Canada vs Costa Rica WCQ Semi-Final Fri Nov 5 7:00PM EST

[Vic]

We are in the opener of the semi-doubleheader Friday. Game is at 7:00PM EST, the nightcap at 10:00PM is USA/Mexico.

We are 3-0 in games against the Costa Ricans, all World Cup qualifiers. We've also never surrendered a goal. In Haiti in 1991 it was 6-0, 2-0 in Etobicoke in '98 and 3-0 in Victoria in 2002.

The Costa Ricans are a young team with an average age of 21.3 to Canada's 24.6

[The Ref]

I wonder if Morace will play Stephanie Labbe in goal againts the Ticas.

[mtlfan]

I wonder if Morace will play Stephanie Labbe in goal againts the Ticas.

I would like to see that but I am sure she will not.

[Guest Ed]

Why tool with a winning lineup for the most important game this team will play within the next four years?????

[terpfan68]

Yes, didn't the American coach try that awhile back?

[Vic]

The Americans and Canadians have been cycling to try and keep the wear and tear down. The only field players to play a full 90 in each game are the central defenders for consistency (Chapman and Rampone) and the marquis goalscorers to up their stats (Wambach and Sinclair). It will be interesting to see how they all holdup in their fifth games Monday.

I think 3 games in 4 days in group is a bit much for the women. The men play 3 in 7 and it seems a lot more conducive to performance and not bench strength.

[Guest Ed]

The Americans and Canadians have been cycling to try and keep the wear and tear down. The only field players to play a full 90 in each game are the central defenders for consistency (Chapman and Rampone) and the marquis goalscorers to up their stats (Wambach and Sinclair). It will be interesting to see how they all holdup in their fifth games Monday.

I think 3 games in 4 days in group is a bit much for the women. The men play 3 in 7 and it seems a lot more conducive to performance and not bench strength.

Well aside from the gimme vs Guatemala our lineup has been pretty consistent. No way you put the backup GK in for Friday IMHO.

[Vic]

I believe the Americans have gone with Barnhart every game. We are very fortunate to have about 10 great goalkeepers in our women's programs, and Stephanie Labbé is very talented. But we are also very fortunate to have one of the best goalkeepers in the world. And not just technical execution and experience, she has a ton of presence. If we are ever to produce any significant results, she will be a big part of them.

I've been watching AC Milan and Real Madrid and you can say what you want about women's soccer, virtually all the players honour the game. It's ironic how men flop and flaunt and fake and whine like babies and are accused of "playing like girls." Perhaps if they watched more women's soccer they'd upgrade their lingo. The crowning glory of the first half was Cristiano Ronaldo (in his pretty pink boots) clutching his hands to his eyes and doing a couple of rolls when he was brushed lightly in the chest.

[mtlfan]

latest odds

Nov 05 Canada Women v Costa Rica Women 1.12 6.50 15.00

[Vic]

I was completely scooped by Richard Scott of the CSA who corrected the FIFA Head-to-Head count of three with six games against Costa Rica in the CSA logs... (I really should have known better and checked there). He also worked in Winners and Teck, good skills:

"Canada, whose title sponsor is Winners and presenting sponsor is Teck, has met Costa Rica six times previously, all in CONCACAF tournaments since 1991. Canada has won all six encounters and outscored its opponent 18-1. Costa Rica, however, has improved in recent years. Two years ago, the two sides were separated by just one goal, albeit still a Canada 1:0 win in the group phase of the 2008 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Football Tournament."

[navycyr]

The Americans and Canadians have been cycling to try and keep the wear and tear down. The only field players to play a full 90 in each game are the central defenders for consistency (Chapman and Rampone) and the marquis goalscorers to up their stats (Wambach and Sinclair). It will be interesting to see how they all holdup in their fifth games Monday.

I think 3 games in 4 days in group is a bit much for the women. The men play 3 in 7 and it seems a lot more conducive to performance and not bench strength.

3 games in 4 days is certainly a lot but opponents do face a similar schedule. In the national clubs championship teams have played 5 games in six days and I cannot say win relies on bench strenght altough it definitely helps. Both sides in the final managed the bench similarly with 3 changes each, 1 change to return a player on the field after a rest. It has a lot more to do on how well coaches manage their bench and players physical preparation and endurance. At national teams level, I would expect physical preparation to be similar from one team to another. Some players do run out of gas earlier than others. We had a forward that got exhausted in the middle of the fourth game even tough if she got good resting time troughout the tournament while a midfielder played almost the whole tournament resting only 40 minutes without her game being significantly affected. As a coach, you have to recognize those who can go the distance and those who need rest and give that rest at the appropriate moment. If you don't, then your bench becomes a factor, especially if it happens at a crucial moment. I'm surprised our top goalscorers (Wambach and Sinclair) didn't get a rest since it is a position where you need fresh legs. Let's hope the coach good intent to help them improve their stats does'nt hurt team performance.

[Vic]

Very true, it depends entirely on the player both physically and as important mentally. Some players have recovery times a fraction of others in both departments. In tournaments as they wear on it really shows after an hour of play, you can spot the players who can still play flat out while others are sluggish and not executing technically and have lost their mental aggression.

The one I'm really surprised about is Christie Rampone. Besides being their defensive general she is of course their captain, so that explains her 270 minutes so far. But she's also a 35 year-old mother of two, and if those were gruelling games I would expect they would have some kind of effect on her. As it is, I'm not sure their group games were much more than a jog for the American back line so it may be a complete non-factor for her playoff games.

The other benefit of nationals is five subs and unlimited at halftime and then again before extra-time, and you can do re-entry. When you only have three for the whole game it's more difficult to manage, especially when you have to hold one late for injury.

[Vic]

For a preview of who we're playing tonight:

USA 0-4

Haiti 3-0

Guatemala 1-0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe9tjHOTEoo

[Vic]

It's Game Day!

Another true international with just two Americans on the Costa Rican team.

CONCACAF facts and figures from Cancún (CSA)

Here is a look at some of the facts and figures from the first 12 matches of the competition (the group phase).

In all, 51 goals were scored by 30 different players. Goals were scored in every match, but 10 of the 12 matches featured a clean sheet by the winning team. USA had eight different players score one or more goals while Canada had seven different players score one or more goals.

USA’s Abby Wambach was the leading scorer with six goals, followed by Mexico’s Maribel Domínguez with five goals, Canada’s Christine Sinclair with four goals, USA’s Amy Rodriguez with four goals, and Canada’s Jonelle Filigno with three goals.

All players are eligible for the semi-final stage. There were 32 yellow cards handed out in the group stage, with one player (Tasha St-Louis of Trinidad and Tobago) ejected after accumulating two yellow cards in the same match. Canada and Mexico had only one yellow card each; USA had two yellow cards; Costa Rica had six cards (Daniela Cruz and Raquel Rodriguez Cedeño have already served one-game suspensions).

Of the four remaining teams, USA has qualified for all five FIFA Women’s World Cups (USA 1991, Sweden 1995, USA 1999, USA 2003 and China 2007) while Canada has qualified for all but one (every time since Sweden 1995). Mexico has qualified for one FIFA Women’s World Cup (USA 1999) while Costa Rica has yet to qualify.

[paul-collins]

Watching those highlights the finish of CR was much better against Haiti than it was against the US. I hope it's down to the quality of the US back 4 that CR's forwards couldn't connect - that would bode well for our ladies.

[mtlfan]

I'm guessing the same statring line-up as against Mexico unless Zurrer is thought to be needed, if so I guess Moscato will sit.

[Vic]

I can't remember which analyst it was, could have been de Vos, but they were saying her absence was understandable with the combination of her injury and the gringo style of play. And bless the guy's heart, he must have been going bonkers at times watching and he hardly said a harsh word all night.

I really enjoy listening to Nigel and Clare too, they're both intelligent, have great opinions and express and handle themselves very classy too. But we could use someone to balance the load and keep it a little more real. Maybe we should have brought back the Scottish guy from the World Cup broadcasts and told him to throw a little dirt.

Televised women's games are almost like solar eclipses. Such a thrill to be watching.

[mtlfan]

It looks like Scott and Filigno start, great!

[Vic]

The only thing that worries me is the lady in the grey shirt.

[Vic]

Hahahahah... it's the Mexico game.

Game is on the net.

[mtlfan]

Short corner stupidity again same result. Kyle cannot shoot

[Vic]

Her misses are nerves but the play in the middle of the field is glaring for the rest of the quality we have on the field. If we had a couple of savvy midfielders to play with Matheson the entire play is ours.

[yomurphy1]

Anyone have a link to a stream?

[Vic]

Every game requires different types of players in different positions on the field. You can't play the Americans without size in the back to look after Wambach, Averbuch, Cheney, Boxx etc running through. You also can't play a team you can control the midfield on with players whose strengths are not maintaining possession and decision-making.

Zurrer into the back, Schmidt into the middle. Julien up front and Bélanger into the middle. Intelligence and possession and ball control in the middle feeding Sinclair, Filingo and Julien.

[Vic]

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