Result of the Sunday June 25, 2006 Women’s International Friendly between the national teams of Canada and Italy played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 6:00pm.

Canada (all red, white numbers and trim)

...........................22 Erin McLeod
............2 Christine Latham...6 Sharolta Nonen...3 Melanie Booth
9 Martina Franko...13 Amy Walsh...8 Diana Matheson...5 Andrea Neil
...........12 Christine Sinclair...10 Charmaine Hooper (cpt)...16 Rhian Wilkinson

Subs:...1 Karina LeBlanc (gk)...4 Amanda Cicchini...7 Tanya Dennis...11 Randee Hermus...14 Robyn Gayle...17 Brittany Timko
team officials:...head coach Even Pellerud...assistant coach Ian Bridge

Italy (blue socks and shirts, white shorts and numbers)

............................1 Carlo Bunozzi
3 Daniela Tavalazzi...5 Elisabetta Tona...6 Giulia Perelli...2 Cristina Cassanelli
8 Venusia Paliotti...4 Sara Di Flilippo...11 Elisa Rosciani...10 Tatiana Zorri (cpt)...7 Alessia Tuttino
......................9 Teresina Lina Marsico

Subs:...12 Chiara Marchitelli...16 Vivian Schiavi...17 Roberta Dadda...13 Sara Gama...22 Margherita Gioia Masia...19 Elisa Camporese...14 Carolina Pini...20 Fabiana Colasuonno...21 Daniela Sabatino...18 Melania Gabbiadini...15 Silvia Fuselli
team officials:...head coach Pietro Ghedin...assistant coach Corrado Corradini

Game officials:...referee Carol-Anne Chenard...referee's assistants Denise Robinson and Deb O'Hara...fourth official Steve DePiero...(all from Canada)...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks).

1st Half:...game starts 6:07pm with a wind from the south east on this mild afternoon.
30 seconds....Canada Rhian Wilkinson GOAL...Wilkinson on rush for pass down left wing crosses to Canada Charmaine Hooper but Italian defender Cristina Cassanelli bends over to head ball back to goalie Carla Brunozzi but heads it into own net from 7 yards. (So actually this should count as an own goal).
2 min...Canada Charmaine Hooper GOAL...Hooper gets pass rolled to her from left by Can Christine Sinclair and rolls ball in from 6 yards to left side of net.
7 min...Can Booth 25 yard cross from left bounces through box wide right.
8 min...Can Sinclair pops up 20 yard header up middle wide left of net.
10 min...Can player's 20 yard shot from right is well high left.
12 min...Can Booth long throw-in from left has Can Neil pop up header on left edge of box but ball cleared.
14 min...Ita Zorri freekick from 22 yards on right is over players in box but defender on left heads over end line.
14 min...Ita player's cornerkick from left is worked out and crossed back to left but play flagged offside.
16 min...Ita sub...Masia replaces Cassanelli.
17 min...Can Booth 35 yard freekick from right is wide left ahead of charging Can players on left.
21 min...Ita Marsico pushes forward for charging Ita Di Filippo on right who crosses near end line but goalie dives forward to catch it.
22 min...Can Nonen injured Ita Marsico with clip on ankle near center line.
24 min...Can Latham pounds 60 yard ball over players wide right.
29 min...Can Wilkinson 30 yard freekick from left over to players on right but partially cleared has Can Franko sky ball froom 30 yards down middle over net.
31 min...Ita Di Filippo beats offside trap for through ball but goalie charges to edge of box to grab bouncer before Di Filippo can get to it.
32 min....Italy Tatiana Zorri 25 yard freekick from right is cleared, Can Christine Latham slams into Italy player on left side of box and referee Carol-Anne Chenard calls a Penalty kick.
33 min...Italy Tatiana Zorri GOAL...Zorri sends her Penalty kick into low left side of net near post just wide of flying goalie Erin McLeod.
34 min...Can Booth cross from left has Can Sinclair on right endline heads back into play and Can Hooper header from 3 yards blocked by flying defender.
35 min...Ita Masia 40 yard freekick from right is whistled down in box.
36 min...Ita Masia 45 yard cross on right is over players and caught by goalie.
38 min...Can Nonen 50 yard freekick has play whistled down in box.
39 min...Ita Di Filippo 35 yarder is over Ita player and caught by goalie.
40 min...Ita Paliotti 30 yard header is bounced weakly into box for goalie.
42 min...Can Hooper steals ball from Ita Rosciani injurying her soon after 'no call' when Hooper had been upended for the second time within the last minute.
43 min...Ita Di Filippo 30 yard kick into box easily saved by goalie.
44 min...Ita Paliotti gets ball up middle and 15 yard shot blocked point blank by goalie. Ita Rosciani 25 yard rebound shot is wide right.
45 min...Can Nonen 60 yard wind aided freekick is caught by goalie.
46 min...half ends 6:55pm.

2nd Half:...starts 7:10pm with the weather still windy.
46 min...Can Sinclair fed long through ball and 20 yard sliding shot just wide right, Can Sinclair hurt on play with sliding defender.
47 min...Ita Marsico on break has Can Franko catch her inside box to block her shot.
48 min...Can Nonen 35 yard freekick has offside flag raised for Can players charging into Ita box.
49 min...Can goalie catches bouncer on edge of box.
51 min...Can Franko long throw-in from right has Can Hooper checked on edge of box by defender.
52 min...Can Sinclair cross from left of box has Can Wilkinson head down ball from 15 yards and ball rolls wide left.
54 min...Can Franko run up right side and 25 yard chip caught by goalie.
55 min...Can Nonen 50 yard freekick is caught by goalie.
57 min...Ita goalie clears ball off own defender that pops ball up and Can Sinclair gets to ball but her shot tips over net as defender blocks.
59 min...Can Sinclair can't get to through ball in time.
60 min...Can goalie slides out to stop Ita Marsico 20 yard shot, defender clears ball away.
61 min...Can sub...Timko replaces Neil.
62 min...Can Nonen 45 yard freekick up middle has defender head ball away.
62 min...Can Matheson cross from right has Can Hooper pop up header and goalie catches ball before it lands.
63 min...Ita sub...Fuselli replaces Marsico.
64 min...Ita sub...Dadda replaces Tavalazzi.
66 min...Can Sinclair rolls cross from left but ball cleared.
67 min...Can Timko cornerkick from right has defender head ball away.
68 min...Can Wilkinson rush down right and cross to center where Can Hooper one touch kicks 5 yarder wide right.
69 min...Can Sinclair cross from left and Can Hooper pops up 5 yard chip from right that Can player knocks off defender for cornerkick.
70 min...Can player's cornerkick from right has Can Timko finish with 20 yard kick.
71 min...Can Gayle replaces Wilkinson. (Franko pushes up as Gayle comes in to play defence).
72 min...Can Sinclair holds off defender and 10 yard shot has goalie palm ball over net.
73 min...Can player's cornerkick from left has ball whistled down in box.
74 min...Can Sinclair quick freekick has Can player cross from left and ball is knocked around and ends with Can Hooper knock ball and has falling goalie make save on left post.
75 min...Can Gayle qick throw-in has Can Franko cross from right that hits cross bar.
76 min...Ita Dadda 25 yard cross from left has goalie catch ball.
78 min...Ita sub...Gama replaces Masia.
79 min...Can Sinclair rush down left and cross blocked by defenders.
81 min...Can sub...Cicchini replaces Walsh.
82 min...Can goalie kicks ball out of bounds after pass-back when threatened by Ita forwards.
83 min...Can Gayle long throw-in caught by Ita goalie.
84 min...Ita defender gets away with hand ball in box while fallen down keeping ball away from Can Hooper.
85 min...Can goalie steps out of box to clear through ball.
87 min...Ita YELLOW card...Fuselli for kicking her feet out at a Can players when on her back at Can 35 yards.
87 min...Can Cicchini 30 yard freekick is wide right of net.
88 min...Ita Zorri is knocked off ball on header while on left edge of Can box.
90 min...Ita Zorri 40 yard freekick from left has Can goalie leap over players to punch out ball on edge of box.
91 min...Can Nonen 55 yard freekick has Can player head ball wide left form 18 yards on right.
92 min...Can sub...Hermus replaces Franko.
93 min...Can goalie's 70 yard freekick has Can Sinclair head to Ita goalie.
93 min...game ends 7:58pm.

Final Score:............Canada.........2..............Italy.......1........

Attendance was announced as 4325. It was a very pro Canadian crowd. The grandstand was filled and the grassy hill on the east side was packed. Those folks would have had to stare into the sun the whole game. This game had no media coverage and was in-house promoted by and Canadian-Italian group and promoted to local minor soccer associations. Great turnout! Most folks would have to have left before the end of the World Cup Portugal vs. Netherlands match. It was a hot afternoon with a wind having some effect on blowing high balls too far. The field was in great shape.

MVP awards were given out at the end of the game to Canadian defender Sharolta Nonen for her checking and freekick skills and the Italian captain Tatiana Zorri for her hard work and playmaking on the left wing during the game. Another trophy was presented to Canadian captain Charmaine Hooper for Canada winning the game.

Canada played a kick and run game which isn’t popular by lots of knowledgeable fans. The Canadian players’ size was generally taller than the Italians so long balls headed down by forwards Christine Sinclair, Charmaine Hooper, and Rhian Wilkinson to set up plays. Canada had a good 15 minute flurry late in the second half but couldn’t add to their lead. At 68 minutes, Wilkinson ran down the right wing and crossed to center where Hooper one touch kicked a 5 yarder wide right. At 72 minutes Sinclair held off a defender and her 10 yard shot from the left had the goalie palm the ball over the net. At 74 minutes Sinclair took a quick freekick deep in the Italy end and a Canadian player crossed from the left, the ball was knocked around and ends with Hooper knocking the ball and having the falling goalie save on the left post. An Italian defender got away with a hand ball while on the ground keeping it away from Hooper at 84 minutes.

Erin McLeod had to be sharp in spots like at 44 minutes when Venusia Paliotti gets the ball up the middle and her 15 yard shot was blocked point blank. At 60 minutes when McLeod slid out to stop Teresina Lina Marsico’s 20 yard shot and a defender cleared the rebound that got behind her.

Carol-Anne Chenard led an all Canadian refereeing crew. She called a lot of fouls but only gave out one Yellow card the whole game

Kara Lang was missing from the game having torn her ACL during training with the National team. She will be sidelined from 7 months to a year.

Rogers Television was taping this game with their Toronto Lynx/Lady Lynx crew for broadcast on their community channel at 8:00pm on July 8th. This would be worth watching for anyone who wasn’t there.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

The teams come out to the field

There's both #7 Tanya Henry and #4 Amanda Cicchini from the Toronto Lady Lynx at their home stadium

Ready for the national anthems

Team Italy

Team Canada

After the game. Trophy to the winning captain Charmaine Hooper

Both teams pose after the game

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