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Are the crowds who cheer on our Canadian squad as they step onto soccer pitches from coast to coast more than just fans of a team that has captured the hearts and hopes of Canadians?

Coaches, players and fans often refer to a boisterous home crowd as the “extra player.” And for good reason: games played at home are won more often than games played away. But how far will home field advantage take our team as they vie for a spot in the FIFA 2015 Women’s World Cup final match?

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Home field has a proven effect in all team sports, but its clout is strongest in soccer. There’s no consensus, however, as to whether home field is an advantage for the local team or a disadvantage for the visitors. Either way, most experts agree no single reason explains why playing in your own venue has a positive effect. Rather, it’s the confluence of several factors, including the three F’s — fatigue, familiarity and fans.

The fatigue factor is based on the belief that travel saps a team’s energy leaving them a step behind the home squad. This is especially true when changing time zones and/or after long hours spent in trains, planes or automobiles, all of which can have a cumulative effect on play.