Canadians criticize U.S. team: Focus on play, not drama

Martin Rogers | USA TODAY Sports

Show Caption Hide Caption Women's World Cup preview: USA vs. China USA Today Sports' Nancy Armour previews the quarterfinal match between the U.S. vs. China.

OTTAWA — While the momentum behind the United States' World Cup campaign has still not picked up any genuine speed, the ever-present drama surrounding the team has shown no sign of slowing.

So much so that the steady stream of controversy is starting to wear thin, even among members of the eternally-welcoming public of host nation Canada.

From the Hope Solo domestic violence scandal that kicked off the tournament, to Abby Wambach's comments on turf, refereeing and much more, to Alex Morgan's complaints about the overly physical play of the U.S. opponents, there has never been a shortage of topics to talk about.

But Canada, whose own national team is through to the quarterfinals and in with a genuine chance of reaching the final, seems to be growing increasingly unimpressed with the ongoing soap opera.

"It is just getting tiresome around this U.S. team at the moment," said Kristian Jack, soccer analyst for Canada's tournament broadcaster TSN. "There's far too many stories around this team. We've had the turf, we've had Hope Solo, we've had Wambach moaning that she can't score a goal because it wasn't on grass. They are not playing that well. That should be the story."

Wambach was in the headlines again this week, insisting that a French referee had "purposefully" yellow-carded U.S. midfielders Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday against Colombia on Monday, causing them to be suspended for Friday's quarterfinal against China. Wambach later apologized.

Former Canadian national team midfielder Clare Rustad took a verbal shot at the U.S., hinting that coach Jill Ellis' team is stuck between generations — with aging players such as Wambach past their peak and a new crop of youngsters not yet ready to take over.

Inside the fierce United States-Canada rivalry U.S. women's national team players discuss the intensity of the rivalry with their northern neighbors.

"Their focus shouldn't be on anything other than the way they are playing," Rustad said.

There are still two possibilities for the U.S. and Canada to meet in the competition. One would be if they both qualified for the final and squared off in Vancouver on July 5. The other would be pretty intriguing too, especially given the date. If both teams lose in the semifinals, they would meet in the third-place match in Edmonton ... on July 4.

Canadian fans are itching for a chance to see their team try to exact revenge for a heartbreaking loss to the Americans in the semifinals of the 2012 Olympics.

"Boy, the American team sure talks a lot," said Gilles Blondeau, a member of an Ottawa fans group, who plans to attend the U.S. vs. China game and has mixed feelings. Blondeau would love to see the U.S. lose, but wants Canada to be the team to inflict the defeat. "You don't hear Canada talking like that, even though our coach has a lot to say. People up here don't appreciate that kind of thing too much. You're winning. Stop complaining."

Even former men's national team star Alexi Lalas, often one of the women's team's biggest supporters and now an analyst for Fox, admitted he was tired of the excuses.

"There is no conspiracy theory against you or the U.S. team," he said in a televised segment directed at Wambach. "As a matter of fact, stop trying to make the U.S. into this poor little U.S. team that everybody is against — the downtrodden United States women's soccer team.

"No, you are a superpower, you are one of the best teams, if not the best team in the world. Act as such."

However, there were no complaints from midfielder Carli Lloyd when she spoke to the media on Wednesday and struck a defiant tone, refusing to complain about the absence of Rapinoe and Holiday or the fact that China will have had two extra days' rest.

"You can't have any excuses," Lloyd said. "It all kind of evens out. It is what it is, we have to get on with it. We all know we are not playing our best football, but we are still finding a way to win. We are working and grinding. We just need to put it all together."

Follow Martin Rogers on Twitter @mrogersUSAT.

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