Cyprus Cup

[Blackdude]

Timko

If Timko plays, I would not play her as a part of the midfield. I think she is more suited to be a forward. I think she can compete with Tancredi and Filigno for the 2 forward starting spots. But, I doubt she is there to play in midfield.

[terpfan68]

How good are the Dutch?

[Vic]

THE FINAL

Canada twitter action coming in from the stadium already, so the feed should be active throughout the game. Team arrives just under two hours before kickoff.

THE DUTCH

How good? We'll find out in a couple of hours. Somewhere between good and quite good, but without seeing their games it's hard to place exactly where. To use a bad and worn cliche they've "turned things around 180 degrees" and are playing like a good "B" grade (#6-11) right now and above their low "C" grade rank (#15).

They were 5th in Cyprus in 2009, 3rd in 2010, and are looking to be first in 2011. Their back line will be without Russian league defender Petra Hogewoning who has flown home for an MRI scan.

RANKING POINTS (not spots)

The Italian press call for this order to increase in ranking points:

1. Netherlands

2. Canada

3. Scotland

COMPLETED GAMES

England 2-0 South Korea

Scotland 0-3 France

Japan 2-1 Sweden

China 2-1 Wales

Switzerland 2-1 Northern Ireland

Italy 2-0 Russia

New Zealand 0-5 Mexico

Portugal 2-1 Finland

Romania 1-1 Chile (6-5 PKs)

Norway 0-0 Denmark (5-4 PKs)

ENGLAND

The English made 8 changes to the lineup that lost to us in the "semi-final". Hard to get a read on any of Powell's lineups in the tournament. But the English side of the future is likely their U19s. In southern Spain this week they were arguably the best team in a friendly non-placement tournament with the USA, France, Sweden, Norway, Italy, etc.

[mtlfan]

Cup Final

Canada vs Netherlands

Canada XI - McLeod, Nault, Chapman, Zurrer, Wilkinson, Kyle, Matheson, Schmidt, Tancredi, Filigno, Sinclair

Gooooooooooooooaaalllllllllllllllllllllll

Filigno 1-0 Canada 21'

NED scores 1-1

[Vic]

Both goals defensive errors.

"and the wind scores first GOAL of match. NED pass back rolls just a little too far and Filigno gets to jump on it and score. really a harmless pass back, unfortunate NED, but Filigno was fully aware of deserving of goal. CAN 1-0 NED in the final"

Half-time blown. Not much sense of the run of play from twitter. You get the feeling we got behind the 8-ball not taking the advantage.

Second half will be into a strong wind. Wind games are really disruptive to natural play. It's like wet weather, your rhythm and patterns are out the window and it becomes more about grit, will and desire (and gives the weaker team more of a 50/50 shot if they're fired up). In the game before ours in Paralimni, Mexico put 5 past Switzerland and all five in their half with the wind. We'll have a real fight to just get to PKs.

France punished the Scots by three, they were 2-0 (ENG), 0-0 (ITA) and 0-1 (CAN) in our group. No idea on the Scottish lineup.

It's Filigno's second goal of the tournament. Zurrer, Sinclair and Timko have the others.

Second half kicked off - "wind not as strong, but still there." That's great news for a result.

Algarve Cup final: USA v Iceland (yes Iceland) in an hour.

Doesn't need to be said, but the next goal is massive.

20 into the second half, chances at both ends. Neither team has gone to the bench yet.

13 plus stoppage left, PK's looming.

Strike that. Two extra 15s if tied at regulation.

Rain and cold is pretty taxing because of the extra effort required and the cold seeping into your bones. Who will go to the bench first? Not sure about the Dutch, but we've demonstrated a pretty strong one.

There we go, both teams to the bench. Scott for Kyle at 85' or so. The Dutch went #18 on for #6, Hoogendijk sometimes wears the 6, other times the 8... her coming off would be a bit of a surprise.

87' - "unbelievable NED chance goes wide." Collision, McLeod off, Labbé in. Like to see that one on film.

FT whistle, extra-time break.

Dutch go to their second sub. We probably could use some legs up front.

2-1 Canada! Not sure who got the rebound but Zurrer with the header in the box. Hopefully that's twice she's been involved in a game winner. Size matters. Cross from the shortest player to the tallest.

"wind just gave us a CK" would make you think we have the wind this half...

Now the game will get really cagey.

Moscato for Tancredi. Going defensive.

Tough on Labbé coming into a game late under conditions like this without much if any a warm-up. Felt bad for Taryn Swiatek in the last Olympics too. The last 15 will be a real test of the back four and the holding. After 120 minutes in cold, wet, windy weather - can they stay mentally sharp?

There's the legs up front - Julien for Filigno.

Second half of extra-time kicks off.

1-0 USA in the 11' over Iceland.

The Dutch will counter with numbers soon... Julien runs well with the ball, if she can get her foot on a clearance maybe she can break.

Gayle for Schmidt, Double Dutch on the subs.

Stewart for Sinclair, time management.

Labbé getting it done under tough circumstances.

Three minutes, Dutch probably about to throw the kitchen sink into the attack.

Iceland 1-1 USA near the half-hour mark. C-R-A-Z-Y.

"NED is all up looking for equaliser"

Iceland 2-1 USA. Ridiculous. People watching the feed in Reykjavik must be approaching hospitalization.

WHISTLE BLOWN. Another gold, another great performance - by the entire team. I would single out the back four but it was truly everyone - keepers, mids, attackers, bench, coaches, and no doubt if you were there and knew the minutiae the entire staff. Should be a great night in Cyprus and a couple of days of enjoying it before it's back to earth and figuring out the next step.

[tmcmurph]

Congrats and on to the World Cup!