (5'9") and will probably all be in the hunt on corners.

I'm sure everyone who watched remembers that magic goal. Perfect ball over the back of the outcharging defenders from Matheson after a failed corner, great awareness and air from Hooper who if I remember correctly was inside fullback at the time.

5u695f

But Hooper is not there.. and I truly think the ranking out out of whack..we will be very very lucky to defeat the steelroses they have old coach back in the saddle and he has had success before, he is pushing all the right buttons for his players.

Match that to Pelerud, and yes folks coaching counts.... our talent might be superior but we are suspect to being outcoached, especially with China having the 12th man advantage.

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Guest speedmonk42
quote:Originally posted by Free kick

Never mind if the ball crossed the line or not on the first Chinese goal. Was Chinese player on-side? would like to see another replay.

Yeah, on side. And the ball crossed the line.

Sigh.

:(

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IMO, it was a good goal. At the time of the kick, the Chinese player seemed to be in line with the last Canadian defender, although I only saw one replay of that I think. That being said, there is no doubt in my mind that the ball crossed the goal line. The only angle that seems to put that in question the the "behind the net" angle that CBC showed a couple of times. The sideways angle and the front angle both show the ball crossing the line.

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Guest speedmonk42
quote:Originally posted by Sébastien

I'm watching it on CBC TV right now.

Online there is no audio feed for commentators. I can't imagine they would do that on live TV.

So I thought it was not on, an skipped a yummy breakfast.

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I started watching at the end of the 1st half. I have to say Canada has looked in synch today, maintaining some possession as they work out of the back. And despite the longballs they're getting on the end of alot of them. You can see a huge physical discrepancy between the two nations, which we're using to our advantage.

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Well only a few minutes left now and 1-1 is darn good result against this kind of opponent. Not to mention the fact that the Chinese are at home. Pretty much certain to go though now, only a miracle would prevent Canada from advancing. And, in the group stage of soccer tournaments, thats the only thing that counts.

What I had forgotten going in was that this is a 12 team tournament with three groups. Meaning that two of the best third place finishers advance. Hence, Canada has (for all intents) booked their ticket to the knock out stage having four points and a plus one goal diff..

They closed down on the ball extremely well and marked very tightly. I think that was the team's biggest strength today

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I think that draw is a crap result. Now, here's my rant about it.

That game was like watching adults against children and we were the adults. China played with no courage in the 50/50's, no creativity, and just realized they were in a soccer match in the last ten minutes.

Our players need permission to play football instead of just relying on Timko to break down the right and cross to ghosts. Our full backs once again seemed to have instructions to hoof down the wings instead of taking easy passes on the deck as they opened up. The Chinese back four respected the twin threats of Lang and Sinclair as expected so I would have liked to see one of our central mids (who played excellently) show up in the hole for some outside shots. It's almost a shame Chapman's a center back because she's got a good boot on her I'd like to see her shooting more.

We were ridiculous on set pieces which again is a coaching problem, but otherwise easily handled the Chinese attack. I've been following the women for years and I'm more convinced than ever that if we stop thinking we're underdogs and pass the ball around, we will finally realize our potential. You could see hints of it throughout the match, clever back heels, that chip from Lang to Sinclair for the goal. They have it in their locker to play beautifully. We need to replace Pellerud with someone who has the balls to do something other than "play the odds" with all these garbage high balls into the box and super cautious midfield play. I can't wait for his reign to end.

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quote:Originally posted by standfortruecanada

Jody Ann Robinson has just come on the field. She has no business playing for Canada.

I'm going to assume you meant she's not much of a footballer, but she's certainly an athlete. I think she could have a place in the back four I mean she's quick, a strong ball winner, etc. but to play at the international level a player needs to be able to pass. I would imagine Pellerud would see her as a late defensive midfield option to shut down an opposition #10, and although she could do that it's for naught if she just passes the ball to the opposition with the next touch. Hopefully this was just an off game for her.

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quote:Originally posted by Soju

^I totally disagree. I think that draw is a crap result. Now, here's my rant about it.

That game was like watching adults against children and we were the adults. China played with no courage in the 50/50's, no creativity, and just realized they were in a soccer match in the last ten minutes.

Our players need permission to play football instead of just relying on Timko to break down the right and cross to ghosts. Our full backs once again seemed to have instructions to hoof down the wings instead of taking easy passes on the deck as they opened up. The Chinese back four respected the twin threats of Lang and Sinclair as expected so I would have liked to see one of our central mids (who played excellently) show up in the hole for some outside shots. It's almost a shame Chapman's a center back because she's got a good boot on her I'd like to see her shooting more.

We were ridiculous on set pieces which again is a coaching problem, but otherwise easily handled the Chinese attack. I've been following the women for years and I'm more convinced than ever that if we stop thinking we're underdogs and pass the ball around, we will finally realize our potential. You could see hints of it throughout the match, clever back heels, that chip from Lang to Sinclair for the goal. They have it in their locker to play beautifully. We need to replace Pellerud with someone who has the balls to do something other than "play the odds" with all these garbage high balls into the box and super cautious midfield play. I can't wait for his reign to end.

I am now at the point where I have resigned myself to the fact that there is no sense in complaining about the ball hoofing anymore. Nor any other aspect ( passing, set pieces etc)of the game that you mentioned. This is the game that they play and will continue to play for the foreseeable future regardless of who the coach is. Its what they learned all their lives and its all they know; I don't like it either but there is no point in complaining because a giraffe cannot change the colour of its stripes. Its the culture of womens soccer in Canada along with the mini van, suburbia, and mom; and hockey. Unlike the mens game, Hockey, not soccer, is the biggest cultural influence to the womens game. Besides, at this stage of development in the womens game, this style can still, to a certain extent, be effective.

Ultimately, if you mark tightly and close down on the ball as well as we did today, you can prevent the opponents from playing. And that ( playing good defense) is just as important as being entertaining, creative and flamboyant. We had good chances today and could have won. Even though the Chinese are technically superior, they were not able to muster much more than we did today. And this is a side (the Chinese) that not long ago, was one of the two best sides in teh world IMO. Surely, thats got to count for something.

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Anyone out there willing to give Pellerud credit for his preparation and game plan against this particular Chinese team?

Observations:

We are bigger, stronger and fitter. (not necessarily faster)

Although not playing a possession game we ended up with 50%.

Dominated statistically and should have won, but of course we could also have lost.

Jodi-Ann needs to learn how to pass.

Argentia played tough against Sweden (1 - 0 Sweden). Does this have tie breaker implications?

Women's soccer scores for the first two matches look like men's scores. No blow-outs.

Canada 1 China 1, US 1 Japan 0, Brazil 2 North Korea 1, Germany 1 Nigeria 0, Sweden 1 Argentina 0, Norway 1 New Zealand 0

Fifa must be happy and lets hope they expand the field for the next Women's World Cup.

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