May 25, 2009 Women's International Friendly Canada vs USA (by Rocket Robin)

Result of the Monday May 25th, 2009 Women's International Friendly between the national teams of Canada and the USA played at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:00pm.

Canada (all red, white numbers)

...................1 Karina LeBlanc
17 Brittany Timko...9 Candace Chapman...10 Martina Franko...3 Melanie Booth
15 Kara Lang...19 Kelly Parker...21 Jodi-Ann Robinson...8 Diana Matheson...7 Rhian Wilkinson
......................12 Christine Sinclair

Subs:...22 Stepanie Labbe (gk)...2 Emily Zurrer (def)...3 Melanie Booth (def)...4 Alyssa Lagonia (mid)...5 Chelsea Stewart (mid/fwd)...11 Christina Julien (fwd)...14 Melissa Tancredi (fwd)...16 Jonelle Filigno (mid/fwd)...23 Carmelina Moscato (def)
team officials:...head coach Carolina Morace...assistant coach Elisabetta Bavagnoli...staff Andrea Neil...goalkeeper coach Max Colucci...manager Les Meszaros...equipment manager Maeve Glass doctor Dr Andrew Pipe...physiotherapist Judy Russell...massage therapist Nicole Stephen...athletic therapist Wendy Laythorpe

USA (white socks and shirts, navy shorts, names and numbers)

...................1 Hope Solo
2 Heather Mitts...3 Christie Rampone...6 Amy LePeilbet...17 Lori Chalupny
9 Heather O'Reilly...7 Shannon Boxx...16 Angela Hucles...15 Megan Rapinoe
...............20 Abby Wambach...8 Amy Rodriguez

Subs:...18 Nicole Barnhart (gk)...24 Kelsey Davis (gk)...4 Rachel Buehler (def)...5 Lindsay Tarplay (mid)...10 Carli Lloyd (mid)...11 Casey Nogueira (fwd)
...12 Lauren Cheny (fwd)...13 Christine Nairn (mid)...14 Brittany Bock (def)...19 Marian Dalmy (def)
team officials:...head coach Pia Sundhage...assistant coaches Jillian Ellis and Hege Riise...goalkeeper coach Paul Rogers

Game officials:...referee Darci Kruse...assistant referee's Suzanne Morisset and shauna Poirer...fourth official Carol Anne Chenard (all from Canada)...(all black, neon red trim)

1st Half:...game starts 7:07pm...Can defends north end on this mild evening with a bright sun in north west.
1.30 min...USA Shannon Boxx GOAL...USA Heather Mitts is tapped short pass over from Boxx at Can 45 yards near right sideline. Mitts chips pass back to Boxx who runs down right and takes 20 yard shot from right that's blasted around defender and into left side of net over flying goalie Karina LeBlanc.
4 min...Can goalie charges out to pick up ball just inside box to prevent USA Rodriguez from getting to ball.
5 min...USA LePeilbet 60 yard freekick from left two-bounces to goalie.
5 min...USA Chalupny checks Can Lang off ball after long run on right.
6 min...USA Rapinoe on left rolls ball to USA Wambach who rolls pass behind defender at 10 yards but USA Rodriguez can't control ball before it rolls over end line.
7 min...Can goalie catches bouncer from right from 40 yards.
8 min...Can Lang charges for ball and crosses from right end line and ball is over 6 yard box and bounces just wide of left ahead of charging Can Sinclair for goal kick.
9 min...USA Hucles cornerkick from right has Can Robinson head ball from box wide right for throw-in.
9 min...USA Hucles short throw-in from right has her send in low cross that is knocked around in box but no shot is gotten away before defender clears.
13 min...USA Rapinoe sends in centering pass on left to USA Rodriguez who turns and sends 15 yard shot that's deflected over net by Can Chapman.
14 min...USA player's cornerkick from left is high to right side of box where 15 yard header is cleared from box by kick of Can Timko.
15 min...USA Mitts rolls 20 yard shot up middle that's stopped by goalie.
16 min...Can Parker charge up middle passes left to Can Sinclair who turns and cuts low 22 yard shot that rolls to goalie.
17 min...USA Hucles blasts 25 yard shot up middle over net.
17 min...USA Rodriguez 25 yard bouncer up middle is has goalie stop just right of post.
18 min...Can Lang 22 yard shot from right near edge of box bounces wide left of net.
18 min...Can Sinclair rolls 20 yard cross that's ruled offside.
19 min...Can Parker 30 yard blast is low through crowd of players to goalie.
20 min...USA Rapinoe gets ball pushed to her and 20 yard blast from right is well over net.
21 min...Can Timko rush bashes over USA Chalupny at center line for freekick to the USA.
22 min...Can Timko chips recross of her throw-in on right from 20 yards into box for goalie to grab.
22 min...Can Franko heads ball back to goalie to break up USA goalie's long punt downfield.
24 min...USA Chalupny 35 yard pass from left rolls ball into box for goalie to grab.
25 min...USA Rapinoe gets cross and turns to fire 20 yard shot from left that's caught by goalie.
27 min...Can Parker leads rush up middle from center line but USA LePeilbet slides to stop at 20 yards.
28 min...USA player rolls 25 yarder from right into box for goalie to dive on wide left of post.
30 min...USA Hucles 27 yard freekick from left has goalie leap to catch before charging crowd of players.
31 min...USA Rapinoe after long run down left wing crosses from 15 yards on left end line deflects off Can Chapman and wins cornerkick on left
32 min...USA O'Reilly cornerkick from left is just over top right corner of net for goalkick.
34 min...USA Rodriguez on left sends low cross through players and USA player taps ball back for USA Boxx to blast 22 yard shot well over net.
38 min...Can players can't get ball into USA box for shot.
38 min...USA Rodriguez 18 yard shot down middle on cross to her from left is chipped over net.
41 min...Can Sinclair chips USA LePeilbet off ball and hits defender in face but another defender clears ball off edge of box.
41 min...Can Lang 35 yard freekick up middle hits head of USA Mitts in three player wall and deflects wide right of net but no cornerkick given.
43 min...USA O'Reilly wins cornerkick on cross from right end line after long run down right side.
43 min...USA Hucles low cornerkick has USA Boxx backheel ball along edge of box but ball cleared.
45 min...USA Megan Rapinoe GOAL...Rapinoe gets pass from USA Heather O'Reilly on right and bends 16 yard shot from left around to inside right post behind diving goalie.
47 min...half ends 7:54pm.

Halftime Entertainment: there's a mini game between girl's teams.

2nd Half:...starts 8:09pm.
halftime subs:....Can Tancredi replaces Booth.
.............USA Barnhart replaces Solo in goal.
.............USA Buehler replaces LePeilbet.
45 min...USA Rodriguez recovers loose ball and 25 yard shot up middle is caught by goalie.
48 min...USA defender clears off Can Matheson on edge of box. The ball pops up for USA goalie to catch.
50 min...Can Sinclair cross from left sideline has Can Lang on right side of box rolls pass for Can Matheson whose 15 yard shot deflects off USA Hucles for cornerkick on right.
50 min...Can Matheson cornerkick from right is cleared from box by head of USA Wambach.
51 min...Can Tancredi can't win penalty kick call for fall just inside USA box when Can Lang sends in low cross from near left sideline and Tancredi turns and trips over defender USA Buehler.
53 min...Can Robinson gets pass to middle on intercept and curves 25 yard blast over bar.
55 min...USA Buehler 60 yard freekick from left has goalie punch ball away on edge of box as USA Wambach charging into box and bumping her.
56 min...Can YELLOW card...Chapman for knocking over USA Rodriguez on left at 25 yards.
56 min...USA Hucles 25 yard freekick from left has goalie leap to fist away and defenders block a few shot attempts outside and inside box including USA Wambach heading back to USA Buehler at 12 yards.
57 min...USA Wambach 22 yard midair shot is well wide left.
58 min...Can Lang on right rolls ball into USA box but Can Tancredi shot is blocked by defender at 8 yards.
58 min...Can Robinson lands on USA Mitts leaping for header crossed in by Can Matheson but flagged offside.
60 min...USA subs:....Tarplay replaces Rapinoe.
........................Dalmy replaces Mitts.
61 min...USA Rampone 40 yard freekick from right is cleared from danger inside box.
62 min...USA Hucles cornerkick from right lands on top of net.
63 min...Can sub...Nault replaces Timko.
63 min...USA O'Reilly pops 10 yard header over net from right after USA cross from 25 yards on left.
65 min...Can Matheson shoots low and wide left down middle when ball lands near her at 18 yards after partial clearance.
66 min...USA Hucles charges down middle to loose ball to blast well over net from 20 yards.
67 min...USA Hucles 18 yard shot up middle is low and wide left when cross is rolled from right.
68 min...Can Robinson pulled over by two defenders for freekick on left side of box.
69 min...Can Matheson 22 yard freekick from left has defender behind two player wall head ball away.
70 min...USA O'Reilly dekes sliding defender Can Wilkinson and 12 yard shot from right is over net.
70 min...Can Tancredi can't draw freekick when she falls at 25 yards up middle.
71 min...USA Hucles pushes through ball that goalie steps forward to pick up ahead of USA Wambach.
74 min...Can Lang gets cross on far right and 20 yard one-timer wide right of net.
75 min...USA Wambach wins cornerkick as cross from 12 yards along end line is blocked.
76 min...USA Lindsay Tarplay GOAL...USA Angela Hucles cornerkick from right has ball loose in box when USA Wambach leaps and heads ball downwards from 10 yards. Tarply turns and hooks ball in from 2 yards on left post while facing away from net.
77 min...USA sub...Cheny replaces Rodriguez.
77 min...USA Hucles cornerkick from right is partially cleared and Hucles gets recross and Can Matheson shanks ball wide left.
78 min...USA O'Reilly cornerkick from left is cleared from box when USA Buehler's midair kick from 18 yard kick in center of box is deflected off defender.
79 min...USA Lauren Cheny GOAL...USA Heather O'Reilly cross from 15 yards on right while rushing for crossed pass has ball partially deflected and Cheny heads 8 yarder into short right corner of net between goalie and post under bar.
81 min...Can Lang 35 yard cross from right sideline has goalie catch ball on bounce unchallenged.
82 min...USA Wambach rushes on right and crosses into box where Can defender heads ball away.
82 min...Can sub...Lagonia replaces Robinson.
..........USA sub...Nairn replaces Hucles.
83 min...USA goalie charges out to clear through ball at 28 yards.
84 min...Can sub...Moscato replaces Chapman.
85 min...Can Matheson cornerkick from left. Can Sinclair passes back and another cornerkick as ball deflects off defender.
85 min...Can Matheson cornerkick from left is caught by leaping goalie in crowd of players.
88 min...Can Matheson chips ball through from 12 yards and charging goalie beats Can Sinclair to catch.
90 min...USA Wambach pushes ball over end line on rush on left side when she's pressured by Can Nault.
92 min...game ends 8:56pm.

Final Score:.......Canada.......0..........USA..........4...........

Attendance was announced as 10255. There were no tickets sold in the upper tier so the stadium did not look half empty.

A big surprise is that tonight's opponent was changed a few week's ago from Japan whose federation withdrew because of the swine flu scare. The US Women's team is ranked the number one team in the world so this was a much tougher test than the Japanese team which has a similar Top 12 ranking with Canada. (Actually Japan #7 and Canada #11). Canada last hosted the US national team in 2001 and it was here in Toronto at the old Varsity Stadium.

This was the first home game for the Canadian team since the appointment of new head coach Carolina Morace. She is getting the team to play a new style of possession soccer rather than the old punt and run style that Even Pellurud used for his nine year term as head coach. It was a tough way to break in a new system against the best team in the world. The USA dominated play and could have scored even more.

Both Canadian Christine Sinclair and American Abby Wambach came into the game with 99 career goals. Wambach was back after a recovering from a broken leg. The Canadian team doesn't get to play as often.

All eleven American starters play in the new WPS League while the Canadian roster has seven players who play there.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca


		Canada			USA
		1	2		1	2
Goals		0	0		2	2
Shots		3	4	       10	4
Saves		2	1		1	0
Corners		0	3		4	4
Fouls		6	5		4	2
Offside		1	2		0	2

Player of the Match  Canada Jodi-Ann Robinson
........................USA Shannon Boxx

Canadian starters