Result of the Thursday September 30th Women's international Friendly between the national teams of Canada and PR China played at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:30pm.

Canada (all red, white numbers)

............1 Karina Leblanc
7 Rhian Wilkinson...9 Candace Chapman...2 Emily Zurrer...20 Marie-Eve Nault
8 Diana Matheson...12 Christine Sinclair (cpt)...4 Carmelina Moscato...6 Kaylyn Kyle
.........13 Josee Belanger...14 Melissa Tancredi

Subs:...(actually used)...10 Christina Julien (fwd)...15 Kara Lang (fwd)...16 Chelsea Stewart (def)...19 Brooke McCalla (mid)...24 Desiree Scott (fwd)
also listed:...3 Melanie Booth (def)...5 Robyn Gayle (def)...11 Kelly Parker (mid)...17 Brittany Timko (def)...18 Rachelle Beanlands (gk) ...21 Bahar Sansar (def)...22 Stephanie Labbe (gk)...23 Amelia Pietrangelo (fwd)...31 Sara Paul (fwd)...33 Diamond Simpson (mid)
team officials:...head coach Carolina Morace

PR China (all white, red numbers)

.............1 Zhang Yanru
2 Liu Huana...14 Li Danyang...5 Weng Xinzhi...15 Sun Ling
17 Pang Fengyue...6 Zhang Na...19 Qu Shanshan...24 Gu Yasha
..........8 Xu Yuan (cpt)...13 Ma Jun

Subs:...(actually used)...4 Xu Wenjia (mid)...11 You Jia (mid)...12 Zhang Jieli (fwd)...20 Zhou Gaoping (def)...35 Hou Xuecheng (mid)
also listed:...3 Yu Fan (def)...7 Sun Lisha (mid)...9 Wang Yihang (fwd)...16 Wang Dongni (def)...18 Huang Luna (gk)...28 Zhang Yue (gk)
team officials:...head coach Li Xiaopeng

Game officials:...referee Darci Kruse...referee's assistants Suzanne Morisset and Marie-Josee Charbonneau...fourth official Carol Anne Chenard (all Canadian)...(all black, neon yellow trim)

1st Half:...game starts 7:39pm...Can defend south end on this mild, damp night. It had rained earlier in the day.
15 sec...Can Kyle chips 22 yarder from right into box on partial clearance and goalie recovers wide left of net.
1 min...Can Matheson cornerkick from right has Can Sinclair head 12 yarder down middle and PRC Huana heads ball away from right post for another cornerkick.
2 min...Can Matheson cornerkick from right has PRC defender Jun head ball away from box.
2 min...PRC Yuan on breakaway from 45 yards on right chips 20 yard shot that goalie palms onto top of net from 10 yards.
3 min...PRC Yasha cornerkick from right is low and short and cleared from the box.
5 min...Can Kyle recovers PRP giveaway at 20 yards and passes to Can Sinclair who breaks through at 15 yards on left and low cross from 5 yards on left is cleared over end line for cornerkick by defender Xinzhi.
6 min...Can Matheson low cornerkick from left has ball knocked back to her by Can Kyle but ball intercepted and cleared.
6 min...Can Tancredi long run down right wing and cross near end line is deflected for cornerkick.
7 min...Can Matheson cornerkick from right has Can Wilkinson miss connecting at 15 yards on right and ball is cleared.
7 min...Can Matheson cross from extreme right 22 yards bounces to goalie.
8 min...Can Nault throw-in from left for Can Kyle to tap forward to Can Sinclair but ball dribbles over left end line.
11 min...PRC Yasha cross from 25 yards on left is cleared away.
12 min...PRC Yasha cornerkick from right has charging PRC Yuan on left post head ball wide from 3 yards when goalie misses it.
13 min...PRC Yuan cross from 25 yards on left has goalie catch ball, drop it, and pick it back up on left side of box.
15 min...Can Sinclair fakes getting pass from Can Chapman down right and lets ball roll to charging Can Matheson and her low cross from 20 yards has PRC Danyang clear from edge of box.
16 min...Can Matheson cross from 22 yards on left has PRC defender head away and Can Moscato recovers partial clearance with 25 yard blast high and wide left of net.
17 min...Can Sinclair race on break down left and 20 yard cross has Can Tancredi head ball wide left of net from 8 yards as she charged down middle.
18 min...Can Belanger 22 yard shot through defenders on deflection has goalie bat ball wide left as she falls.
18 min...Can Matheson cornerkick from left has Can Kyle flick up header on left post but ball is partially cleared. Can Matheson cross from 25 yards on left has goalie punch out in crowd of players. Can Wilkinson crosses back in from 25 yards on right but defender heads ball away from box.
19 min...Can Tancredi crosses from 25 yards on extreme right is over net and wide left.
20 min...Can Nault shanks cross from 25 yards on left and ball flies high and over end line.
21 min...Can Sinclair at 45 yards rolls cross through middle to right and Can Matheson at 35 yards dribbles with ball and takes 18 yard shot batted away by goalie.
22 min...Can Diana Matheson GOAL...Can Sinclair in middle rolls pass to Matheson at 15 yards and she steps around defender back towards middle and sends low shot through gap of three players and ball is under diving goalie Zhang Yanru on right post to middle of net.
23-31 minutes...The next ten minutes has lots of midfield action but nothing closer than 25 yards at either end.
32 min...Can Kyle rushes to right to try to get around PRC defender Danyang to cut in 22 yards shot that's wide right of net.
35 min...PRC YELLOW card...After a whistle for offside, Jun on left takes 35 yard boot of ball into south end stands.
37 min...PRC Huana 30 yard cross from right is cleared from box by Can Chapman header.
38 min...PRC Yuan 25 yard shot down middle is just over net through crowd of players.
40 min...PRC YELLOW card...Huana for trip on Can Sinclair at PRC 35 yard line on left.
41 min...Can Moscato 45 yard cross from left has defenders clear on right edge of box.
41 min...PRC Zhang Na GOAL...PRC Xu Yuan forced to turn away on left edge of box and touches pass over to PRC Qu Shanshan who crosses 25 yarder from left that goalie Karina Leblanc punches forward in crowd of players at 6 yards. PRC Huana recovers at 25 yards and passes back to Na who takes 30 yard screened blast that has ball bounce through goalie's legs and over goal line.
43 min...Can Sinclair rush on right but cross from 25 yards has PRC defender Danyang clear in front of Can Tancredi.
44 min...Can Belanger runs over fallen PRC defender Xinzhi on right and her 12 yard shot from right is deflected off PRC defender Danyang wide for a cornerkick.
45 min...Can Matheson cornerkick from right has PRC Danyang head ball away from edge of box in middle.
46 min...half ends 8:25pm.

2nd Half:...starts 8:42pm.
45 min...PRC Huana pokes ball away from Can Belanger on rush on left at PRC 10 yards.
46 min...PRC Yasha cross from 25 yards on left has ball over players in box and PRC Jun 5 yard cross on right end line has goalie dive forward to punch ball away and on deflection pick up ball.
48 min...PRC sub...Wenjia replaces Fengyue.
49 min...PRC Xinzhi holds off Can Belanger to get to through ball on edge of PRC box and make clearance.
51 min...PRC sub...Xuecheng replaces Na.
53 min...PRC Jun rush on right rolls pass back and center to PRC Yuan who chips 20 yarder down middle wide left of net.
54 min...PRC sub...Hieli replaces Jun.
56 min...Can Matheson 35 yard freekick from right has defender on edge of box head ball away for fast break up left.
57 min...PRC Huana heads ball back to goalie from 8 yards to break up Can rush.
58 min...PRC Huana 50 yard freekick up the middle has charging PRC Danyang head 8 yarder that's caught by goalie but play had been flagged offside.
59 min...Can Sinclair on rush stops for shot but rolls ball wide left from 17 yards as noone rushes in to take pass.
61 min...Can sub...Scott replaces Moscato.
61 min...Can Scott on rush up right has defender clear ball for throw-in at 8 yards.
62 min...Can Sinclair pass to Can Scott from 25 yards up middle has PRP defender Yasha bump Can Scott over just inside right side of box and then clear ball away.
63 min...Can Wilkinson 65 yard ball from right has goalie beat Can Kyle to grab ball just inside box.
63 min...PRC Wenjia cross from right near 15 yards has ball fly high and behind net.
64 min...PRC sub...Jia replaces Yasha.
64 min...Can Melissa Tancredi GOAL...Can Desiree Scott chips ball down right wing from 60 yards to Can Rhian Wilkinson at 40 yards and she rushes on right and low pass deflected off PRP defender Weng Xinzhi and Tancredi's 7 yard shot is to short right corner of net with goalie standing unmoved 2 yards from post despite PRC Danyang sliding tackle to try and block.
65 min...Can sub...Lang replaces Tancredi.
67 min...Can Christine Sinclair GOAL...Can Kara Lang at 23 yards on left puts pass to Can Josee Belanger who one touches ball from 19 yards through from middle to Sinclair on left for her 15 yard blast from left into right side of net over goalie's right shoulder.
69 min...Can Kyle 40 yard shot up middle has goalie stop ball wide right of net.
71 min...Can Matheson 40 yard freekick from left has Can player on edge of box flick header but defender heads ball out right side of box.
72 min...PRC Huana gets pass up right wing and low cross from 22 yards is through 6 yard box unplayed.
73 min...Can sub...Julien replaces Belanger.
75 min...Can Sinclair high cross from 20 yards near left end line is knocked over end line by Can Lang for goalkick.
77 min...Can Kyle steals ball off PRC Ling and runs on right and has her get away 15 yard shot away from around PRP defender Xinzhi into short side pole behind the net.
79 min...PRC sub...Gaoping replaces Yuan.
80 min...Can sub...Stewart replaces Kyle.
80 min...Can Matheson 50 yard freekick from right bounces over players at 15 yards and goalie catches ball on left.
82 min...Can Wilkinson 45 yard cross from right has Can Julien pop 12 yard header in middle wide left of net.
84 min...Can sub...McCalla replaces Matheson.
87 min...PRC Jieli rush up right and surrounded by four defenders when she tried to cut back at 22 yards.
90 min...Can Lang 12 yard shot along end line is tipped for cornerkick.
90 min...Can Stewart cornerkick from right has Can Sinclair in crowd of players pop 8 yard header down middle wide left of net.
91 min...Can Lang pokes ball away from PRC defender Xinzhi at 10 yards but PRC goalie picks it up.
92 min...Can Stewart shot in crowd of players from 8 yards is saved by goalie on right side when Can Julien passes from 20 yard on left and Can Sinclair lets ball go.
93 min...game ends 9:30pm.

Final Score:.....Canada......3..........PR China.........1........

Attendance was announced as 5427. There were no fans in the north nor south ends nor at the 200 level on the west side. Alfons Rubbens of Inside Soccer magazine said the stands should have been full. I know that fans of the woman's team are usually little girls and it was a school night. Why wouldn't the game be held on a weekend? I made sure I asked at the post game press conference what else the Chinese team would be doing on this tour. Well they were going to play two games in the USA starting this weekend. Aha! So this game was tacked on after they'd arranged to play the Americans. Also I heard the Chinese offered to play the previous weekend but were turned down. Yes a decision made because some of the Canadian players were playing in the WPS Final. Christine Sinclair and Candace Chapman were on the champions FC Gold Pride. Goalie Karina Leblanc was the back up goalie for that game on the other finalist Philadelphia Independence. Canada wanted to have their best players for tonight's game. Well there's the reason why the game was played tonight.

Before the game Christine Sinclair was presented the award for 2009 Canadian Player of the Year and one for scoring 100 goals. Amy Walsh and Diana Matheson were given an award for making over 100 appearances. This was the first 'home' game for 2010 so they had a backlog of presentations.

Canada is ranked 13th and PR China 14th in the world. PR China finished fourth in their Asian region and has failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup next year so tonight many of the players chosen were new and hadn't made many appearances for their national team. Canada begins qualifying next month and this is their last tune up game before that competition begins.

Canada has adapted a possession style game under new coach Carolina Morace rather than kicking the ball downfield like they used to under previous coach Evan Pellurud. They maintained the majority of possession and had the best scoring chances.

Brooke McCalla was brought in at 85 minutes. She played this summer with the hometown Toronto Lady Lynx and was only her third international friendly and her first in Canada.

I got to watch the game from the press box and for this game with a smaller press corp than the men's team got into the front row so I didn't have to stare around pillars and could take pictures. I got into the post game press conference to record what the coaches and players said. That's in another post.

stats from the CSA

  		Canada   Peru   
Goal Attempts	9(14)	4(6)
Shots on Target	6(9)	3(4)
Saves		2(3)	5(6)
Fouls		2(3)	4(9)
Corner Kicks	6(7)	2(2)
Offsides	2(6)	3(6)

Scoring Summary:
Can: 23' Diana Matherson
Chn: 42' Zhang Na 
Can: 65' Melissa Tancredi
Can: 68' Christine Sinclair

Misconduct Summary:  
Chn 36' Ma Jun
Chn 41' Liu Huana

Canada starters

PR China starters

Canada kickoff with (14) Melissa Tancredi and (12) Christine Sinclair.

Canadian defender breaks up rush.

Canadian kick hits defender.

Canadian throw-in

Chinese kick from sideline

Canadians in Chinese box.

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