After greater than a yr of pandemic delays, Canada’s girls’s soccer staff kicked off its Olympic event with a 1-1 draw towards host Japan, who odds makers had as heavy favourites going into this sport.
Coming into the event, Canada had struggled scoring targets and producing high quality scoring possibilities.That narrative appeared to alter early.
After controlling the early moments of the sport, captain Christine Sinclair, enjoying in her three hundredth sport for Canada, scored the sport’s first aim.
Within the sixth minute, Sinclair transformed her personal rebound from in shut after her first shot hit the put up. It was the 38 year-old’s 187th all time aim, including to her all-time worldwide goal-scoring mark.
WATCH | Sinclair’s aim offers Canada an early lead over Japan:
Captain Christine Sinclair offers Canada a 1-0 lead over Japan together with her record-extending 187th worldwide aim of her profession. 1:16
After Canada’s preliminary flurry, neither staff threatened once more within the first half with many of the remaining minutes performed in the course of the sector.
Early within the second half, Japan nearly equalized after a weird sequence.
After Canadian goalkeeper Stepanie Labbé collided with Japanese ahead Mina Tanaka, a free kick was initially awarded to Canada.
Labbé was injured on the play and whereas medical workers tended to her, the play was reviewed. After a re-assessment, Labbé was given a yellow card and the Canadian free kick grew to become a Japanese penalty kick.
It appeared that the collision would drive Labbé from the sport however she remained on the sector and denied Tanaka’s penalty with a diving save.
WATCH | Stephanie Labbé suffers damage, stops penalty then leaves sport:
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Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé is injured in a collision however is named for penalty. Labbé makes the save on Mina Tanaka then is substituted out of the sport for Kailen Sheridan. 3:02
Japan adopted the penalty kick with a flurry of possibilities as Canada was unable to clear the ball out of their penalty space. Labbé made a variety of saves earlier than having to depart the sport with an damage. She left the pitch in tears and was changed by Kailen Sheridan.
Canada seemed to be in charge of this sport, earlier than Japan’s Manu Yabuchi equalized with six minutes to play. Yabuchi was in a position to chase down an extended cross, out working Canadian defenders, earlier than chipping it by Sheridan.
After scoring early, Canada did not actually threaten once more, unable to generate a lot offence within the second half. Canada completed the sport with just one shot on aim.
Fortunately for each groups this sport was performed indoors, contained in the cavernous Sapporo Dome, which is positioned about 800 kilometres north of Tokyo. The climate in Japan has been stifling, with the temperature in Sapporo hitting 35 levels, the most well liked climate town’s seen in practically 40 years.
It was refreshing to truly concentrate on soccer after months of concentrate on COVID-19 testing and protocols.
COVID-19 protocols hamper home-pitch benefit
The one reminder of the continuing pandemic, which has solid an early shadow over these Video games, was the dearth of followers contained in the cavernous 41-thousand seat Sapporo Dome. Japan did not have the backing hometown followers, which historically offers the host nation an added benefit.
Organizers did not trouble pumping in synthetic crowd noise. As a substitute, you could possibly hear nearly all the pieces being mentioned on the sector in addition to the incessant clicking of cameras.
In some other yr, it is doubtless this sport would have generated appreciable pleasure in Japan. However whether or not this sport was producing any buzz right here was exhausting to gauge. There have been no raucous gatherings or watch events, as bars and eating places in Japan have been requested to shut at 8 p.m., in an try and stem a rising variety of COVID-19 circumstances.
Canada got here into this sport brimming with confidence, not shy about their aim of successful gold at these Video games. After successful bronze on the final two Olympics, the mantra for this staff has been “change the color”. It is repeated continually by head coach Bev Priestman, who was appointed head coach final October, and blasted over all the staff’s official social media streams.
“They’ve been very clear that they wish to change the color of the medal from bronze to gold,” Priestman advised worldwide media earlier than the sport. “I really consider that any given day if we flip up and we’re prepared, we are able to do this.”
This 22 member Canadian staff is a mixture of acquainted faces and newcomers. Sinclair, one of the crucial adorned soccer gamers to ever stroll on the sector, is in fact this staff’s chief.
“I nonetheless stand up on a regular basis attempting to get higher and when that goes away, I’ve to step away,” mentioned Sinclair, who’s competing at her fourth Olympic Video games.”To have the ability to compete in these Olympics with this group is one thing particular. I would not be right here if we did not have an opportunity to win”
In complete, 5 gamers on this staff have appeared greater than 100 instances internationally for Canada. And 12 gamers had been a part of the Canadian staff that gained again to again bronze medals in 2102 and 2016.
WATCH | Canada girls’s soccer Olympic preview:
![](https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/737/787/SoccerThumbnail.jpeg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=510px:* 510w")
Brendan Dunlop sits down with former Canadian Girls’s Soccer Nationwide Staff members Diana Matheson and Karina Leblanc, to debate key gamers for Canada and their possibilities at a medal in Tokyo. 10:07
“We’ve 22 gamers that may make a distinction on the pitch and I do not suppose now we have had that previously,” Sinclair mentioned earlier than the sport.
Japan, ranked eleventh on the planet, got here into this sport with a 7-4-3 all-time file towards Canada. The final time the 2 groups performed was in 2019, when Japan thumped Canada 4-0.
Group play continues for Canada on Saturday towards Chile, and then wraps up on Thursday towards Nice Britain.
The 12 nation event is split into three spherical robin teams. The highest two groups in every group plus the 2 greatest third place groups will advance to the quarter-finals.
Discover stay streams, must-watch video highlights, breaking information and extra in a single good Olympic Video games bundle. Following Staff Canada has by no means been simpler or extra thrilling.
Extra from Tokyo 2020
