Canada won 2:1 over Germany to capture first place in Group F at the Rio 2016 Women's Olympic Football Tournament. Melissa Tancredi scored both Canada goals in the hard-fought victory on 9 August at Estadio Mané Garrincha in Brasilia, Brazil. The historic win was Canada's first against Germany at the international "A" level.

Melanie Behringer opened the scoring on a penalty before Melissa Tancredi leveled in the 26th minute, capitalising on some great advanced tackling from Desiree Scott before finishing with her left foot. Tancredi was also on hand to score the winner in the 60th minute, heading home a Rebecca Quinn free kick from distance.

FIRST HALF:

The action started early, Melissa Tancredi knocking on Labbé's goal kick for Josée Bélanger to chase in the third minute. The forward beat her marker to the ball and got her left footed shot on goal, but goalkeeper Almuth Schult was able to get low and gather it.

Tancredi tested the goalkeeper in the 10th minute from around 30 yards out, Jessie Fleming having played a perfect ball through the defence for her to chase. The captain gained possession on the left flank cut inside the full back and let loose a curling effort that Schult was able to gather.

Germany were awarded a penalty in the 12th minute, when Chapman was judged to have brought down Islacker unfairly. Melanie Berhinger stepped up to take it and calmly slotted it into the bottom left corner, putting Germany up 1-0.

Canada didn't let their heads drop, and a searching pass from Desiree Scott found Allysha Chapman with space on the left flank in the 14th minute. Her cross was just too high for Deanne Rose to get decent contact and the bounce eluded the onrushing Bélanger at the back post.

Canada won a corner in the 18th minute after Sophie Schmidt played in Deanne Rose behind the German defensive line. She was on her own on the right flank, but her cross caromed off a German defender and nearly into her own net. The corner was cleared, but Canada maintained possession and pressure.

Canada had the equaliser off the boot of Melissa Tancredi in the 26th minute. They had done well to establish themselves in the attacking third, closing down the ball carriers and forcing a loose pass into the centre of the field. Desiree Scott's challenge saw the ball run to Tancredi at the top of the penalty area and she drifted left, across the face of the defensive line. One faked shot gave her enough space to whip it back towards the bottom right post through the legs of two defenders and level the score at 1-1.

After knotting the game up at 1-1, Canada reverted to a more defensive shape, effectively soaking up pressure from the German team, whilst looking for counter attacking opportunities through the pace of Rose and Belanger on the wings.

Several corners were well defended, a free kick in a dangerous area was chipped just over the bar by Mehringer, and Tabea Kemme sent a long range shot wide of the left post, but on the whole, the Canadian net wasn't threatened. One dangerous moment came just before half-time when Isabel Kerchowski got to a loose ball in the penalty area, but her shot was blocked well by Shelina Zadorsky.

SECOND HALF:

Germany looked to get on the front foot quickly, Islacker finding space on the left flank and whipping a ball across the six-yard box for Anja Mittag. The veteran forward got her foot to it, but could only send the effort wide.

The half then settled into a similar rythmn as the first, with Canada happy to keep Germany in front of them, confident that the speed and nous of the full-backs would negate any diagonal balls across to the flanks. They were also doing a good job of denying space in front of the goal. Germany's influential number 10, Dszenifer Marozsan was a non-factor for the first hour of the game, and was booked for a foul on Josée Bélanger in the 59th minute.

Canada would take the lead from that free kick. Rebecca Quinn took the set-piece delivering a high curling cross from deep on the right flank towards the back post. Melissa Tancredi outworked her marker and was in the right spot to put a bullet header into the left side of the goal, stranding Schult in the German net and making it 2-1 to Canada.

Germany did all they could to push back into the game, Behringer pouncing upon a loose ball in midfield and driving up the centre of the park in the 64th minute. Her shot was over, but not by much, and Stephanie Labbé watched it closely the whole way.

Germany had a field length break in the 71st minute, as substitute Melanie Leupolz was the recipient of a 60-yard pass to the right flank. Chapman had done well to make up the ground, but the German forward worked enough space to be able to take a shot from the right corner of the eighteen-yard box. Stephanie Labbe was able to gather at the near post with little fuss, but it was a warning for Canada to be careful of pushing too far up the field.

Anja Mittag had a good opportunity to level the game up for Germany in the 79th minute after a long ball from Behringer was flicked on by substitute Alexandra Popp. Mittag was onto it in a flash, but her half volley was right down the centre of the goal and Labbe made no mistake in making the save.

Behringer was again involved in the 84th minute, floating in a dangerous looking ball that Leupolz would have reached if not for Labbé's quick reading of the situation and coming out to claim the cross. Labbé was called on again in th 89th minute, as Popp looked to play in Islacker. Wilkinson did well to hold up the German wingers run, and the keeper was out very sharply.

Mittag tested Labbe just thirty seconds later, finding space in the middle of the field. Her scuffed shot looked to be creeping in to the bottom right corner before the Canadian goalkeepers diving intervention. From the corner, Babett Peter managed to knock it on to Islacker who was stood alone four yards out in the centre of the goal. She wasn't expecting the pass, however, and the ball bounced off her thigh into the arms of Labbe.

Nichelle Prince received a yellow card for a robust challenge on the left flank in th 90th minute, the resulting free kick being cleared away fro a corner by Melissa Tancredi. That corner was then headed by Popp and was going in to the bottom right corner before Belanger stuck out a leg and cleared for another corner. The third corner came to nothing and Canada were able to hold on for the rest of added time, winning the game 2-1.

LINEUPS & NOTES:

Canada's starting XI featured Stephanie Labbé in goal, Rhian Wilkinson at right back, Rebecca Quinn and Shelina Zadorsky at centre back, Allysha Chapman at left back, and Sophie Schmidt, Desiree Scott, Jessie Fleming, captain Melissa Tancredi, Deanne Rose, and Josée Bélanger from the midfield up through to the attack.

Coach John Herdman made three substitutions, replacing Jessie Fleming with Ashley Lawrence (46'), Schmidt with Diana Matheson (64'), and Rose with Nichelle Prince (69').

Germany's starting XI featured Almuth Schult in goal, Babett Peter at right back, captain Saskia Bartusiak and Josephine Henning at centre back, Tabea Kemme at left back, and Melanie Behringer,  Lena Goeßling, Mandy Islacker, Dzsenifer Marozsan, Isabel Kerschowski, and Anja Mittag from the midfield up through to the attack

In the second half, coach Silvia Neid replaced Henning with Annike Krahn (46'), Marozsan with Alexandra Popp (68'), and Kerchowski with Melanie Leupolz (68').

Along with the penalty call in the 12th minute, referee Ri Hyang Ok cautioned both Marozsan (59') of Germany and Prince (90') of Canada. The match was played in front of 8,227 fans.

With two goals, Tancredi increased her Olympic total to seven goals in three tournaments (one at Beijing 2008, four at London 2012, two at Rio 2016). She became the first Canadian to score two goals against Germany and also the second player with two two-goal games at the Olympic Games (2012 against Sweden and 2016 against Germany).