Women’s Soccer Archive

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Pedersen’s name not on list of 40 “potential candidates” for 2015 WWC ref assignments

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/15/2013

The 40 candidates pose with FIFA president Sepp Blatter. PHOTO: FOTONET

The 40 candidates pose with FIFA president Sepp Blatter. PHOTO: FOTONET

On Wednesday, FIFA released the names of 40 referees who are “potential candidates” for inclusion in the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Canadian referee Carol Anne Chenard’s name is on the list. Norwegian official Christina Pedersen’s name is not.

The 40 officials are in Zurich this week, attending medicals and a seminar that begin the planning stages for the Women’s World Cup, which opens in Edmonton and closes with the final game at Vancouver’s B.C. Place.

“This is an incredibly important seminar,” Sonia Denoncourt, Head of Women’s Referees at FIFA, was quoted in a release. “It is the first real step towards choosing candidates for the Women’s World Cup 2015 in Canada. The event is two-and-a-half years away and we are starting off with a large group of female referees. We’ll be testing them and then selecting the best at the end.”
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Sinclair is NWSL’s first-ever player of the month

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/08/2013

Christine Sinclair

Christine Sinclair

The NWSL announced its first-ever player of the month on Tuesday — and the honour went to all-time Canadian goal-scoring leader Christine Sinclair.

Sinclair scored twice and added an assist as her Portland Thorns began the season on a strong note, going 2-0-1 in April.

Sinclair scored on a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Kansas City, assisted on an Alex Morgan goal in a 2-1 win over Seattle, and scored in a 2-0 win over Chicago.
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NWSL’s opening weekend broadcasts were frustratingly poor

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/15/2013

NWSL-Logo-516x340I wanted this NWSL season-opening column to be about the Canadian players in the league.

But, instead of focusing on the fact Christine Sinclair opened her NWSL account with a penalty-kick goal that gave her Portland Thorns a draw with FC Kansas City on Saturday, I need to discuss something very troubling about the league’s opening weekend. And this doesn’t reflect not only my opinion, but what I’ve heard and read from the readers of this site. These are people, like me, who desperately want to see women’s soccer have a viable professional home in North America.

And that opinion? That “minor league” would be overstating just how poor the league’s efforts were in communicating its product to its fans and, more importantly, to its potential fans.

As most of the sporting world had their eyes on the Angel Cabrera/Adam Scott playoff in the Masters, I was one of the women’s soccer loyalists who tried to take in as much of the Sunday action as I could from the league’s opening weekend.

And what I am about to write doesn’t come easily. As someone who works in the broadcast world, to actually criticize the work of others is a dangerous thing to do. I work in a profession in which bridge-burning is a career-killer. And, heck, from calling FC Edmonton games, I know what it’s like to try and cover soccer on turf covered in football lines, just like we saw in the NWSL stadiums.

But, here goes.
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England gets late goal to earn well-deserved win over the Canadian women

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/07/2013

Ellen White

Ellen White

England got an injury-time header from Ellen White, giving the home side a 1-0 win over Canada in a friendly in Rotherham.

But, troubling for followers of the Canadian women’s program, is that this scoreline clearly flattered the visitors. It used to be that a match against the English was pretty well in the territory of “automatic win” for Canada. But the English beat the Canadians in the Cyprus Cup final and dominated Sunday’s friendly. That’s right — dominated. Sure, the English left it late, but the truth is that the English bossed the match by a wide margin. And, if not for the heroics of Canadian Erin McLeod and some help from the woodwork, the score would have (deservedly) been far more severe.

Now, before we smack a bunch of red warning buttons, some context: Canadian coach John Herdman is in the midst of teaching his team a new way to play, a passing game that, like fruit on the vine, needs time to mature. The maturation date for the Canadian new system is 2015 — when we host the Women’s World Cup.

And, the English side is an older, experienced team that’s played together for years. And, in a telephone conference held before the Canadian team left to play its friendlies in France and England, Herdman warned that the English side isn’t working in young players — and has yet to show it has a new generation of footballers who can pick up from the likes of veterans White and Rachel Yankey.
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Kyle’s last-gasp goal gives Canada a fortunate draw with the French

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/04/2013

Kaylyn Kyle

Kaylyn Kyle

The Canadian national women’s team is beginning to get a knack for stunning the French with late goals.

In 2012, it was Diana Matheson’s late shocker in the Olympic bronze medal match that gave Canada a 1-0 win over the French. Even though the stakes weren’t nearly as high on Thursday, this time it was Kaylyn Kyle’s turn to play the hero. Her last-gasp injury-time goal gave Canada a 1-1 tie in a friendly in front of 5,783 fans in Nice, France.

Elodie Thomis gave the French a 1-0 lead before halftime. It should have been more, but Louise Necib’s 20th-minute effort struck the bar. Just as in London in 2012, the French likely deserved a better fate, but in the end had to look at themselves for not converting their chances.
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Herdman still searching for young female players who fit his team’s changing philosophy

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/27/2013

Kadeisha Buchanan

Kadeisha Buchanan

Canadian national women’s team coach John Herdman is trying to introduce a new formation and is attempting to change the DNA of our soccer program from one of counterattack to useful, dangerous possession.

On Wednesday, he named his roster for two upcoming friendlies — April 4 in France and an April 7 rematch of the Cyprus Cup final, which will see Canadians travel to Rotherham to face an English side that beat Big Red 1-0. Each game will give Herdman the chance to assess the work in progress.

The roster Herdman named for the two friendlies features more veterans than each of the previous two tournaments — the Yongchuan Cup and the Cyprus Cup — in which the Canadian women have participated. But defenders Ashley Lawrence, who played for Canada’s U17 and U20 teams in 2012, is on the roster. And Kadeisha Buchanan, who played in this year’s Cyprus Cup at the age of 17, keeps her place.

“Kadeisha Buchanan has grabbed a hold of a shirt and she hasn’t given it back,” said Herdman.

But, despite what he’s seen from Buchanan and Lawrence, Herdman is concerned that there simply aren’t enough Canadian youngsters who will be technically able to keep up with the improving standards of play in the international game. Read the rest of this entry »

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Edmonton and Vancouver the big winners out of Women’s World Cup announcement

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/21/2013
IMG_1064

(L-R) Richard Starke, Stephen Mandel, Peter Montopoli and John Herdman at Edmonton’s City Hall., Thursday.

In 2002, Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium welcomed more than 45,000 fans for the final of the then-named FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship. It still stands as the high-water mark for attendance at a women’s youth match.

Eleven years later, and that achievement still resonates with FIFA. On Thursday, the Organizing Committee for the 2015 Women’s World Cup announced that Commonwealth would host the June 6 opening ceremonies and Canada’s first two group-stage matches. Canada’s third Group A match would be played in Montreal.

The final is set for BC Place in Vancouver. If Canada finishes first in Group A, it will advance to a round of 16 match in Vancouver. If it advances, the quarterfinal will go in Vancouver. If Canada wins that match, it advances to a Canada Day semifinal at Commonwealth and, hopefully, the final, July 5 at B.C. Place.

The third-place game is set for Edmonton. The Alberta capital will host more matches (11) than any other host city.
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Damn Yankey! England beats Canada in Cyprus Cup final

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/13/2013

Rachel Yankey

Rachel Yankey

Rachel Yankey, the most capped women’s player in English team history, got the winner in Wednesday’s Cyprus Cup final. Her 69th-minute half-volley ensured that, for the second year in a row, the Canadian women’s would have to settle for the “finalist” tag for their efforts at the Cyprus Cup.

Yankey, who plays for Arsenal, gave England the 1-0 win over Canada in the final. The two sides will meet again for a friendly April 7 in Rotherham, England.

Jess Clarke played in a cross from the left and Yankey was able to smash home the winner from 12 yards out.
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Canadian women finish Cyprus Cup group stage with perfect record

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/11/2013

Erin McLeod

Erin McLeod

Canada will go into Wednesday’s Cyprus Cup final against England with the confidence of having a perfect record at the tournament.

Even though the members of the Canadian national women’s team knew that they’d already qualified for the final before they took the field for Monday’s Group B finale against the Netherlands, they didn’t slip. Christine Sinclair’s 145th career international goal was the difference as the Canadians beat the Dutch by a 1-0 scoreline. Canada finished the group stage with 3-0-0 mark.

Erin McLeod, who saved a penalty in the 15th minute, got her fifth consecutive clean sheet.
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Sinclair’s penalty kick clinches Canada’s spot in Cyprus Cup final

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/08/2013

Christine Sinclair

Christine Sinclair

Christine Sinclair came back from suspension, and promptly scored a winning goal.

Sure, it was on a penalty kick, probably won’t make her career-end highlight reel, but it was the winner as Canada beat Finland 2-1 at the Cyprus Cup Friday. Canada is 2-0-0 at the tournament. The goal was the 144th international marker for Sinclair.

With the win, Canada has already clinched top spot in Group B and a spot in the Cyprus Cup final. That means the final group-stage match, against the Netherlands, will be a glorified friendly — and gives the chance for coach John Herdman to rotate players.
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