VANCOUVER

There will be those who credit Canadian coach John Herdman for his brilliance in making the move that brought Josee Belanger up from the back to play striker.

With a little help from her friend, Christine Sinclair, the 29-year-old from Coaticook, Que., won the game and saved the Canadians' bacon at the home hosting of an event where they can now proceed to go where they’ve never gone before.

Belanger scored the goal in the 52nd minute to send Canada to the quarterfinal here Saturday against either Norway or England. She scored the goal that made it an unprecedented four games in a row without a loss for Canada at a FIFA Women’s World Cup.

But, really, the move Herdman should be celebrated for came four years ago when he took over the team.

“She (Belanger) was about to settle down and have kids. We talked her back into the program,” he began.

“I remember phoning her house. We talked for about a minute and we weren’t getting anywhere. So I flew out to Quebec to a coaches conference and I called her out. She was in the audience. She told me her recent experience wasn’t very good and she fell out of love with the game. I told her what a wonderful opportunity she had with a home World Cup and an Olympics coming right up. We went back and forth in e-mails and finally she decided to commit.”

Belanger laughed thinking back.

“I remember when I first met him I couldn’t understand his accent," she said. "I think we learn in life we have to take the opportunities we’re given.”

Herdman knew what he had.

“Belanger is a striker, first and foremost," Herdman said. "When we were looking at Josee this week, she had a goal every two games as a striker. Outside of Christine Sinclair, she has the striker prowess on this team. So we knew we’d have to get her back up there by hell or high water.

“She had back injuries and hamstring injuries and we never really got to see her at her best.

“When Rhian Wilkinson got injured just before the World Cup, it was a real challenge. We saw how hard she works defensively so we thought we’d put her in at right back. And she did really well for us. But we needed to get her back up front.

“Belanger was fantastic in the second half once she found her confidence.

“You can see what happens when you get that real international pace. That pace is the most important part of international football. That’s her natural position. It was great to see her back there.

“Belanger was fantastic in the second half once she found her confidence.”

She became great when Sinclair, arguably the greatest female soccer player in the world for the last dozen years if you consider who the other superstars have been surrounded with, put the ball in a perfect place to send it home.

Throughout this tournament, Sinclair has taken some stick from certain quarters.

“She doesn’t deserve to take stick,” said Herdman. “There are some people out there who have to ask themselves some questions. That woman doesn’t deserve to take stick. She’s a world class person and a world class player. She gives everything to this team every single day. Off the pitch she’s given more than what we’ve ever done before to keep this team connected. Canadians should be proud of what this woman is putting into this program for our team.

“The second part of it is that was exactly what we want for Christine to do – to bring our good players to another level. If she’s going to put that kind of work in, you’re going to see the best out of Belanger and Tancredi.”

The bottom line?

“At some point Christine will do what we all expect Christine to do.”

For the first 52 minutes it was incredibly excruciating for the new record crowd of 53,855 for a Canadian national team game involving any sport, eclipsing the one of 53,058 set in Edmonton for the opening.

Then it happened.

The she scored.

Sinclair, who had originated the play with a cross, found the ball back on her foot and then put a perfectly placed ball in front of Belanger to put her left foot into and send to the back of the net.

Belanger will have to watch the replay.

“We always talk about that at the international level. There are no perfect goals. I kinda don’t remember how it happened but it happened,” she said.

“Each time I’m on the pitch I’m giving it my all.”

Follow me on Twitter.com/sunterryjones

terry.jones@sunmedia.ca