Lord Bob Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I just woke up half my apartment building shouting for joy. NO REGRETS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 4' of extra time and 45 seconds from the whistle someone (I wish they had the replay so we could see who it was) puts a quality ball on the ground past the Chinese backline and Sinclair runs straight past the Chinese central defender and cooly and calmly slots left side against a stunned and confused Chinese goalkeeper. A great second half to clean up a messy first, keep the streak alive, and setup some drama for the next couple of games. Other than the usual call here and there the referee was quite good, and exceptional in terms of controlling the game. Her cards for time-wasting and her general demeanour was surprisingly good. Not sure how much impact the subs had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jb34 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Canada Wins 3-2! The team fights back from two goal deficit with goals from Melissa Tancredi and Christine Sinclair, then Sincy puts it away 30 seconds before the end of the game. Great show of character and determination. Well done girls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Bob Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Seriously. Unbelievable. 2-0 down then 3-2 with a last-millisecond winner. This is why they call us "supporters", dammit. Because we stick around watching a mediocre web feed for a crappy friendly at all hours of the morning broadcast in a language we don't speak, even when we lose 2-0 to the home nation and everything is going wrong. Because, one time in a million, it's totally worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Great call Lord Bob. You have to feel a bit for the home side in front of their fans, but they really didn't amount to much in the second half. The 2-0 collapse is a hard funk to pull out of. They lost their swagger and were scrambling and playing with a fraction of the mental composure and confidence they had in the first half. They may have lost but there were glimpses of the organization, fitness and incisive passing through the middle that were the hallmark of the early Chinese program. If they can keep going forward with it and dig up another Li Jie in the back and Sun Wen up front, they'll run with anyone. Sweden 2 -1 USA. And that's without Wambach/Solo but the Swedes were down Schelin, Seger, Landström and Thunebro. That Sundhage is Swedish likely makes it more unbearable for American supporters. Shots 12-6 for Sweden. Strong lineup out of the gate for the Americans too. Leroux is senior capped with 5 minutes of play. Goals were Lloyd for the Americans off a corner at 11', Stina Segerström off a corner for the Swedes at 16' and Kosovare Asllani the winner for the Swedes on 60'. No doubt the Americans walk the Chinese, so the Canada game Sunday could well be Sundhage's litmus test. They have the Algarve in six weeks but if they leave China without something to write home about you wonder about the outcome. The Americans aren't known for their patience. Not sure about without half their starters, but with them Sweden is a well-balanced team who play a fast and exciting game. Their combination play in traffic in the middle is really strong. We're a good match for them because of our strength in the back and front and our direct tendencies which will be unsettling for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ed Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Too wound up in the ASA SGM to even remember about this game. Nice start to the new year for our CWNT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 I just noticed the CSA updated their match report and it was Scott for Kyle, and I don't know if anyone caught Schmidt for Moscato when the second half started. That makes her and LeBlanc the only ones with a +3 on the day. That LeBlanc save right at the start of the second half saved us from 0-3 down and likely a loss. Not bad for coming in cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Highlights Canada 3 China 2 Sorry for the quality couldn't figure out how to get the address for the originating video from CCTV5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 Good find Joe. Full-screen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Bob Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Canada - United States 0-0 at halftime. Pretty close battle, fought mostly in midfield. It took about half an hour for either team to open up much and for us to see some chances: both teams have had a couple good opportunities to score. The Canadian defense has been somewhat more active than the American, and LeBlanc had had more to do than Barnhart: I give the United States the very slight edge in play in the first half. But it's very slight indeed, and this game is hanging by a thread. I think Barnhart probably fouled Tancredi late in the half. Matheson played Tancredi on a through ball marvelously and Tancredi got free in the area. Barnhart dove out to meet her but looked like she was aiming to chop out Matheson's legs more than play the ball: Matheson knocked an off-balance half-shot off Barnhart and out the back for a (futile) corner. It was borderline, and I can see why a referee wouldn't call it, but I thought it was a foul. For the most part, this referee is letting the girls play. Matheson had had a rough morning. She's absorbed a couple hard challenges, misplayed a few passes, and her corners have been utterly wasteful. Actually, neither team is passing particularly well: maybe the cold's getting to them, but if either the Americans or the Canadians connect one of their missed crosses this is an entirely different game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 From US Soccer USA 2 Canada 1 FT Halftime: Canada 0 USA 0. Not a great half for either team. Two legit chances each, probably. USA giving up too many CKs. Zurrer just had good chance at far post off CK but skied shot. O'Hara cross flicked by Tarpley to Cheney who lifts ball over LeBlanc from seven yards away. 54m Canada comes right back and scores. Breakaway for Tancredi, rolls shot into lower right corner from 16 yards. 1-1. 56m Looks like LeBlanc is playing well. Tarpley scores in 70th. Cheney feeds her in left side of box and she strikes an inch-perfect shot just inside right post from 15 yards. Sub Moscato gets yellow bringing down Morgan at top of box as she was almost through on breakaway. 87m Stoppage time: 4 minutes. Canada pushing but US defending well. Sinclair with ripped volley in stoppage time, but Barnhart makes huge save and its over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Bob Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I'm pretty sure that I'm recording this mediocre Chinese feed I've found through a program probably infested with spyware that I seem to be the only one who can get working, so you guys will be able to watch this game after the fact if so inclined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Well, now that we know CCTV is broadcasting this game we should be able to get a feed for the Sweden game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Bob Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 It's on CCTV Soccer channel, which is one of their digital stations. The only source I found was through a program called CCSee, which may or may not have packed my computer to the rafters with spyware and was awfully annoying to set up and get running. I tried to help two people do it through Twitter and they couldn't manage it at all. Really, that loss wasn't worth the effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 China 2 - 1 Sweden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I saw that stream but it was not watchable on my setup. But if CCTV will broadcast non China games hopefully we'll be able to find one for Sweden in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 I noticed we went with our "A" team again and Morace already has her 11. Interesting to see the Americans use young Brittany Taylor in the back, they're really trying to find some youth in their back line. Also surprising they used Kelley O'Hara and gave Meghan Klingenberg a run too, although no shock they didn't put Leroux in. Pretty good runout for Canada. Doesn't sound like the best game from either team, but to be knotted at 70' and have some semblance of the play is a good day at the office. In the quarter's and semi's of the World Cup these are the type of games you are in and need to come out of. We know exactly where we stand now and how we match up and what we need work on to have an advantage at 70'. The last 20' in any game is random and all you can do is work on your fitness and mental drive. On top of that the Americans with Wambach and Solo and without the youth line up even stronger so the ladies will have to find a way as a unit to collectively increase their performance if they want to keep the dream alive and not build it on a dice roll against weak odds. The Sweden roster that lost to China was pretty laughable. They obviously either rated the Chinese extremely weak and decided to play half-strength or simply decided to be good visitors. We'll see a better Sweden side, but it will still be an extremely watered-down version of what they can load up and put on the field. They'll save that for the summer. Right now the Swedes are a better program than the Americans. It will be interesting to see if and how that changes in the next five months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Four Nations Tournament Location: Yongchuan, Chongqing Stadium: Olympic Sports Center Attendance: 7500 Canada fell 1:2 to USA on Match Day 2 of the 2011 Yongchuan Cup Four-Nation Women's Tournament. Both sides traded goals just minutes apart early in the second half, but then USA found the back of the net one more time in the 70th minute to clinch the victory. Lauren Cheney and Lindsay Tarpley scored for USA while Melissa Tancredi scored for Canada "We played very well and created many chances to score," said national head coach Carolina Morace. "At the international level against teams like USA, when you have a chance, you have to score." The first half was scoreless with neither side maintaining long possession. Canada did win seven corner kicks, but was less than dangerous on the delivery of three of them. USA won two corner kicks and had the best shot from Amy Rodriguez in the 38th minute, although really she had little of an angle on the shot. Canada's Karina LeBlanc made the save. Canada's best chance in the first half was a play that nearly got Melissa Tancredi in on goal in the 44th minute. USA's Nicole Barnhart was quick off the line to make a good save before Tancredi tumbled to the ground. The play quickly heated up in the second half. Canada was the first on the attack and won a corner, but USA then built some sustained pressure and nearly came away with a goal in the 50th minute. Alex Morgan rushed down the right side and fired a shot that LeBlanc saved, but the ball came down just in front of the line. Canada did well to clear the ball just in time. Two minutes later, USA hit the crossbar for a second time, this time on a shot by midfielder Kelley O'Hara. The next few minutes went back and forth. Tancredi fired a shot high, but then USA returned with Lauren Cheney opening the scoring for the Americans. Two minutes later, it was Melissa Tancredi making it 1-1 on a low shot from the left. Kaylyn Kyle had collected the ball before moving it up to Tancredi on the run. Tancredi shot the ball low past the goalkeeper to even the score 1-1. Following the second goal, things cooled down shortly, although both sides still traded chances. In the 71st minute, Lauren Cheney got in on the left side and passed it to Lindsay Tarpley. Tarpley made no mistake with her low shot that beat LeBlanc and found the far corner of the net. Over the last 20 minutes, USA's best chance was on a free kick in the 84th minute. USA won the free kick right at the top (and just outside) the Canada box. The wall held its ground and kept the ball out. Canada's last big chance came in the 92nd minute when Sinclair fired a hard shot right at Nicole Barnhart. For this match, Canada's starting XI featured Karina LeBlanc in goal, Marie-Eve Nault at left back, Emily Zurrer and Candace Chapman at centre back, Rhian Wilkinson at right back, and Kaylyn Kyle, Diana Matheson, Sophie Schmidt, Jonelle Filigno, Melissa Tancredi and Christine Sinclair from the midfield up through to the attack. USA's starting XI featured Nicole Barnhart in goal, Stephanie Cox at left back, Becky Sauerbrunn and Christie Rampone at centre back, Brittany Taylor at right back, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Lori Lindsey and Kelley O'Hara at midfield, and Alex Morgan and Amy Rodriguez up front. Of note in the match, captain Christine Sinclair made her 150th appearance for Canada, to first Canadian to reach the milestone. Sinclair has of course faced USA more often than any other nation - 28 times including today's match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarnado1555362291 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Congrats to Christine, but I'm sorry this is too funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 Ouch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soccer9 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Have not seen any of the games yet, but interesting that Carolina has already played 2 of our keepers: Lebanc and McLeod. And with Labbé doing so well in Brasil, going to be a pretty tough choice to choose our #1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saviola7 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Have not seen any of the games yet, but interesting that Carolina has already played 2 of our keepers: Lebanc and McLeod. And with Labbé doing so well in Brasil, going to be a pretty tough choice to choose our #1. Really? Leblanc is the clear #1 IMO. Did you see that save to start the second half against China? Unreal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 ugh. the photo is ugly indeed, and the french translation is incorrect that looks like a 1995 paint tribute. but congratulations to sinclair! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul-collins Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 To be fair, they had no time to prepare it. It was a complete surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Bob Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Canada 1 - 0 Sweden at half. You'll never guess who got the goal. Beautiful piece of athleticism, too: Zurrer headed a loooooooong ball forward that Sinclair ought to have had no chance at, but she just plain outran three Swedish defenders to get on the ball and clear and calmly slid the ball into the lower corner past the goalkeeper. In general, Canada's had the better of the plain and both Sinclair and (particularly) Tancredi have had chances to get a couple more. That said, the game is fairly even and neither team is eager to keep possession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.