Spring 2010 Opponent(s)

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Is there any speculation as to who we may play or where? For selfish reasons I'd like for them to play in Toronto, but given the fact that the two previous games have been here it'd make sense to have games in different cities.

Just for kicks: what if we were to play a WPS team instead of national team? Perhaps it could drum up attention for the league, as well as the Canadian players over there, and gauge the potential of having a local WPS team. Bring in Boston and watch Latham (potentially) wreak havoc on her former team

[Vic]

Good questions.

I'm not really sure about the WPS. I think the only people who have a handle on that would be the upper echelon of the Whitecaps who've had discussions with them. They've probably kept the CSA partially apprised too. Not to say it hasn't happened but I've never seen a reference to anyone from TFC or the Impact making any form of contact with them. That our two marquis professional teams in the East have zero women's programs at any age or level is quite sad. There are $45 million dollars of taxpayer and community money in BMO field, and half of that is from women. Some return on their investment would be nice. No clue about the Lynx or Fury.

No idea about the senior opponents either. The CSA has committed to two in the Spring so I guess we will hear the details very soon. Perhaps an East/West split. It's a pretty big year for 2011 qualification tournaments, so most countries will be pretty active. Who the States are bringing in will be a factor, we often piggyback on their opponents. Most of the teams below us in the standings aren't very big names at the box office, and if we're footing the bill it will probably be for a draw name and some quality. I'm not sure how much we raked Japan for bailing on us last Summer, but if it wasn't over the coals they may feel indebted and come at low cost. They would probably draw well in Vancouver. Given that our women's program is now Italy Jr, they would probably be a prime candidate too. I doubt the Germans would come and we've already done Brazil. Playing France in Montreal would be a good draw. Perhaps Sweden if Sundhage brings them over or even England or Norway if they're playing the States too.

You never know because the WPS All-Star game was against a Swedish club team, but I would think the odds of a WPS opponent are a longshot. Their season begins end of March and before the Spring timetable, and even if the league allowed it I'm not sure the clubs would want to risk the injuries in-season.

[Sam]

I would really like to see us play a Swedenm Norway, England or Germany... we get very few games against the European powerhouses outside of competitions whereas we seem to play the Americans eery second game and we had Brazil here in 2008.

[Cheeta]

I wonder if the CSA might not want to swing some sort of double header with the promised MNT match (matches), a bit of cross-promotion. Not sure such a scheme would be a good idea in the 1st place but who knows? A lot would depend on location.

Of course such a scheme would at this early stage, mean the WNT matches in the works would be eastern based.

[Sam]

The men's team is supposed to be playing their two home games in September while the women will be playing their two home games in Spring, but I like the idea of WNT-MNT double header. Although the two fan bases are very different which will either lead to fans being exposed to something new or two games with half empty stadiums

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Found this gem over at Big Soccer by Micol: I think during Germany's match against North Korea, it was announced that Germany will play Canada in September. It doesn't mention where the game will take place, but this is still worth a happy dance. http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19947121&postcount=794

[Vic]

Fantastic find. Another clue is Montopoli saying on the weekend in Kingston that the two men's games would be sandwiched between the two women's games. A great October Gold Cup prep. They cut out the five free dates this year so that means the September 11-16 window.

Luckily we have a few Germans of our own:

Sam posted a few other comments from Montopoli in Kingston on the weekend:

Montopoli also said that aside from bidding for the Women's 2015 World Cup, he also will bid for the 2012 Women's Olympic qualifiers. ['08 was Juarez in Mexio, '04 was Costa Rica].

He also said the Own the Podium program has resulted in an extra 1.4 million dollars of funding for the women's national team.

That must be multi-year because the Own the Podium website say's the women's team got $956,370 this year, of which $740k was for the national team. It lists the targeted players as the 42 below:

Sasha Andrews

Amy Apps

Justine Bernier

Melanie Booth

Myriam Bouchard

Taryne Boudreau

Candace Chapman

Amanda Cicchini

Tanya Dennis

Joelle Filligno

Martina Franko

Robyn Gayle

Rachel Goulding

Amanda Henry

Eden Hingwing

Selenia Iacchelli

Christina Julien

Kaylyn Kyle

Stephanie Labbe

Alyssa Lagonia

Kara Lang

Karina LeBlanc

Diana Matheson

Erin McLeod

Erin McNulty

Marie-Eve Nault

Mallory Outbridge

Kelly Parker

Marika Posehn

Sari Raber

Amanda Robinson

Jodi-Anne Robinson

Clare Rustad

Sophie Schmidt

Christine Sinclair

Chelsea Stewart

Melissa Tancredi

Katie Thorlakson

Brittany Timko

Caroline Vanderpool

Rhian Wilkinson

Emily Zurrer

[Sam]

I think I may have misunderstood the Montopoli comment on the Own the Podium program. It may have mean the Women's National Team had 1.4 million dollars worth of funding with the usual funding in addition to the extra Own the Podium cash. You'd have to ask Montopoli on that one.

[Sam]

Also Montopoli said the women's games MIGHT sandwich the two women's games not for sure. And I bet most of Germany's friendlies will be at home to prepare their stadia for 2011 and build up the hype for tournament.

[Vic]

Away game June 3rd against the #7 Norwegians.

Lots of other good countries in the vicinity, not sure who else is slated.

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Away game April 27 and 29 vs. China.

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=20333833&postcount=23

[Vic]

Seems very odd if they are really happening. The CSA hasn't mentioned anything and the games are two weeks away.

[jonny63]

http://www.fa.org.cn/ggzl/mttz/2010-04-09/298516.html

From Chinese website.

[Vic]

Looks legit. The last time we played China in competition was the 2003 World Cup upset on the Matheson to Hooper wundergoal and with Swiatek playing inhuman form. Since then it's been six friendlies, twice in Newfoundland and four times in China, with three ties and three losses but the games are always close.

The Chinese "Steel Roses" (as opposed to Chinese Taipei's "the Mulan") went win/lose/tie in the Algarve Cup this year, with a 2:0 over Denmark, a 1:1 tie with the Finns, and an 0:5 thanks for coming out with the Germans.

I lost a lot of respect for the Chinese association when the Danish coaches found spies with video cameras behind one-way mirrors on their team meetings in the last World Cup in China. There were no FIFA sanctions and we friendly them every year so it's obviously water under the bridge, but in their case I think the word "friendly" may be the wrong handle.

[Sam]

If this supposed home game really is going to happen in the spring it better be announced pretty damn soon.

[jonny63]

If this supposed home game really is going to happen in the spring it better be announced pretty damn soon.

The match was announced already on April 2 ?

Canada’s women’s national team has announced that it will face China in an international friendly match this Saturday 24 April. The two sides will meet Chongqing for a 19.35 kickoff.

http://www.canadasoccer.com/news/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=4050

Maybe also on 21th April ?

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1289596&page=3

[Soccer9]

The game on the 21st seems to be on but behind "closed doors"

... from Wilkinson's website..

..."

My priority now as I recover from this game and the bruises, is to pack for my trip to China. I am meant to fly out on Sunday morning, but I doubt VERY much that I shall be able to fly. Oslo is right in the path of the ashes from the Icelandic volcanoes. I shall do all I can to meet up with my WNT teammates, but the first game is on Wednesday and then the second on Saturday. Whether I manage to get there or not, this short camp should be an exciting trip to China. The Chinese team will be a good test of where we are right now. Canada will have a very young team making the trip, but I expect us to do well. We are playing two games, one a closed door affair on Wednesday 21st April, and one on the 24th. We look for3eard to seeing all our fans at the game!

[Sam]

The match was announced already on April 2 ?

Canada’s women’s national team has announced that it will face China in an international friendly match this Saturday 24 April. The two sides will meet Chongqing for a 19.35 kickoff.

http://www.canadasoccer.com/news/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=4050

Maybe also on 21th April ?

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1289596&page=3

I was talking about the home match that is supposed to take place in the Spring (is that not what the CSA said back when they announced their plans for the year in January/Decemberish at that presser?)

[jonny63]

China beat Canada 2-1 in a unofficial 3 x 30 mins match

[jonny63]

China beat Canada 2-0 today.