Star-striker Christine Sinclair was suspended, numerous new and inexperienced players were on the roster, and only 12 of the players fielded during the London Olympics were fit to play.
It was a recipe for potential disaster as the Canadian Women’s National Team entered the first tournament since their bronze medal victory in London.
Yet with a win, a tie and a loss, they managed to place second in the Four Nations Cup tournament held January 12-17 in Yongchuan, China. Not bad, team Canada.
By the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 60 per cent of the team will be over the age of 30. This sobering fact has helped fuel head coach John Herdman’s drive to incorporate younger players into an experienced older roster, a process that may result in some initial setbacks on the field.
Despite this, Canada opened the tournament with a 1- 0 victory over host country China. The win was a pleasant surprise for Herdman.
“The young players found their feet and the senior players complimented them,” Herdman said in a post-game interview. “I think there was some really good football played in the style we’ve been working on. To be honest, I didn’t think we’d come that far today.”
Goalkeeper and experienced CWNT member Erin McLeod agreed.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” she said after their victory over China. “We have a bunch of young players getting their first cap today, and they really came out. You couldn’t tell they were nervous.”
Following the victory, however, the team lost 3-1 to a strong South Korea side. Herdman had made six changes to the line-up since the first game, allowing some of the new players - such as twenty-year-old Shelina Zadorsky - to get their first caps.
Seasoned midfielder Diana Matheson, who captained the team in Sinclair’s absence, was not discouraged by the loss.
“It’s a learning process,” she said after the game. “We had a lot of young players on the field…all in all it was a pretty solid performance, and there’s a lot there we can learn from.”
Their final game was a scoreless draw against eventual tournament victor Norway.
Given the number of new and inexperienced players on the roster, head coach John Herdman was pleased with their second-place finish.
“That was Canada-new, versus Canada-old,” said Herdman in a post-tournament interview. “I think it’s a learning curve.”
Developing a powerful offense for the future will be particularly critical. Captain and striking powerhouse Sinclair scored a record six goals during the London Olympics, leading the team to a bronze medal. Complimented by an experienced midfield, she is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.
But what happens if Sinclair can’t play?
The Canadian Press female athlete of the year was in Yongchuan with the team but was forced to watch from the sidelines. Sinclair was handed a four-game suspension after “unsporting behavior towards match officials” following several controversial referee decisions during the Olympic semi-final game against the United States.
Minus Sinclair, there was a noticeable lack of offensive scoring power. Canada netted only two goals during the tournament, although both goals were scored by newly recruited younger players.
Twenty-year-old Adriana Leon, viewed as one of the most promising offensive additions to the CWNT, scored her first international goal in the China opener. Seventeen-year-old Nichelle Prince also scored her first senior goal for the nationals against South Korea.
The efforts of the younger members of the team did not go unnoticed by Herdman.
“All the credit should go to some of those younger players,” he said after Canada’s draw with Norway. “And I think that’s been the exciting part…the young players, every time they’ve come off the bench you know they’ve showed something where you say ‘we’ve got a future’.”
As the lead-up for both the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics begins, both critics and fans of the Canadian Women’s National Team are watching closely. The question in everyone’s minds: does the team have what it takes to be the best in the world?
Head coach John Herdman seems to think so, although he admits the team’s journey has just begun.
“I think it’s a good start for Canada,” he said. “But we still have a long way to go.”
Time is on the side of the young Canadian squad. As the team prepares for 2015, it is still too soon to tell if a world cup title and/or an Olympic gold is possible. How the team does in the next six months is, bar morale, inconsequential. Now is the time for the younger players to gain international experience, and for the team as a whole to come together. It will the six months prior to the World Cup that will best demonstrate if the CWNT can be world champions.
Next up for the team is the Cypress Cup, held March 4-13. In a pool with the Netherlands, Finland and Switzerland, team Canada will have their hands full. And all eyes will be watching to see if they’re up for the challenge.
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