The goal that gave the Canadian women's national team a 1-o win in Sweden Thursday was a perfect example of the three-pronged attempt that coach John Herdman will have at his disposal over the next few years.

At the end of the night, the “attempts at goal” stat might be 20-2 in your opponent’s favour, so you know that those two chances you’ll get both have to end up in the back of the net.

So, well, Fraser Aird sure looked like he was pretty pumped to play for Canada in Scotland, didn’t he?

But, for most of the second half, the loud-as-hell trumpeter (or was it a trumpet section) in Monterrey’s famous “Volcano” stadium belted out “Seasons in the Sun.” Over and over. Maybe it was because Tigres were playing the Vancouver Whitecaps Tuesday night in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal — and well, Terry Jacks is from Vancouver.

You know what, America? Instead of wondering “how will we ever beat Mexican teams in the CCL?” focus on trying to be better than the Canadian teams, first. Walk before you run.

On a Canadian roster packed with young players, it was more of the same. Another winning goal from Christine Sinclair; she scored her 166th career goal for Canada, to give our women’s national team a 1-0 win over Denmark Wednesday in the opener of the Algarve Cup.

As yet another Canadian men’s Under-20 cycle comes to a premature end, there is the little consolation that it ends on a high note.

Basically, we have a radically different sports landscape in Canada as MLS is set to open the 2017 season. Unlike last season, the sports media will have its eyes squarely set on the NHL.

Canada lost its second straight game at the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, this time humbled 5-0 by defending champions Mexico, a team that has not lost in this event since 2009.

There was no way that Canada’s men’s under-20 team was going to qualify for a first World Cup in a decade in its first game, but, after a 1-0 loss to Honduras on Friday night, the drought looks set to continue.