Canadian Women's National Team - Article Five thoughts from CanWNT’s 1-0 win over England





Posted by

Emily Dulhanty ,

May 30, 2015 Email

Emily Dulhanty

On Twitter:

@emidul



Canada defeated England 1-0 off a wonder strike by midfielder Sophie Schmidt in the 23rd minute. Schmidt was everywhere all game, constantly protecting the back four with Desiree Scott, and getting forward quite often to build Canada’s attack herself.



Josée Bélanger, who got the assist on Schmidt’s goal, started at right back for the first time for Canada, as usual fullbacks Rhian Wilkinson and Marie-Eve Nault are both nursing injuries. Wilkinson is rehabbing a hamstring injury, and Nault picked up a knock in warm-ups before Canada’s training match on Monday against Nigeria that ended in 0-0 draw. Both trained on the side of the field at Thursday’s practice for the portions that were open to media.



England’s best chance of the game came in the 87th minute when midfielder Fara Williams hit the crossbar. England also had a pair of good chances in the 20th and 21st minutes that took a strong effort from goalkeeper Erin McLeod to save.



Some thoughts on Canada’s performance in the match….



1) The injury situation to Canada’s back-line is worrisome, but Bélanger filled in well at right back



After a shaky and nervous start in the first 15 minutes where she missed a few passes, makeshift fullback Josée Bélanger settled into the match well. She delivered the perfectly weighted cross that Schmidt buried into the back of England’s net in the 23rd minute for the first goal of the match. Bélanger got high and wide throughout the match, often sending in well weighted crosses and making space for herself on the flank, as did fullback Allysha Chapman on the left side.



Bélanger’s inclusion as Canada’s starting right back was certainly puzzling, considering Canada had fullback Robyn Gayle, in addition to other defenders (albeit centre-backs) available as substitutes. Just as it was at the London Olympics, the injury situation to Canada’s back-line is troubling.



Post-match, Canada’s coach John Herdman explained his choice of moving Bélanger to the back line: “The rationale for someone like Bélanger in there is, when you look at her physical stats, she’s an exact specimen, as Chapman. She’s got the same pace, the same power, but she’s also got a desire to get forward and I thought that was the exciting thing Bélanger brought tonight, and she was prepared to go and be that modern fullback that we need.”



Depending on the status of Wilkinson and Nault next week, who Herdman both described as “day-to-day,” Bélanger could see more time at right back, an experiment that will be nerve-wracking to watch on such a large stage.



A positive bit of news in regards to Canada’s defense is that center-back Lauren Sesselmann, who made just her second appearance for Canada in a year after returning from a torn ACL, played quite well and looked steady and strong for the 66 minutes she was on the field. Sesselmann’s return to the national team is a huge boost for Canada.



2) Schmidt is undoubtedly Canada’s best player at the moment



Sophie Schmidt, Canada’s leading scorer in 2014, is continuing her impressive form so far this year, and looks to be peaking well ahead of next week’s World Cup. Schmidt’s decision to not return to New Jersey’s Sky Blue FC in the NWSL was certainly one that raised many eyebrows, but not getting any club minutes under her belt prior to the World Cup seems to not be impacting her current form.



Schmidt spurred on her team’s attack from the midfield in a game where Canada’s forward’s were relatively quiet. She had numerous great chances throughout the match, and was certainly knocking on the door for a second goal. Among her plethora of chances was a good one in the 78th minute. Kadeisha Buchanan delivered a nice cross into England’s eighteen-yard box, and Schmidt showed her strength, as she was able to beat England captain Steph Houghton to get a shot on target.



Herdman wasn’t shy about praising Schmidt post-game, as he said, “This could be the tournament [Schmidt] becomes the best midfielder in the world. She’s really got the goods to step-up in this World Cup.”



3) Canada’s forwards need to be more involved



Difficulties getting Canada’s forwards involved in the attack is certainly not a new problem for the women’s national team, but it’s one that was noticeable against England, and one that will become even more noticeable against better “tier one teams” Canada may face in the knockout round of the World Cup.



On her 100th cap, wearing the captain’s armband, forward Melissa Tancredi couldn’t get much going for herself in terms of attack. Tancredi’s best chance of the game came in the 7th minute when Ashley Lawrence floated a ball in towards the penalty spot that just missed its connection. Tancredi hasn’t scored for Canada since returning to the team after taking a two-year break to finish chiropractic school after London, and the team will need some production from her come June if they want to go deep in the tournament.



Sinclair and Tancredi did combine nicely in the 85th minute, after some nice one touch passing lead to Tancredi finding some space in the box to get a shot off.



4) A slow start like Friday’s could hurt Canada at the World Cup



Canada had a rough opening 15 to 20 minutes that saw England get the most of the possession, while Canada struggled to hang onto the ball and connect their passes.



After the game, Christine Sinclair described her team’s slow start, saying, “I think our first ten minutes were a little rough in terms of the passing, but I think as the game went on we gained more and more control and there were times that we were just living in their half.”



Herdman certainly echoed that statement, and stressed that a start like that next Saturday in Canada’s World Cup opener against China could burn them: “I thought the start was slow, we’ve got to get over that. How are we going to cope with the national anthem? How are we going to cope with the emotion of a packed house? How are we going to manage the first mistake that they make? So I think that twenty minutes, we could have got punished today. It was sloppy and we certainly weren’t happy with how we started, so that’s a good indication for going into the China game, because if the Chinese watched that, they’ll be like ‘let’s see if we can take advantage of them in that period of time’.”



5) We can’t get too high or too low about this result



While it was a good performance and a nice confidence booster for Big Red, we need to Friday’s result in perspective. Jet-lagged England had just a few good training sessions prior to the game, and it certainly was not the best performance from their squad. In addition, as discussed above, getting Canada’s forwards into the attack and connecting the midfielders and forwards is still an issue. A friendly prior to a big international tournament is often a good benchmark, but it still doesn’t tell the whole story about how a team is going to do in said tournament.



Post-match, Herdman was cautiously optimistic about the win and how it sets his team up for next week: “It’s early days. I mean, this is a training match. We haven’t won a World Cup, we haven’t even won our first game yet but it was important tonight to put a performance on like that, forget about the result, a performance where the girls feel like they’re able to play under a packed house, under the sort of pressure they’re going to experience, and just play freely, which I think they did.“



Canada’s starting XI:







Canada substitutions:

Sesselmann out, Moscato in (66‘); Leon out, Fleming in (76‘); Lawrence out, Kyle in (76‘).



England’s starting XI: Bardsley (GK); Rafferty, Houghton (c), J. Scott, Carney, Bronze, Stoney, Chapman, Duggan, Sanderson, White.



England substitutions:

Rafferty out, Greenwood in (61‘); Sanderson out, Aluko in (61‘); White out, Williams in (61‘); Chapman out, Kirby in (73‘); Carney out, Moore in (83‘);



Match Statistics:



CAN ENG Goal attempts: 7 9 Shots on target: 4 4 Saves: 4 3 Fouls: 10 6 Corner Kicks: 2 2 Offsides: 1 1



Herdman on Rhian Wilkinson, Marie-Eve Nault and Diana Matheson’s injuries:



“They’re injured, and everything is day-to-day with those players. It’s really sad because three of the most solid Canadians you’ll ever meet in those 3 players are battling to be a part of this World Cup, and that’s just sad. But players are stepping up around them. It is day-to-day for those players. There’s a long-term plan in place to bring them back into this tournament at the right time. So, hopefully you’ll see them on the pitch, and that’s what our staff are working towards.”



Post-match interviews:



Christine Sinclair and Sophie Schmidt







Josee Belanger







Desiree Scott







Melissa Tancredi



In front of a crowd of 23,197 supporters at Hamilton’s Tim Horton’s field Friday night, Canada’s women’s national team gave themselves a nice confidence boost in their final friendly before next week’s Women’s World Cup.Canada defeated England 1-0 off a wonder strike by midfielder Sophie Schmidt in the 23rd minute. Schmidt was everywhere all game, constantly protecting the back four with Desiree Scott, and getting forward quite often to build Canada’s attack herself.Josée Bélanger, who got the assist on Schmidt’s goal, started at right back for the first time for Canada, as usual fullbacks Rhian Wilkinson and Marie-Eve Nault are both nursing injuries. Wilkinson is rehabbing a hamstring injury, and Nault picked up a knock in warm-ups before Canada’s training match on Monday against Nigeria that ended in 0-0 draw. Both trained on the side of the field at Thursday’s practice for the portions that were open to media.England’s best chance of the game came in the 87th minute when midfielder Fara Williams hit the crossbar. England also had a pair of good chances in the 20th and 21st minutes that took a strong effort from goalkeeper Erin McLeod to save.Some thoughts on Canada’s performance in the match….After a shaky and nervous start in the first 15 minutes where she missed a few passes, makeshift fullback Josée Bélanger settled into the match well. She delivered the perfectly weighted cross that Schmidt buried into the back of England’s net in the 23rd minute for the first goal of the match. Bélanger got high and wide throughout the match, often sending in well weighted crosses and making space for herself on the flank, as did fullback Allysha Chapman on the left side.Bélanger’s inclusion as Canada’s starting right back was certainly puzzling, considering Canada had fullback Robyn Gayle, in addition to other defenders (albeit centre-backs) available as substitutes. Just as it was at the London Olympics, the injury situation to Canada’s back-line is troubling.Post-match, Canada’s coach John Herdman explained his choice of moving Bélanger to the back line: “The rationale for someone like Bélanger in there is, when you look at her physical stats, she’s an exact specimen, as Chapman. She’s got the same pace, the same power, but she’s also got a desire to get forward and I thought that was the exciting thing Bélanger brought tonight, and she was prepared to go and be that modern fullback that we need.”Depending on the status of Wilkinson and Nault next week, who Herdman both described as “day-to-day,” Bélanger could see more time at right back, an experiment that will be nerve-wracking to watch on such a large stage.A positive bit of news in regards to Canada’s defense is that center-back Lauren Sesselmann, who made just her second appearance for Canada in a year after returning from a torn ACL, played quite well and looked steady and strong for the 66 minutes she was on the field. Sesselmann’s return to the national team is a huge boost for Canada.Sophie Schmidt, Canada’s leading scorer in 2014, is continuing her impressive form so far this year, and looks to be peaking well ahead of next week’s World Cup. Schmidt’s decision to not return to New Jersey’s Sky Blue FC in the NWSL was certainly one that raised many eyebrows, but not getting any club minutes under her belt prior to the World Cup seems to not be impacting her current form.Schmidt spurred on her team’s attack from the midfield in a game where Canada’s forward’s were relatively quiet. She had numerous great chances throughout the match, and was certainly knocking on the door for a second goal. Among her plethora of chances was a good one in the 78th minute. Kadeisha Buchanan delivered a nice cross into England’s eighteen-yard box, and Schmidt showed her strength, as she was able to beat England captain Steph Houghton to get a shot on target.Herdman wasn’t shy about praising Schmidt post-game, as he said, “This could be the tournament [Schmidt] becomes the best midfielder in the world. She’s really got the goods to step-up in this World Cup.”Difficulties getting Canada’s forwards involved in the attack is certainly not a new problem for the women’s national team, but it’s one that was noticeable against England, and one that will become even more noticeable against better “tier one teams” Canada may face in the knockout round of the World Cup.On her 100th cap, wearing the captain’s armband, forward Melissa Tancredi couldn’t get much going for herself in terms of attack. Tancredi’s best chance of the game came in the 7th minute when Ashley Lawrence floated a ball in towards the penalty spot that just missed its connection. Tancredi hasn’t scored for Canada since returning to the team after taking a two-year break to finish chiropractic school after London, and the team will need some production from her come June if they want to go deep in the tournament.Sinclair and Tancredi did combine nicely in the 85th minute, after some nice one touch passing lead to Tancredi finding some space in the box to get a shot off.Canada had a rough opening 15 to 20 minutes that saw England get the most of the possession, while Canada struggled to hang onto the ball and connect their passes.After the game, Christine Sinclair described her team’s slow start, saying, “I think our first ten minutes were a little rough in terms of the passing, but I think as the game went on we gained more and more control and there were times that we were just living in their half.”Herdman certainly echoed that statement, and stressed that a start like that next Saturday in Canada’s World Cup opener against China could burn them: “I thought the start was slow, we’ve got to get over that. How are we going to cope with the national anthem? How are we going to cope with the emotion of a packed house? How are we going to manage the first mistake that they make? So I think that twenty minutes, we could have got punished today. It was sloppy and we certainly weren’t happy with how we started, so that’s a good indication for going into the China game, because if the Chinese watched that, they’ll be like ‘let’s see if we can take advantage of them in that period of time’.”While it was a good performance and a nice confidence booster for Big Red, we need to Friday’s result in perspective. Jet-lagged England had just a few good training sessions prior to the game, and it certainly was not the best performance from their squad. In addition, as discussed above, getting Canada’s forwards into the attack and connecting the midfielders and forwards is still an issue. A friendly prior to a big international tournament is often a good benchmark, but it still doesn’t tell the whole story about how a team is going to do in said tournament.Post-match, Herdman was cautiously optimistic about the win and how it sets his team up for next week: “It’s early days. I mean, this is a training match. We haven’t won a World Cup, we haven’t even won our first game yet but it was important tonight to put a performance on like that, forget about the result, a performance where the girls feel like they’re able to play under a packed house, under the sort of pressure they’re going to experience, and just play freely, which I think they did.“Sesselmann out, Moscato in (66‘); Leon out, Fleming in (76‘); Lawrence out, Kyle in (76‘).Bardsley (GK); Rafferty, Houghton (c), J. Scott, Carney, Bronze, Stoney, Chapman, Duggan, Sanderson, White.Rafferty out, Greenwood in (61‘); Sanderson out, Aluko in (61‘); White out, Williams in (61‘); Chapman out, Kirby in (73‘); Carney out, Moore in (83‘);“They’re injured, and everything is day-to-day with those players. It’s really sad because three of the most solid Canadians you’ll ever meet in those 3 players are battling to be a part of this World Cup, and that’s just sad. But players are stepping up around them. It is day-to-day for those players. There’s a long-term plan in place to bring them back into this tournament at the right time. So, hopefully you’ll see them on the pitch, and that’s what our staff are working towards.” Post a Comment

