At least it wasn't dull and prosaic.

But it is disappointingly typical of this Canadian team that the best performance they've given in ages ended in a draw. Not the bitterest disappointment, as Canada still tops its group and plays next in Vancouver against, possibly, a beatable opponent. But still.

This was by far the best that Canada has played at this World Cup, attacking from the get-go and surprising the Dutch defence. The aggression and confidence paid off with Ashley Lawrence's goal in the 10th minute – after a shot from Sophie Schmidt was blocked, Lawrence pounced on the rebound.

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A classy finish, but classy wasn't sustained for 90 minutes. Only the Netherlands' freaky inability to convert kept Canada on top for so long. When the tying goal came, it was a fated, inexorable twist.

There is still a frustrating sense of untapped potential with Canada – a suspicion that the result might have been different if the verve of the opening minutes had been sustained. And the closing statistics told a story – Canada's possession was 46 per cent, Netherlands finished at 54 per cent.

Herewith, five take-aways from this frustrating match.

1. It's sad, but Christine Sinclair is past it; doesn't have the pace. Often isolated at the front, the 32-year-old striker is clearly slower that she was even two years ago. Speculative balls sent her way, requiring her to sprint past a Dutch defender, were repetitive and redundant. On paper, Canada was playing a 4-3-3 formation, but on the field it was 4-3-2-1, with Sinclair the target. It is, at this point, a deeply unfair burden to put on her shoulders, since she can't accelerate as she once did. Sophie Schmidt simply must act as a striker, game after game, and that isn't happening.

2. Canada's Kadeisha Buchanan, 19, is a star of this tournament, not just Canada's team. Her industry and courage are remarkable. And relative newcomer Allysha Chapman, 26, while no youngster, is a fine, sturdy back running endlessly on the left flank. She had a killer game – superb use of her body to shield the ball, tracking back and with some interceptions as good as Buchanan's. Ashley Lawrence, 19, and Jessie Fleming, 17, look awed by the occasion: Both are skilled, but those skills aren't honed. Forward Adriana Leon, 22, is too easily cowed by defenders who sense nervousness.

3. Canada remains devoid of tactics. The positives taken away from Canada's aggressive attacking spurts don't amount to much. A pattern of exasperating tactical negativity leads to the conclusion there aren't any tactics, apart from getting the ball to Sinclair. Breaking up the opposition's forward movement in midfield is not, actually, tactical nous, even if John Herdman was giving those tackles the thumbs-up from the sidelines on Monday night. A new era of "possession football" was vowed, but possession might be Canada's weakness – indecision on the ball by young players such as Fleming and Leon led to lapses in linking play. A more rewarding maneouvre, given the team's limitations, would be "route-one" soccer with a long goal-kick and no-frills hustle for the ball in the opposition area. Not pretty but suitable for players with guts, which team Canada has in abundance. It might suit Sinclair, too.

4. There are excuses, some legitimate. When all this ends – and that will be sooner rather than later – Herdman will inevitably point out that his mandate with Canada is a multi-year, two-step journey. This World Cup was step one. A decent showing was the requirement for the host country, and that's a difficult task with an aging team. The second step, still on the horizon, is Rio next year and the Summer Olympics. A podium finish is the expectation, to at least match the bronze-medal finish in London in 2012. He's correct, but he talked up a place in the World Cup Final, and that's make-believe. The Dutch, no world-beaters, had the edge over Canada in skill.

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5. Montreal's interest in women's soccer is capricious. A talking point for the international media at this World Cup has been the low level of spectator interest in anything except Team Canada and Team USA. BBC used a near-deserted Fan Zone in Montreal to illustrate the grave indifference to the tournament in the city. It was an embarrassing video report. Others pointed to the tiny crowd for Spain's match against Costa Rica at Olympic Stadium last week, and a marginally larger turnout for a juicy matchup between Brazil and Spain. The Voyageurs, Canada's national soccer supporters' group, did an honourable job trying to marshall loud support, and there were 45,420 in attendance on Monday. But this city is demoralizingly oblivious to the World Cup and Olympic Stadium is a wretched venue. Heaven help any team playing here in later rounds.