EDMONTON — This was a match nearly four years in the making.

It was a chance at redemption for Canada, who wanted to make sure its last-place finish at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup was locked up and the key thrown away for good.

And in front of 53,058 spectators at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, they started to move on from the disaster in Germany—albeit stressfully—in the form of a last minute 1-0 victory over China.

Here are my three takeaways from the game.

Take the three points and move on

The first 20 minutes of the match were solid for Canada. There were no major signs of stage fright, as they were attacking and defending well, given the magnitude of the occasion. Centre back Kadeisha Buchanan was especially impressive early, with two chances to open the scoring.

The Canadian pressure started to wane near the 30-minute mark after a nail-biting moment where the Chinese hit the post not once, but twice, on the same free kick. Canada was flustered after that scare and got caught making a number of sloppy passes down the middle. A lot of work fell on the shoulders of the fullbacks for the majority of the match, who worked tirelessly on the flanks trying to get crosses into the box. It also didn’t help that China was blocking any sort of shot attempt.

Canada was handed a penalty in injury time, which Christine Sinclair duly converted. She also injected a jolt of life into the team. Yes, they earned three crucial points, but the way this game played out taught them that regardless of possession and other statistics, you must make the most of your chances. Coach John Herdman knows that because post-match he admitted while there were positives he felt they were a bit fortunate to win.

Schmidt needs to play more of an attacking role

Over the span of the last year and a half, no one on the Canadian team has scored more goals than Sophie Schmidt. She’s in the prime of her career and there’s a reason why she’s the “go-to” player on set pieces.

Against China, she was named Player of the Match by the FIFA Technical Group for good reason. In the opening minutes, her well-placed free kick was nearly tucked into the goal by Buchanan. You could see her creativity throughout the game and most notably in the 81st minute, when she laid the ball at Sinclair’s feet, but the captain was unable to finish the play.

When Kaylyn Kyle was brought on as a second half substitute, Schmidt was able push higher. She moved up with the strikers once Jessie Fleming hit the pitch and that created even more space for the team.

In the media mix zone after the game, Schmidt stated she’s embraced an attacking role because players such as Fleming and Kyle give her the opportunity to move up and that the midfield will be taken care of. Given her confidence and nose for goal, Schmidt’s evolving role can only benefit the team going forward, given the focus defenders constantly put on Sinclair.

Chapman is the real deal

It’s hard to believe this match was Allysha Chapman’s debut in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Her performance was the calibre of a fullback who had played on the big stage many times. The 26 -year-old never looked intimidated. She was physical, tenacious and owned the left side of the pitch. She was rewarded by a massive, appreciative roar from the crowd early in the second half when she handled a 1-vs-1 situation in textbook fashion.

Herdman has long searched for a modern fullback and he’s certainly found one in Chapman. Post-match, when asked about Chapman and Josee Belanger who played on the right side, he simply told me, “brilliant.” He mentioned there were some things they’d work on as the tournament progressed, but as a whole he was very pleased.

Notes

In a post-game scrum, Herdman raved about the performance of Buchanan and labeled her the best centre back in the world. He was in awe at how she handled the pressure given her age and being on the world stage.

Up next for Canada is New Zealand—Herdman’s old team—Thursday in Edmonton.

Soccer Central podcast: SPORTSNET.CA’s Soccer Central podcast, hosted by John Molinaro and James Sharman, takes an in-depth look at the beautiful game and offers timely and thoughtful analysis on the sport’s biggest issues. To listen and subscribe to the podcast, CLICK HERE.