Group A Preview: Canada

Canada (#6)
Region: Concacaf
Coach: Carolina Morace
How They Qualified: Won Concacaf Region Qualifying
Prior Cups:
2007: Group Stage
2003: 4th Place
1999: Group Stage
1995: Group Stage
1991: DNQ
Returnees from 2007 WWC: (11)LeBlanc, Gayle, Wilkinson, Matheson, Chapman, Sinclair, Tancredi, Timko, McLeod, Schmidt, Robinson.

Roster (Average Age: 25.96)

Name	Pos	Club	Age	Caps/Goals
Stephanie Labbe	GK	None	24	8/0
Karina LeBlanc	GK	None	31	88/0
Erin McLeod	GK	None	28	62/0
Candace Chapman	DF	WNY Flash	28	88/6
Robyn Gayle	DF	None	25	44/0
Carmelina Moscato	DF	None	27	52/2
Eve-Marie Nault	DF	None	29	43/0
Brittany Timko	DF	None	25	101/4
Rhian Wilkinson	DF	None	29	100/7
Emily Zurrer	DF	Vancouver Whitecaps	23	45/2
Kaylyn Kyle	MF	None	22	32/2
Diana Matheson	MF	None	27	122/10
Kelly Parker	MF	Atlanta Beat	29	14/1
Sophie Schmidt	MF	magicJack	22	63/3
Desiree Scott	MF	Vancouver Whitecaps	23	22/0
Chelsea Stewart	MF	UCLA	21	23/0
Jonelle Filigno	FW	Rutgers University	20	39/8
Christina Julien	FW	None	23	28/7
Jodi-Ann Robinson	FW	Vancouver Whitecaps	22	50/7
Christine Sinclair	FW	WNY Flash	28	159/116
Melissa Tancredi	FW	None	29	61/13

Recent Matches:

Date	Opponent	Competition	Result
6/14/11	Italy	Friendly	W 2-0
6/7/11	Hungary	Friendly	W 1-0
5/28/11	Holland	Friendly	W 2-0
5/18/11	Switzerland	Friendly	W 2-1
5/15/10	Switzerland	Friendly	T 1-1
4/2/11	Sweden	Friendly	L 0-1
3/9/11	Holland	Cyprus	W 2-1
3/7/11	England	Cyprus	W 2-0
3/4/11	Italy	Cyprus	W 1-0
3/2/11	Scotland	Cyprus	W 1-0
1/25/11	Sweden	Four Nations	W 1-0
1/23/11	USA	Four Nations	L 1-2
1/21/11	China	Four Nations	W 3-2
12/19/10	Brazil	Sao Paulo	T 2-2
12/15/10	Brazil	Sao Paulo	T 0-0
12/12/10	Mexico	Sao Paulo	W 1-0
12/9/10	Holland	Sao Paulo	W 5-0
11/8/10	Mexico	Concacaf	W 1-0
11/5/10	Costa Rica	Concacaf	W 4-0
11/2/10	Mexico	Concacaf	W 3-0
10/31/10	Guyana	Concacaf	W 8-0
10/29/10	Trinidad & Tobago	Concacaf	W 1-0
9/30/10	China	Friendly	W 3-1
9/15/10	Germany	Friendly	L 0-5

In preparation for the 2011 World Cup, Canada played perhaps the most ambitious schedule in their history. They took the field no fewer than 24 times in a little over nine months, posting an impressive 18-3-3 record. Make no mistake about it, this Canadian team is prepared.

Last November, they took the Concacaf Championship by defeating Mexico 1-0, not having to face the United States in the entire tournament. They then went to Brazil, where they won the Cidade de Sao Paulo tournament, posting two wins and then two ties against the hosts. Next, they went 2-1 at the Four Nations, before winning the Cyprus Cup. Their only three losses over the past year have been to quality sides, Germany, the United States, and Sweden.

The Canadians have survived a spring of unrest, with a dispute between the CSA and Coach Carolina Morace, as well as the players. But with all that behind them, there is nothing to do but play soccer.

At the heart of this team is a group of veteran players who have been through the 2007 World Cup together. Candace Chapman, Brittany Timko, Rhian Wilkinson, Diana Matheson, Karina LeBlanc, Melissa Tancredi, among others, were with this team four years ago. That team failed to make it out of the group stage, surrendering a goal in stoppage to Australia in their final match. The match ended 2-2 and the Aussies advanced instead.

But when speaking of veterans on the Canadian team, the spotlight must fall on striker Christine Sinclair. She now has 159 caps and 116 goals in her great career. At age 28, she is in her prime and is one of the top players in WPS. Sinclair is experienced and smart. Her runs are almost always perfectly timed. She has good enough speed to get behind defenders, good enough height to head over defenders, and is cunning enough to beat most defenders.

While Canada has a great many seasoned veterans, they also have talented youth as well. Sophie Schmidt, Jonelle Filigno, Kaylyn Kyle, and Emily Zurrer are all 23 years old or younger and all start. American soccer fans are quite familiar with most of these players as they played college soccer in the US. Schmidt starred at Portland, Zurrer at Illinois, and Filigno is presently at Rutgers.

While this team has been performing well, there are concerns. Injuries have been a problem, already keeping young Josee Belanger out for this competition. Stephanie Labbe and Candace Chapman have been nursing injuries lately.

Another concern is scoring. The Canadians play a lot of close, low scoring matches. With solid defenses keying on Sinclair, can the rest of the team provide enough offense to get them through?

Finally, could Canada have overprepared? With 24 matches, several training trips to Europe, as well as club obligations, could this team burn itself out? They have played more games than any other team heading into this competition.

However much they have improved and however much they have prepared, it will be tough for them to win their group. The draw did them no favors, placing them with Germany, France, and Nigeria. They open against Germany, but it will be their last two group matches that will likely determine their future. Circle June 30 on your calendars, as that will be the day that Canada and France face each other in a showdown that could decide who the second team out of Group A will be.

Note: Some information for this article was obtained from www.fifa.com and www.canadasoccer.com.

Canada Wins the Cyprus Cup

They needed overtime to do it, but Canada won the Cyprus Cup championship by a 2-1 margin over Holland. Just three months ago, Canada had easily defeated Holland 5-0 in a match played in Brazil. This time proved to be much tougher.

The match was played in harsh weather, with rain and very windy conditions. The weather played a part in an early defensive error by the Dutch and Jonelle Filigno, the goal scoring hero against Italy last Friday, once again scored to make it 1-0 for Canada.

Holland was able to tie the match late in the first half. Claudia van den Heiligenberg scored to make it 1-1.

Late in regulation, Erin McLeod suffered a minor injury and had to be replaced by Stephanie Labbé. She was able to keep Holland from scoring any further goals.

Emily Zurrer scored the game winner off of a Diana Matheson corner kick in the 99th minute. Canada completed a solid tournament in which they defeated four strong European sides in the process.

3rd Place: France 3, Scotland 0

Marie-Laure Delie made it her second hat trick of the tournament as she scored all three goals in France's 3-0 victory over Scotland. Bérangèr Sapowicz recorded the shutout for France.

5th Place: England 2, South Korea 0

Sue Smith's brace led England to a 2-0 win over South Korea. After a disappointing run in the group stage of the tournament, England finished strong in taking fifth place.

Karen Bardsley and Siobhan Chamberlain shared the shutout for England.

7th Place: Mexico 5, New Zealand 0

After a scoreless first half, Mexico scored five times in the closing stanza to defeat New Zealand in the 7th place match. Stephany Mayor scored a hat trick to lead the way for Mexico, who finished the tournament unbeaten with two wins and two ties. Dinora Garza added a goal and the fifth was an own goal by New Zealand.

9th Place: Italy 2, Russia 0

Italy won 2-0 over Russia on goals by Patrizia Panico and Giulia Domenichetti.

11th Place: Switzerland 2, Northern Ireland 1

In a match between two teams searching for their first win at the Cyprus Cup, Switzerland edged Northern Ireland 2-1. Lara Dickenmann scored a first half goal to give Switzerland the lead. Northern Ireland tied the match early in the 2nd half, but Martina Moser scored the game winner in the 65th minute.

Canada and Holland Advance To Cyprus Cup Final

Canada won their third straight match at the Cyprus Cup with a 2-0 victory over England in Group A. For Canada, it was their third shutout, this one by Erin McLeod. It was a battle between the world's 9th and 10th ranked teams.

After most of the first half went by scoreless, Christine Sinclair scored on a rebound of Diana Matheson's shot giving the Canadians a 1-0 edge. Halftime substitution Brittany Timko made it 2-0 just ten minutes into the second half. Most of the second half of the match was played in fairly heavy rainfall.

Hope Powell's squad saw massive changes from Friday's match, with Canada also inserting new blood into the lineup.

For Canada, the victory continues an impressive run of soccer dating back to last September. They are 13 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws over that time. Canada will face Holland, ranked 15th in the world, in the final on Wednesday.

Scotland 0, Italy 0

Scotland and Italy played to a scoreless draw on Monday. It was enough for Scotland to finish in second place in Group A, just one point ahead of England.

It looked like Scotland might win the game late as they were awarded a penalty with just 10 minutes remaining in the match, but Chiara Marchitelli stopped Kim Little's penalty attempt to preserve the tie. Gemma Fay earned the shutout for the Scots.

Holland 6, Switzerland 0

Holland easily defeated Switzerland 6-0 and will play in the championship match against Canada. They were led by a Kirsten van de Ven hat trick and a Chantel de Ridder brace. The Swiss fell behind 2-0 in the first six minutes and never seriously threatened to make it a match.

Holland will now face Canada, a team they lost to by a 5-0 margin at the Torneia Internacional Cidade de Sao Paulo in December.

France 5, New Zealand 2

Marie-Laure Delie scored three times to lead France to a 5-2 victory over New Zealand. Delie scored twice in the first half to give her team a 3-2 lead at the break, after France had fallen behind in the game's opening minutes on an own goal.

Eugenie Le Sommer and Elise Bussaglia added goals for France, while Anna Green scored directly on a corner kick for the Ferns.

Because of their loss to Holland, France settles for a 3rd place match up against Scotland, while New Zealand will meet Mexico, in what should be an interesting 7th place match of two teams headed for the World Cup in June.

Mexico 3, Northern Ireland 1

Mexico was able to finish the Cyprus Cup group stage unbeaten with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland. However, the Mexicans still fell short of South Korea, who won Group C.

Maribel Dominguez opened the scoring in the 32nd minute on a penalty after Charlyn Corral had been fouled in the box. Corral scored just minutes later to make it 2-0 by halftime.

Northern Ireland cut the lead to one as Rachel Furness headed one home early in the 2nd half. Nancy Gandarilla scored for Mexico late in the match for the final tally. Gandarilla was making her debut for Mexico.

South Korea 2, Russia 1

Ji So-Yun and Yeo Min-Ji scored to lead South Korea to a 2-1 victory over Russia. Ji's goal came in the opening minutes of the match. South Korea led 1-0 at the half.

Russia briefly tied the score in the 77th minute on a goal by Ekaterina Sochneva, but the Koreans quickly answered with Yeo's goal just a minute later for the game winner.

Final Group Standings:
Group A: Canada 3-0-0, 9 pts; Scotland 1-1-1, 4 pts; England 1-2-0, 3 pts; Italy 0-2-1, 1 pt.
Group B: Holland 3-0-0, 9 pts; France 2-1-0, 6 pts; New Zealand 1-2-0, 3 pts; Switzerland 0-3-0, 0 pts.
Group C: South Korea 2-0-1, 7 pts; Mexico 1-0-2, 5 pts; Russia 1-1-1, 4 pts; Northern Ireland 0-3-0, 0 pts.

Finals Day Matches:
Championship: Canada vs. Holland
3rd/4th Place: Scotland vs. France
5th/6th Place: England vs. South Korea
7th/8th Place: New Zealand vs. Mexico
9th/10th Place: Italy vs. Russia
11th/12th Place: Switzerland vs. Northern Ireland

Scotland and Holland Post Upsets at Cyprus Cup

Upsets were the order of the day at the Cyprus Cup. Scotland were able to shut out England by a 2-0 margin, while France was beaten by Holland 2-1. Canada won their second straight 1-0 shutout, this time over Italy.

Scotland 2, England 0

The Scots got their two goals from Arsenal Ladies players Jennifer Beattie and Kim Little to post a 2-0 victory over neighboring England on Friday. It was the first victory for Scotland against England in over 30 years.

Although it must be noted that England's best player, Kelly Smith, did not play in the match, it was still an impressive victory for Scotland.

Beattie, normally a defender, was moved forward in this match and it paid off handsomely for coach Anna Signeul. In addition to her goal, she also earned an assist on Little's goal in the 1st half.

Shannon Lynn picked up the shutout for Scotland, while a stout Scottish defense helped Lynn keep England off of the scoreboard.

Scotland will now face Italy on Monday, still with an outside chance to win Group A. They need help from England over Canada and then need to win their match by a greater margin.

Canada 1, Italy 0

Canada continued a pattern of strong performances, knocking off Italy 1-0. Young Jonelle Filigno scored the game's only goal, assisted by Christine Sinclair. Italy came close on a few occasions in the second half, but were unable to draw even.

Filigno, who is just 20 years old, scored her sixth career goal as member of the Canadian National Team.

Stephanie Labbé earned a shutout for the Canadians, who have not surrendered a goal in either match at Cyprus.

Canada will now face England on Monday, needing just a tie or a win to secure first place in Group A. Italy will play Scotland in their final Group A match.

Holland 2, France 1

Holland posted a 2-1 upset win over France in Group B action at the Cyprus Cup. Renee Slegers and Manon Melis scored for the victors. Camille Abily scored for France.

The victory over the 8th ranked team in the world puts Holland into the championship match next Wednesday. They will face Switzerland on Monday. France will play New Zealand to decide who finishes in second place for Group B.

New Zealand 2, Switzerland 1

The Football Ferns posted their first win at the Cyprus Cup, with a 2-1 win over Switzerland. New Zealand scored two late first half goals, one by Kirsty Yallop, the other by Betsy Hassett and took a 2-0 lead into the intermission.

Sandy Maendly scored a late goal for Switzerland to close within one, but New Zealand was able to finish with the win. Jenny Bindon got the victory in goal for New Zealand.

New Zealand will now face France on Monday with a chance to finish second in Group B.

Russia 2, Northern Ireland 1

After falling behind early, Russia was able to post a 2-1 win over Northern Ireland.

Ashley Hutton scored her second goal of the tournament to give Northern Ireland a 1-0 lead in the 9th minute. Tatiana Skotnikova answered to tie the score just before halftime. Elena Fomina converted a penalty in the 51st minute to give Russia the lead. A game Northern Ireland squad was unable to equalize.

Russia and South Korea both will enter the final contest with a win and a draw, with the two teams facing each other on Monday. Mexico has posted two ties and still has a chance should they defeat Northern Ireland and the other two teams tie.

Mexico 1, South Korea 1

For the second straight match, Mexico played to a draw, a 1-1 tie with South Korea. Jeon Ga-Eul scored in the 15th minute to give South Korea the early lead. Mexico got the tying goal in the 2nd half with Dinora Garza scoring on a free kick.

Mexico played the last 26 minutes of the match a player short, as Nayeli Rangel received a second yellow card. Erika Vanegas and the Mexican defense were able to keep South Korea off the board for the remainder of the match.

Mexico will face Northern Ireland on Monday and can still finish anywhere from first to fourth depending on the results of the two Group C matches. South Korea can win Group C with a victory against Russia.

Canada and England Open with Cyprus Cup Victories

Canada won their Cyprus Cup opener over Scotland on the strength of an Emily Zurrer goal in the 70th minute. The University of Illinois product scored her first international goal on the senior level.

Zurrer headed in a Diana Matheson corner kick for the game winner. Erin McLeod earned the shutout for Canada.

England 2, Italy 0

Hope Powell's team got off to promising start with a 2-0 victory over Italy in their Cyprus Cup opener. Goals by Ellen White and Kelly Smith led England to victory.

White took advantage of a defensive error by the Italians early on. Smith's goal was on a penalty after Jess Clarke had been tripped up in the box by Elisabetta Tona.

Holland 4, New Zealand 1

Holland scored three first half goals and coasted their way to a 4-1 victory over New Zealand. Sherida Spitse opened the scoring in the 20th minute and was followed by a Manon Melis brace before intermission.

Sara Gregorius was able to get New Zealand on the board in the 75th minute, before Renee Slegers finished the scoring in the 83rd minute.

France 2, Switzerland 0

Gaëtane Thiney and Camille Abily netted goals as France defeated Switzerland 2-0. Bérangère Sapowicz posted the shutout for the French.

South Korea 3, Northern Ireland 1

South Korea opened Cyprus Cup play with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland.

Mexico 0, Russia 0

Mexico and Russia played to a scoreless draw on Wednesday, with Erika Vanegas earning the shutout for Mexico.

Cyprus Cup - Group A Preview

The Cyprus Cup is set to kick off on March 2 and for many teams, it will be their last major competition before the 2011 World Cup. This year, the Cyprus Cup has a field of 12 teams, five of which will be among those competing in Germany come June.

The twelve teams have been divided into three groups:
Group A: Canada, England, Italy, Scotland
Group B: France, Holland, New Zealand, Switzerland
Group C: Mexico, Northern Ireland, Russia, South Korea

Eleven of the 12 teams are ranked in FIFA's top 26 teams, with only Northern Ireland being lower at #64.

The competition will have group stage matches on March 2nd, 4th, and 7th, before a final round is played on March 9th.

Here is a preview of Group A, with Groups B and C to follow shortly:

Canada
Coach: Carolina Morace
World Rank: #9
World Cup: Qualified by winning the CONCACAF region.

Latest Results:
Four Nations Tournament (China): Defeated China 3-2, Lost to United States 1-2, Defeated Sweden 1-0.
Torneia Internacional Cidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil): Defeated Holland 5-0, Defeated Mexico 1-0, Tied Brazil 0-0, Tied Brazil 2-2
CONCACAF WC Qualifiers: Defeated Trinidad & Tobago 1-0, Defeated Guyana 8-0, Defeated Mexico 3-0, Defeated Costa Rica 4-0, Defeated Mexico 1-0.

Preliminary Training Roster:
Goalkeepers: Stephanie Labbé, Karina LeBlanc, Erin McLeod.
Defenders: Candace Chapman, Shannon Woeller, Emily Zurrer, Rhian Wilkinson, Melanie Booth, Marie-Eve Nault, Robyn Gale, Brittany Timko.
Midfielders: Carmelina Moscato, Desiree Scott, Chelsea Stewart, Jonelle Filigno, Kaylyn Kyle, Diana Matheson, Sophie Schmidt.
Forwards: Josée Bélanger, Chelsea Buckland, Christina Julien, Brooke McCalla, Jodi-Ann Robinson, Christine Sinclair, Melissa Tancredi.

The Canadians have been playing very good soccer over the past few months, going 10-1-2 over their last 13 matches, winning two major competitions and qualifying for the World Cup along the way.

Unfortunately, most of the talk surrounding the Canadian team lately concerns off-the-field issues. Coach Carolina Morace announced that she is resigning after the World Cup, citing differences with the Canadian Soccer Association. In response, her team threatened to strike because of what they perceive as the unfairness that CSA had dealt with Morace and because of other issues including compensation. All of this has put a cloud over a Canadian program that may be at its highest level in quite a few years.

As far as soccer goes, Canada hopes to continue the success they have had the past six months. They are led by their all-time leading scorer, Christine Sinclair, who has scored 115 goals in 151 international matches. She is often paired with veteran power forward Melissa "Tanc" Tancredi. They also have young offensive talent in MF Jonelle Filigno, F Josée Belanger, and Christina Julien.

The Canadians can also boast one of the deepest squads in their history. Other players include WPS goalkeepers Karina LeBlanc and Erin McLeod, WNY Flash defender Candace Chapman, Portland Pilot college star Sophie Schmidt, and Lillestrøm SK veterans Rhian Wilkinson and Diana Matheson.

England
Coach: Hope Powell
World Rank: #10
World Cup: Qualified by winning UEFA Group 5 and then defeating Switzerland 5-2 aggregate in two-game playoff.

Latest Results:
Peace Cup: Tied South Korea 0-0, Tied New Zealand 0-0.
UEFA Playoff Round: Defeated Switzerland 2-0, Defeated Switzerland 3-2.
UEFA WC Qualifiers (since July, 2010): Defeated Turkey 3-0, Defeated Austria 4-0.

Cyprus Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley, Siobhan Chamberlain.
Defenders: Sophie Bradley, Lindsay Johnson, Alex Scott, Casey Stoney, Dunia Susi, Rachel Unitt, Faye White.
Midfielders: Anita Asante, Laura Bassett, Jess Clarke, Steph Houghton, Jill Scott, Sue Smith, Fara Williams, Rachel Yankey.
Forwards: Eniola Aluko, Kelly Smith, Ellen White.

Hope Powell and the English National Team are probably looking forward to some tough competition at this tournament. They have only played one other World Cup qualified team over the past year, that being New Zealand at the Peace Cup. Not that they haven't faced some tough sides in the interim, having played matches against Switzerland, South Korea, and Spain. England has not lost a match since their 1-0 loss at the hands of Canada in last year's Cyprus Cup.

England has a strong, veteran team. Any conversation about the Lionesses must start with perennial Player of the Year candidate Kelly Smith. The 15-year national team veteran has scored 42 international goals and her next cap will be her 100th. Smith is a smart, strong player who is a threat to score any time she takes the field.

If you like speed, young forward Eniola Aluko can give you plenty. With a couple of WPS seasons and a strong 2009 Euro Tournament under her belt, she is an emerging star.

Most of the English team is made up of veterans including Faye White, Casey Stoney, Alex Scott, and Fara Williams. Karen Bardsley has been seeing more and more time as the English goalkeeper and is competing for the number one job.

Italy
Coach: Pietro Ghedin
World Rank: #11
World Cup: Just missed qualifying after winning UEFA Group 7 and losing by 3-2 aggregate to France. Then defeated Ukraine and Switzerland, before falling 2-0 aggregate to the USA in playoff.

Latest Results:
World Cup Qualifying Playoff: Lost to the United States 1-0, Lost to the United States 1-0.
World Cup UEFA Playoffs: Defeated Switzerland 1-0, Defeated Switzerland 4-2, Defeated Ukraine 3-0, Tied Ukraine 0-0, Tied France 0-0, Lost to France 3-2.

Cyprus Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Chiara Marchitelli, Anna Maria Picarelli, Katia Schroffenegger.
Defenders: Elisa Bartoli, Alia Guagni, Elisabetta Tona, Viviana Schiavi, Roberta D'Adda, Sara Gama, Laura Neboli.
Midfielders: Alessia Tuttino, Elisa Camporese, Giulia Domenichetti, Pamela Conti, Alice Parisi, Carolina Pini.
Forwards: Patrizia Panico, Melania Gabbiadini, Ilario Mauro, Evelyn Vicchiarello, Daniela Sabatino.

One thing that must be said about this Italian side is that they have been well-tested. They took the longest route of any team to World Cup qualifying only to fall just short in the end after two 1-0 losses to the United States.

After a grueling fall schedule where every match had so much on the line, this year's Cyprus Cup must almost seem like a holiday to them. The Italian squad has a nice mixture of young players and veterans. They are a very competitive side, with all of their losses over the past year being by just one goal.

Long-time veteran Patrizia Panico, now 36 years old, is nearing 100 career goals. She is the Italian's primary scoring threat. Melania Gabbiadini is back from an injury that sidelined her from the matches against the US. Playmaking midfielder Elisa Camporese is also a player to watch.

The Italians have a sturdy defense that can be very hard to score on. Young Sara Gama is a threat from the outside back position going forward. Short, but scrappy, Anna-Maria Picarelli holds down the goalkeeper's position.

Scotland
Coach: Anna Signeul
World Rank: #24
World Cup: Failed to qualify, finishing second in UEFA Group 3, just behind Denmark.

Latest Results:
Friendlies: Defeated Wales 4-2, Defeated Poland 2-1.
UEFA WC Qualifiers (Since July, 2010): Tied Denmark 0-0, Defeated Greece 4-1.

Cyprus Cup Roster:
Goalkeepers: Gemma Fay, Shannon Lynn.
Defenders: Jennifer Beattie, Frankie Brown, Rachel Corsie, Ifeoma Dieke, Emma Fernon, Rhonda Jones, Rachael Small.
Midfielders: Hayley Lauder, Kim Little, Joanne Love, Leanne Ross, Megan Sneddon.
Forwards: Diana Barry, Rebecca Dempster, Christie Murray, Suzanne Grant, Jane Ross.

Scotland just missed getting out of their group stage in UEFA World Cup qualifying, falling just a point shy of Denmark. Since the last qualifying matches in August, the team has been fairly inactive, playing just one match, a victory over Wales. They will get thrown into the fire in a tough group stage at the Cyprus Cup.

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Scottish star, Julie Fleeting, was not on the roster released to the press for the Cyprus Cup. Fleeting, who just gave birth to her first child, may not be quite ready from a fitness standpoint.

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Ifeoma Dieke is probably the player with whom WPS fans are most familiar. The veteran defender has played 32 matches for the Chicago Red Stars and Boston Breakers over the past two seasons. Gemma Fay has over 100 caps in goal for the Scots.

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Scotland has several talented young players such as Rachael Small, Kim Little, and Rebecca Dempster, that will give a bright future to the team.

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Cyprus Cup-Group A Schedule

Wednesday, March 2

Canada vs. Scotland (Ammochostos/Larnaca)

England vs. Italy (GSZ/Larnaca)

Friday, March 4

England vs. Scotland (GSP/Nicosia)

Italy vs. Canada (GSP/Nicosia)

Monday, March 7

Scotland vs. Italy (GSZ/Larnaca)

Canada vs. England (GSP/Nicosia)

Wednesday, March 9

Finals Day.

US Takes Four Nations Tournament with 2-0 Victory

The United States captured the final match of the Four Nations Tournament with a 2-0 victory over China. Canada defeated Sweden 1-0, but the US wins the tournament on tiebreakers.

Carli Lloyd scored in the first half off a corner kick with the US playing it short and then Lloyd hammering home a blast. Amy Rodriguez scored in the 67th minute to up the lead at 2-0 which is where it finished.

It was Christine Sinclair scoring the winning goal in Canada's 1-0 victory. A long header out of the back started the play, with Sinclair beating three Swedish defenders to the ball and hitting a low shot past the goalkeeper from just inside the penalty area.

US, China Post Victories at Four Nations Tournament

United States 2, Canada 1

The USWNT edged Canada 2-1 in the first match between the two teams in a year and a half on a cold evening in China. Lindsay Tarpley scored the game winning goal in the 70th minute, her first goal since May, 2009, before her ACL injury.

Coach Pia Sundhage made several changes to her lineup. Only Christie Rampone repeated as a defensive starter as Sundhage inserted Brittany Taylor, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Stephanie Cox into the lineup. In the midfield, she started Lori Lindsey and Kelley O'Hara instead of Shannon Boxx and Heather O'Reilly. And Alex Morgan got a rare start instead of Lauren Cheney.

Meanwhile, Canadian coach Carolina Morace made only two changes to her starters. Karina LeBlanc started in goal instead of Erin McLeod. Sophie Schmidt got the start over Carmelina Moscato.

The 1st half was fairly uneventful, with the game being scoreless at the intermission. The only first half substitution was Tarpley on for Megan Rapinoe.

The US started pressuring Canada in the 2nd half and it led to two early chances. In the 50th minute, an Alex Morgan shot was tipped by LeBlanc off the crossbar with the ball landing on the line, but not crossing. Shortly afterward, O'Hara hit the post with a shot.

The US broke through in the 54th minute, with Lindsay Tarpley setting up Lauren Cheney to make it 1-0.

But for the second time in two games, the US couldn't hold the lead. Canada answered on a breakaway goal by Melissa Tancredi to tie it at one in the 56th minute, with Kaylyn Kyle getting the assist.

The United States took the lead for good in the 70th minute as Cheney returned the favor by setting up Tarpley for the game winning goal.

Christine Sinclair nearly tied the game in the 90th minute, but US goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart was able to make the save and preserve the victory.

The tournament's four teams are now all even with a win and a loss, and in goal differential. Canada and China are now ahead in the standings based on four goals scored to three total for the United States and Sweden. Canada will face Sweden on Tuesday, while the US will take on China in the tournament's final match.

China 2, Sweden 1

China posted a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Sweden on Sunday.

Like the US, Sweden's coach Thomas Dennerby made several changes in his lineup. Kristin Hammerström started in place of Hedvig Lindahl in goal. Johanna Frisk, Linda Sembrant and Sara Larsson were starters on the back line. Marie Hammerström, Johanna Almgren, and Madelaine Edlund were also new starters for Dennerby.

Sweden struck first on a goal by Josefine Öqvist in the 16th minute. Almgren put in the hard work on the goal, winning the ball, then dribbling around a defender, before touching the ball to the middle where Öqvist finished.

China scored the tying goal in the 35th minute off of a free kick from the right side. While attempting to clear, the ball was headed by a Swedish defender from about 12 yards out into her own goal. You Jia scored the game winner in the 61st minute on yet another free kick, this one from the left side. The ball flicked on to You who was able to finish from six yards out. It was her third goal of the tournament.

Three of the four matches in this tournament have seen the team scoring the first goal losing their matches in the end.

Note: Information for the above stories was taken from the websites from the USWNT, Canadian National Team, and Swedish National Team.

US vs. Canada at Four Nations Tournament

They haven't met each other for 18 months, the longest gap since 1993. They were supposed to meet at the CONCACAF Tournament Finals in November. That match never happened. The USWNT fell to Mexico in the semifinals, while Canada defeated Mexico to become CONCACAF champions.

So here we are, 18 full months removed since the last time these two teams met and things have changed over that time. The US defeated Canada twice in July of 2009, both by 1-0 margins with Abby Wambach and Christine Nairn doing the honors of scoring the winning goals. Neither of those two players are at the Four Nations Tournament in China.

Canada is on an 11 game unbeaten streak, with the only two blemishes over that time being ties to Brazil. The USA, on the other hand, have suffered losses in two of their last five games, to Mexico in November and to Sweden on Friday in the Four Nations opening match.

The Canadians have a nice mixture of youth and veterans on their squad and are led by their all-time leading goal scorer Christine Sinclair, who now has 114 career goals after her two on Friday. The US will be without its big gun, Abby Wambach, who has 117 career goals. In fact, the four forwards that the USWNT brought to this tournament have just 28 combined goals.

The eleven players that were in the starting lineup for Canada on Friday average approximately 25.5 years of age. None of those starters were over 30. By contrast, the US started three players over 30 and their average age was close to 28 years old. The exception for the US is at forward, where they are very young in this tournament, including UCLA's Sydney Leroux who earned her first cap on Friday.

Canada showed resilience after falling behind China 2-0 on Friday, scoring the tying goal in the 80th minute and the winner in stoppage. They showed similar fortitude in a 2-2 tie against Brazil in December. After falling behind 2-1 on Marta's penalty kick in the 72nd minute and playing one player down, they managed to tie the match with less than 10 minutes to go.

One common theme in the two recent American losses was that in each match, they quickly gave up a goal after scoring. Against Mexico, they tied the match in the 25th minute, but surrendered a goal only two minutes later. Against Sweden, they scored the opening goal of the match in the 11th minute only to give up an equalizer just five minutes later. Is there a tendency to relax too much after scoring?

The US has dominated this series over its history with a 40-3-4 record. Their last blemish against Canada was a tie back in 2003 and they haven't lost to them since 2001, while competing with a roster made up of college and high school players. There have been close matches, however, with the US winning on penalties in 2008 CONCACAF qualifying and in overtime in the 2008 Olympic quarterfinals.

No matter what happens in this match, it is really just an exhibition, a warmup for bigger things to come. Both coaches are likely to experiment with lineups and up to five substitutions are allowed in each match. But make no mistake about it, the two teams will take this match seriously. Considering the rivalry, the recent direction of the two teams, and the fact that Canada are the newly crowned CONCACAF champions, it should provide for an entertaining and interesting match.

Sweden, Canada Post Come from Behind Victories at Four Nations

Sweden 2, United States 1

Sweden won the opening match of the Four Nations Tournament on goals from Stina Segerström and Kosovare Asllani by a 2-1 margin over the United States. Meanwhile, the United States continued to struggle as they dropped their second match of their last five.

Carli Lloyd opened the scoring with a header off of a corner kick in the 11th minute. Sweden quickly answered with Segerström's goal in the 16th minute. The game remained tied until the 60th minute when Asllani put Sweden ahead.

The United States was outshot by a 12-7 margin in the match. Both sides played without several key players.

Canada 3, China 2

China opened a 2-0 lead in this match, but Canada stormed back in the 2nd half to capture the 3-2 victory.

You Jia scored twice for China to put host team up 2-0 at halftime. Melissa Tancredi cut the lead in half in the 56th minute. Then Christine Sinclair scored the tying goal in the 80th minute and the winner well into stoppage time on a breakaway goal.

Canada is now unbeaten in their last 11 matches dating back to September, 2010. Their last loss was to Germany by a 5-0 margin on September 15.

USWNT Set To Open Against Sweden at Four Nations Tournament

The USWNT will open its 2011 schedule on Friday against Sweden at the Four Nations Tournament to be played in China. Also participating in the tournament will be the host nation China and Canada who will play each other in the second match of the day.

The US enters the tournament without their big scorer, Abby Wambach, who is suffering from a heel injury, and their number one keeper Hope Solo, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. That means the US forward contingent will be made of four young front line players in Amy Rodriguez, Lauren Cheney, Alex Morgan, and Sydney Leroux.

Rodriguez and Cheney are WPS veterans that have been regulars on the US roster for some time. Rodriguez earned a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. Morgan made her mark in 2010, scoring four goals, including the game winner in the playoff for a World Cup berth against Italy. Leroux, still in college at UCLA, has been a major scoring threat on the US Junior teams for years. Leroux and Morgan started together on the U-20 World Cup champions in 2008.

Sweden will be without several of their top players, including top scorer Lotta Schelin, Jessica Landström, Nilla Fischer, and WPS star Caroline Seger. Sweden has announced that their starting lineup for the opener will be Hedvig Lindahl in goal, Lina Nilsson, Stina Segerström, Charlotte Rohlin, and Annica Svensson on defense, with Kosovare Asllani, Lisa Dahlkvist, Therese Sjögran, Antonia Göransson, Linda Forsberg, and Josefine Öqvist rounding out the eleven.

These two teams met three times in 2010. The US defeated Sweden 2-0 at the Algarve Cup in March. The two teams played a pair of friendlies in July with the first ending in a 1-1 draw and the US taking the final match 3-0. Schelin did not participate in either of the two friendlies. They will also face each other in the upcoming 2011 World Cup as both are in Group C.

The US squad will be looking to build on their two 1-0 victories over Italy in November, after a disastrous upset at the hands of Mexico in CONCACAF qualifying. Several young players will have chances to impress US coach Pia Sundhage. In addition to Morgan and Leroux, recently drafted Meghan Klingenberg is one of the midfielders on the roster. They join several players from the 2010 WPS draft class, including Kelley O'Hara, Brittany Taylor, Ashlyn Harris, Tobin Heath, and Cheney.

The game will be played at 2:30 AM eastern time, with the Canada/China match to follow. On Sunday, the US will finally face Canada, a team that they lost the opportunity to play at the CONCACAF finals due to their upset defeat by Mexico. The US will face the host Chinese side on Tuesday. The US, Sweden, and Canada all qualified for the World Cup, but China did not.

Rosters:
United States:
GK-Nicole Barnhart, Ashlyn Harris
D-Rachel Buehler, Stephanie Cox, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, Brittany Taylor
MF-Yael Averbuch, Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Meghan Klingenberg, Lori Lindsey, Carli Lloyd, Kelley O'Hara, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe, Lindsay Tarpley
F-Lauren Cheney, Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez

Sweden:
GK-Hedvig Lindahl, Kristin Hammarström
D-Johanna Frisk, Sara Larsson, Lina Nilsson, Charlotte Rohlin, Stina Segerström, Linda Sembrandt, Annica Svensson
MF-Johanna Almgren, Kosovare Asllani (MF/F), Lisa Dahlkvist, Louise Fors, Antonia Göransson, Marie Hammarström (MF/D), Therese Sjögran
F-Madelaine Edlund, Linda Forsberg, Linnea Liljegård, Josefine Öqvist

Canada:
GK-Stephanie Labbé, Karina LeBlanc, Erin McLeod
D-Melanie Booth, Candace Chapman, Christine Exeter, Robyn Gayle, Marie-Eve Nault, Sophie Schmidt, Brittany Timko, Rhian Wilkinson, Emily Zurrer
MF-Laura Chénard, Kaylyn Kyle, Diana Matheson, Carmelina Moscato
F-Josée Bélanger, Jonelle Foligno, Christina Julien, Taylor Patterson, Jodi-Ann Robinson, Desiree Scott, Christine Sinclair, Melissa Tancredi

Women's World Cup: US Gets Tough Draw in Group C

FIFA had the drawing for the 2011 Women's World Cup and they did the US no favors. The United States will be joined by Sweden, Korea DPR, and Colombia in Group C. This is the third consecutive time that Sweden and Korea DPR have been in the same group as the United States. North Korea was in the same group as the US in 1999, 2003, and 2007.

Sweden was the highest ranked team (#4) not to be seeded in the tournament. Many thought they should have been the fourth seeded team instead of Japan. Korea DPR is ranked sixth in the world and was the highest ranked Asian team that was not seeded. Colombia is ranked 32nd and was the second CONMEBOL team to qualify, behind Brazil.

The host team and two time defending champion, Germany, also got a tough draw. Joining them in Group A will be France, Canada, and Nigeria. France, ranked 8th in the world, features WPS stars Camille Abily and Sonia Bompastor. Canada is now ranked 9th after winning the CONCACAF tournament, while Nigeria has consistently been the top team from Africa.

Perhaps the weakest group is Group B, in which Japan was the seeded team. They are joined by the other CONCACAF qualifier, Mexico, as well as England and New Zealand. Brazil, runners-up in the last World Cup, is joined by Norway, Australia, and Equatorial Guinea in Group D.

Germany will face Canada in the opening match on June 26, 2011.

The United States will face Korea DPR on June 28, Colombia on July 2, and Sweden on July 6.

Groups with current FIFA rankings:

Group A: Germany (2), France (8), Canada (9), Nigeria (27)
Group B: Japan (5), England (10), Mexico (22), New Zealand (23)
Group C: USA (1), Sweden (4), Korea DPR (6), Colombia (32)
Group D: Brazil (3), Norway (7), Australia (12), Equatorial Guinea (62)

Canada Edges Mexico 1-0 in Concacaf Final; US To Play Italy

Christine Sinclair's penalty kick early in the 2nd half turned out to be the game winner as Canada defeated Mexico 1-0 in the Concacaf final in Cancun, Mexico. In spite of a brave effort by the home team and great support from their home crowd, the Mexican side were unable to repeat their magic from Friday night's victory over the US in the semifinals.

The hero of Friday night, Veronica Perez, was ejected for an intentional hand ball in the box, which led to the penalty kick. The Canadians, who had held the better of play to that point, were able to control possession for much of 2nd half with the player advantage, allowing only a couple of chances for Mexico in the closing stages of the match.

Karina LeBlanc, who played last season for the Philadelphia Independence, earned the shutout for the Canadians. Canada was able to blank Mexico for the second time in the tournament, having defeated them 3-0 in the group stage less than a week earlier. Canada outscored their opponents by a 17-0 for their five matches in the tournament.

Both Canada and Mexico will advance to the 2011 World Cup which will be played in Germany next June and July.

US 3, Costa Rica 0

It wasn't necessarily pretty, but the USWNT was able to get the job done in a must win situation, defeating Costa Rica 3-0. Abby Wambach's brace was the highlight of the match for the US.

US coach Pia Sundhage inserted Lori Lindsey, Ali Krieger, and Lauren Cheney into the lineup for this match following Friday night's disappointing effort.

Cheney put her team up 1-0 in the opening stanza, on a deflected shot that eluded Costa Rican goalkeeper, Dinnia Diaz. Lori Lindsey had possession on the left side of the box and passed back across the middle to Cheney, who was able to work her way free for the shot from 15 yards. Diaz appeared to have the shot covered, but it deflected off the inside of a defender's legs and went behind Diaz who was moving in the opposite direction.

Abby Wambach made it 2-0 on the goal of the match. Lori Lindsey sent the ball from 35 yards out into the penalty area. Wambach slipped behind the defense and volleyed the ball beautifully into the left corner of the net.

At the start of the 2nd half, Costa Rica nearly cut the lead to one. A breakdown in the US defense saw Monica Malvassi get in alone on Nicole Barnhart, but her weak shot hit the left post and was cleared easily. On the counterattack, Cheney pushed the ball out to Abby Wambach, who had gotten clear at the extreme right side of the penalty area. Wambach sent the ball low past Diaz inside the far post to make it 3-0.

The US will now face Italy in a home-and-home playoff for the final World Cup berth. The US will travel to Padua (Padova), Italy for a November 20 match. The Italians will then travel to Chicago to face the US at Toyota Park on November 27.

Some information for this story was obtained through the Official Concacaf Website.

Sinclair Scores 100th National Team Goal

Canadian star Christine Sinclair has scored her 100th international goal in a 3-0 victory over Poland at the Cyprus Cup. Only 10 players in women's soccer history have accomplished that feat. Sinclair also became Canada's all-time leader in caps with 133.

Sinclair, who plays for FC Gold Pride, was one of the leading scorers last year in WPS with 6 goals and she scored two more in the WPS All-Star Game. Sinclair is just about three weeks shy of the 10th anniversary of her first cap, back on March 12, 2000.

Canada Calls Up 24 For Friendlies vs. US

Canadian women's national coach Carolina Morace has called up 24 players to compete in the upcoming friendlies against the US on July 19th and 22nd. Six of those players are on WPS rosters:

Boston-Candace Chapman
FC Gold Pride-Christine Sinclair
Los Angeles-Karina LeBlanc
Saint Louis-Melissa Tancredi
Sky Blue FC-Kelly Parker
Washington-Erin McLeod

The July 19th game will be played in Rochester, New York and the July 22nd game will be played at Charleston, South Carolina.

TTI- 5/26

Newest installment of Tuesday Throw-Ins at Goal.com -- Tuesday Throw-Ins: Round One To The USA But Canada Is Closing The Gap

Canada vs. USA Preview

Andrew Bucholtz at the 24th Minute has put together a fine preview of tomorrow's match between the US and Canadian senior international sides at BMO Field in Toronto -- Read On -- New era dawns for Canadian women.

WPS Midweek Notes-May 20

Marta's Goal

Two weekends ago, Sky Blue's defense stymied Chicago, shutting them out and drawing the Red Stars into several offside calls. This past weekend, the strategy appeared to be working well again. Sky Blue was holding Los Angeles to a 0-0 tie 80 minutes into Friday's game in Carson. And then, in the blink of an eye, Marta broke through for a goal.

The first time I saw the play I thought that surely Marta must have been offside. Watching the replay, I instead saw that it was an absolutely perfectly timed play, from Camille Abily's pass to Marta's run. It couldn't have been done any better. Marta is so quick to get to full speed and she was a good 5 yards behind the defense before they were able to turn and pursue her. For good measure, she finished it off with a nifty little sidestep move on Sky Blue goalie Jen Branam and then placed the ball neatly into the net for the what proved to be the game winner.

Even after getting that far behind the defense, many players would have panicked and shot early or lost the ball on the dribble. Faced with the keeper running out at her and the defenders chasing from behind, Marta kept her composure, made the move on Branam, and made it look easy. This was certainly one of the prettiest plays in this young season.

Canadian Call Ups

In addition to the 17 WPS players that the US is calling up, the Canadian National Team has called up 6 WPS players for the upcoming US-Canada match. They are Karina LeBlanc (LA), Martina Franko (LA), Kelly Parker (SBFC), Christine Sinclair (FCGP), Melissa Tancredi (StL), and Candace Chapman (Bos). The Boston Breakers have a bye week, so the call up of Chapman will not affect them.

The United States will face Canada on May 25th in Toronto. It marks the first time that Canada has hosted the United States since 2001. The game was arranged at the last minute after the Japanese National Team cancelled their North American trip due to concerns about the swine flu outbreak.

Scoreless in Chicago

After scoring four goals against the Boston Breakers on April 25th, the Chicago Red Stars have now gone 218 minutes without scoring a goal. Their last goal was scored in the 52nd minute of the Boston game by Brittany Klein.

The Red Stars, who host Athletica this weekend, will be missing several starters due to National Team duty. Marian Dalmy, Lindsay Tarpley, Megan Rapinoe, and Carli Lloyd will all miss this Saturday's contest. Saint Louis will also be missing several players for that match.

Maryland Via Virginia

Earlier this week, the Washington Freedom signed Sarah Senty of the University of Virginia to a contract. Senty was drafted by the Freedom, but chose to complete her college studies first. Senty becomes the fifth University of Virginia product on the Washington roster. This is the most from any one college on any team's roster. The other four players are Sarah Huffman, Lori Lindsey, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Alex Singer. Huffman has not played this year due to injury. Sauerbrunn and Singer were teammates of Senty at Virginia.

To make room on the roster for Senty, the Freedom waived Jayme Cargnoni.

Fighting Irish in St. Louis

Speaking of alumni, five Notre Dame players started the April 25th game between Los Angeles and Saint Louis. The Sol started Shannon Boxx and Brittany Bock, while Athletica started Melissa Tancredi, Kerri Hanks, and Elise Weber. A sixth Notre Dame alum, Amanda Cinalli, was unable to play because of an injury. Only 7 schools have as many as five players in the WPS. The University of North Carolina leads with 13, followed by Notre Dame with 10 and Virginia with 8. Portland, Santa Clara, Stanford, and UCLA are the other schools with at least 5 players in the league.

More Suspensions and Fines

The league handed down two more suspensions stemming from play in the Boston Breakers-Washington Freedom match last Sunday. Christine Latham of Boston was suspended two games and fined $250 for throwing an elbow in that game. The Freedom's Joanna Lohman was suspended for one game, also for an elbow thrown in the same match. It was Lohman's first game of the year.

Boston Coach Tony DiCicco, who was openly critical of the officiating following the Boston-Washington match, was fined $750 and required to do 4 hours of community service for his comments.

Change of Schedule

There have been two scheduling changes made by WPS in the past couple of days. The major change is that FSC will now broadcast the Los Angeles Sol-Boston Breaker game on August 9th, the last weekend of the regular season. It replaces the Saint Louis Athletica-FC Gold Pride game, which has now been moved to 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific that evening. That game will conclude the regular season. Apparently, FSC and WPS want to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase the league's two leading scorers, Marta and Kelly Smith.

The other change also involves Saint Louis. Their June 6th game against Sky Blue FC has now been moved to June 7th at 3pm Central Time. Although no reason was given specifically, I'm guessing it has partly to do with the US Men's National Team World Cup qualifier in Chicago that is scheduled for June 6th at Toyota Park in Chicago. The league's other two matches that weekend were already scheduled to be played on June 7th.

Japan Out, Canada In

U.S. WNT Matches Against Japan Cancelled -- So -- U.S. Women to Face Canada in Toronto on May 25 -- Bot via USSoccer.com

Thanks to Womentalksports at Twitter for the heads up.