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May 18, 2019 Canada Soccer Women's International Friendly--Canada vs Mexico game report (by Rocket Robin)

Canada (all red, white names and numbers)

..................1 Stephanie Labbe
10 Ashley Lawrence...5 Rebecca Quinn...4 Shelina Zadorsky...2 Allysha Chapman
.........11 Desirree Scott...13 Sophie Schmidt...17 Jessie Fleming
.........15 Nichelle Prince...12 Christine Sinclair (cpt)...16 Janine Beckie

Subs:...21 Kailen Sheridan (gk)...7 Julia Grosso...6 Deanne Rose (fwd)...9 Jordyn Huitema (fwd)
...14 Gabrieele Carle (fwd)...19 Adriana Leon (fwd)...22 Lindsay Agnew (def)...23 Jayde Riviere (fwd)
...24 Vanessa Gilles (def)...25 Jade Rose (def)
team officials:...head coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller

Mexico (white socks and shirts, claret shorts, black numbers)

..................1 Cecilia Santiago (cpt)
2 Kenti Robles...4 Rebeca Benal...3 Jocelyn Orejel...5 Jimena Lopez
7 Daniela Espinosa...20 Dinora Garza...6 Karla Nieto...11 Jacqueline Ovalie
..............9 Kiana Palacios...10 Katty Martinez

Subs:...12 Emily Alvarado (gk)...19 Andrea Sanchez (mid)...8 Joana Robles (mid)...14 Belen Cruz (mid)
...15 Karen Diaz (--)...16 Zulma Hernandez (mid)...17 Yamile Franco (fwd)...18 Alexia Delgado (mid)
team officials:...head coach Christopher Cuellar

Game officials:...referee Chrysal Sobers (TRI)...assistant referees Mijensa Rensch (SUR) and Stephanie Fortin (CAN)
...fourth official Karen Apt (USA)...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 1:09pm...Canada defends north end.
1 min...Can Beckie cornerkick from right has defender in crowd of players head ball away at 15 yards.
1 min...Can Beckie breaks tackle and 25 yard shot from right is low and goalie catches wide right of net.
2 min...Mex Ovalle rush to left end line and low 20 yard cross is cleared on left side of box.
3 min...Can Beckie checked off ball after run to right side of box.
4 min...Mex Robles 30 yard freekick from right is floated in and goalie catches.
8 min...Mex Palacios can't get away shot on top right of box.
8 min...Can Beckie blocks Mex goalie's clearance wide left of net but deflects for goalkick.
10 min...Can Scott 25 yard shot over crowd of players up middle is well over net.
12 min...Mex Benal shields ball from Can Fleming so goalie can pick up aat 12 yards.
13 min...Can Prince run down right and low cross into box has Can Sinclair slide and hits it over net.
14 min...Can Beckie 22 yard shot up middle is just wide left of net.
14 min...Can Sinclair mid air pass in box to Can Prince who one-touches shot from 15 yards wide right.
17 min...Can Lawrence rolls 25 yard shot down middle wide right of net.
19 min...Canada Jessie Fleming GOAL...Can Janine Beckie run on left from 40 yard line and rolls ball forward
to Can Christine Sinclair at 22 yards. Sinclair runs forward to 13 yards but holds up with defender. She passes
back and to center for charging Can Jessie Fleming who shoots low shot to side of net from 11 yards under diving
goalie at 7 yards.
21 min...Mex Martinez makes backwards chip from 22 yards down middle is caught by goalie.
22 min...Can Prince cross from right side of box finds Can Sinclair on left end line who heads ball into box but
defenders clear.
23 min...Can Lawrence chips 30 yarder from right into box and goalie clears.
25 min...Can Beckie short pass to Can Prince who shoots 25 yarder just wide left of post.
27 min...Can Beckie gtakes low 22 yard shot that goalie stops by sprawling at 6 yards. Can Schmidt gets to rebound
at 15 yards on right and blasts it high and wide right.
29 min...Mex Lopez concedes corcnerkick on dangerous pass back to goalie on her stopping long cross.
30 min...Can Beckie cornerkick from right has goalie bat ball away on left post and defenders eventually clear.
31 min...Mex Espinosa cross from 20 yards on far right has Can Chapman stop and clear.
34 min...Can Lawrence high cross over box from right has teammate cross back to her and defender clears.
35 min...Mex Ovalle cornerkick from right has goalie punch ball up in crowd of players at 5 yards on left then
catch it on way down.
39 min...Can Fleming backheels ball to Can Prince who shoots 22 yarder from slight left just over top right corner.
41 min...Can Grosso 30 yard freekick from left just over head of leaping goalie but she gets a hand to to break up possible
Can Sinclair header at 10 yards.
46 min...Can Sinclair on right edge of box sends low cross to Can Beckie who shoots 20 yarder well over net.
47 min...half ends 1:56pm.

Second Half:...starts 2:12pm.
47 min...Can Sinclair rolls ball forward on left from 20 yards just too far for charging Can Beckie.
48 min...Can chips 25 yarder from left just over head of charging Can Sinclair at 8 yards.
52 min...Canada Christine Sinclair GOAL...Can Jessie Fleming cross from 50 yards on right finds
Can Janine Beckie at 25 yards on slight right left. She taps centering pass to charging Sinclair
who pushes first touch ahead and to left but gets to it and shoots 10 yarder into short right side of net
over goalie sliding at top of 6 yard box.
53 min...Can Fleming 30 yard shot up middle deflected over net for cornerkick.
54 min...Mex sub...Franco replaces Espinosa.
.............Mex sub...Cruz replaces Ovalle.
55 min...Can Beckie high cornerkick from right is cleared on right side of box.
56 min...Can Felming taps to Can Beckie who shoots 25 yarder down middle just missing top right corner.
57 min...Mex YELLOW card...Robles earns it for clipping Can player at 35 yard line.
58 min...Mex sub...Delgado replaces Garza.
58 min...Can Beckie floats 40 yard freekick from left which defender heads away just inside box.
59 min...Can Prince is threaded through ball pass by Can Beckie but 10 yard shot from right deflects wide
right by goalie.
59 min...A trick play Can cornerkick is called offside.
61 min...Can Beckie lofts 28 yard freekick from left is into box and goalie makes overhead catch in crowd
of players.
62 min...Can sub...Rose replaces Prince.
............Can sub...Grosso replaces Quinn.
63 min...the fans get the wave going in stadium.
66 min...sustained Can good possession in and out of Mex box ends with Can Beckie through ball pass rolling out.
67 min...Mex Nieto shoots 28 yarder down middle over net recovering loose ball.
69 min...Can Sinclair 22 yard freekick from slight left low and caught by diving goalie on right post.
70 min...Can Beckie cross from left 22 yards even with 6 yard line is over box unplayed.
71 min...Mex sub...Robles replaces Martinez.
72 min...Can Scott cross from 30 yards on left is between two Can players including Can Sinclair at 8 yards
on right.
74 min...Can sub...Riviere replaces Beckie.
..........Can sub...Leon replaces Chapman.
..........Can sub...Huitema replaces Sinclair. Scott takes over as captain.
77 min...Can Leon corxnerkick from right has Can Huitema not able to connect. A Mex defender then clears off
her at 12 yards that deflects for goalkick.
81 min...Can sub...Carle replaces Fleming.
81 min...Adriana Leon GOAL...Can Gabrielle Carle in center sends short pass to Can Ashley Lawrence who
rushes down left and crosses from 20 yards while even with 12 yard line between players and Leon heads 4 yarder
forward into right side of net on bounce.
82 min...Mex Robles gets back to deflect Can Leon cross from right out for cornerkick on left.
83 min...Can Leon cornerkick from left is over players on left and out right side.
86 min...Can Leon can't win Penalty kick on sliding tackle at 8 yards on left as defender gets the ball.
87 min...Mex sub...Hernandez replaces Nieto.
...........Mex sub...Sanchez replaces Lopez.
87 min...Can Huitema 25 yard blast down middle is just over bar.
90 min...Can player rolls ball from left end line but defenders clear.
92 min...Can Leon cornerkick from left has Can Huitema not quite able to fully connect on header in crowd
of players on right post and ball sails out for goalkick.
93:15pm game ends 3:01pm.

Final Score:...Canada......3.......Mexico......0......

Attendance was announced as 19610 on this mild afternoon. I was looking up my own archives as I remember going
to a game of the Canadian Women against Mexico. It was on Sunday September 4th, 1998 at Centennial Stadium
in Etobicoke. It was the final for the CONCACAF berth in the 1999 World Cup. Canada won 1-0 on a goal by Liz Smith.
One spot open as USA was hosting. I had forgotten it had rained at parts of the game and I was in a minor car accident
on the way home. Biggest story of the day compared to now is that game set a Canadian attendance record at the time
for a women's soccer game of 4971. I showed off that fact to the reporters I knew in the press box.

This was billed as the 'Send Off Match' for the Canadian team as they are leaving for Europe tomorrow. They will
play a game against Spain and possibly one more game before their first World Cup game against Cameroon on June 10
in Montpellier, France.

Mexico did qualify for the World Cup so at the press conference after the game the coach said he was using a lot
of young, experienced players to build them into the next four year cycle. They now have a Women's soccer league
and it has a rule to give young players a minimum number of minutes. It wouldn't surprise me if the Canadian Premier
League copied that rule when they set up earlier this year.

After the game the Canadian players were saying the wished they had scored more. Sinclair is closing in on the all time
record for scoring in internationals of 184 by now retired American Abby Wambach. Today she scored her 181st.
She said she's more concerned with how well Canada does at the World Cup and she's been waiting all her career
to play for 'this team' as it's the most balanced and talented.

I watched Canada dominate although they didn't score an insurance goal until the second half--the game never looked
in doubt. Goalie Stephanie Labbe didn't have much to do to earn a shutout.

Today I was in the third row of the press box so the pillers were even harder to see behind for taking pictures.
Some of the men's games I've been assigned to the second row but this one drew interest because it involved Mexico
and the World Cup is coming up within a few weeks.

Someone came in to place a pen, notebook, and folder with a team glossy all labeled as 'Seleccion Nacional De Mexico Femenil'
in each of our places. This must be from the women's national team not their league.

Canada starters

Mexico starters

Canada Christine Sinclair (12) takes opening kickoff.

The ball is sent into the Mexico box where Canada Nichelle Prince (15) pops up header.

Mexico Jacqueline Ovalle (11) takes cornerkick.

Mexico Katty Martinez (10) takes second half kickoff.

Mexico goalie Cecilia Santiago has made a save behind the player wall.

both teams postgame

Before the game Christine Sinclair won an award for being voted 2018 Player of the Year.
Jordyn Huitema was presented with an award for 2018 Young Player of the Year.

Before the game Diana Matheson was presented with an award for achieving 200 appearances for Canada.

In the fan zone outside the gates before the game, I got autographs from
former Canadian National team players Jonelle Foligno and Melanie Booth
who also both played for Toronto Lady Lynx.

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