Canada set to take on France in Cyprus Women’s Cup final

Canada is headed for a fifth-consecutive final at the Cyprus Women’s Cup after Emily Zurrer sealed the team’s passage through the group stages with a crucial goal in the 84th minute. The goal earned Big Red a 1:0 win over Netherlands on Sunday 4 March 2012 at the Ammochostos Stadium in Larnaka Cyprus.

After completing play in Group B with a perfect record of three wins in three matches, Canada will take on France in the final after the French dispatched England 3:0 in the decisive match in Group A.

Following the match against Netherlands, the Canadian players and staff stated that they were eagerly looking forward to taking on the France side that knocked Canada out of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011. The 2012 match promises to be even more momentous for Big Red as it looks to capture the Cyprus Women’s Cup title for a third year running.

The dramatic final is set for 17.30 local time (10.30 ET / 07.30 PT) at the GSZ Stadium in Larnaka, Cyprus on Tuesday 6 March.

All six final classification matches will be played on 6 March at four different stadiums in Larnaka and Paralimini, Cyprus.

Cyprus Cup 2012: Canada 1 – 0 Netherlands

“It was always going to be a difficult game against the Dutch,” said Head Coach John Herdman after the match. “I thought that was the hardest I’ve seen this group of players work and if we can keep that going it’s going to put us in a great position going forward to the Olympics.

“It’s exciting, we are looking forward to playing the French as we know it will be a tough game. There’s something there that the girls will get up for.”

Zurrer, the goalscoring hero in Canada’s final group-stage match, is also looking at the final against France as an occasion for the team to redeem itself.

“We’re looking forward to playing France again,” said Zurrer. “After what happened at the the FIFA Women’s World Cup, we want to show them (of what) we’re made.”

Canada is taking part in the fifth edition of the Cyprus Women’s Cup. Throughout the 2012 Cyprus Women’s Cup, fans will be able to track the progress of the Canadian team via CanadaSoccer.com, as well as social media platforms on Twitter @CanadaSoccerEN, Facebook, Flickr and CanadaSoccerTV.

More than a place just for lounging in the sun, there’s lots of things happening in Cyprus all the year round. From cultural performance with big name stars, sports events to participate in or watch, to informative conferences where you can meet like minds. You’ll be surprised at what you can enjoy here. Visit the official website of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation for more details.