Victoria, British Columbia | UVic Centennial Stadium
Attendance: 1834
Goal: Kara Lang scores for CANADA
Kara Lang
Goal: Kara Lang scores for CANADA
Kara Lang
Goal: Christine Sinclair scores for CANADA
Christine Sinclair
Goal: Kara Lang scores for CANADA
Kara Lang
Goal: Randee Hermus scores for CANADA
Randee Hermus
Goal: Kara Lang scores for CANADA
Kara Lang
Goal: Amy Walsh scores for CANADA
Amy Walsh
Goal: Charmaine Hooper scores for CANADA
Charmaine Hooper
Goal: Christine Sinclair scores for CANADA
Christine Sinclair
Canada's Women's World Cup Team advanced to the semi-finals of the Gold Cup with a convincing 9-0 win over Jamaica at Centennial Stadium in Victoria, BC, Friday night.
Four goals from Kara Lang (including two stunning long-range strikes) and two more goals by Christine Sinclair, along with singles by Charmaine Hooper, Amy Walsh and Randee Hermus provided all the scoring for Canada, who will try to win Group B on Sunday when they face Costa Rica.
?I have never seen so many good goal scoring chances created in a game,? said Canadian head coach Even Pellerud. ?We wanted to start out aggressively and with a fast tempo and we did that. We were able to convert a number of our chances and the second half was a big improvement.?
Lang scored her first goal of the night with a powerful free kick just before halftime, unleashing a 22-yard rocket into the top left hand corner of the Jamaican goal to put an exclamation point on a dominating Canadian performance. Her second was almost equally impressive when in open play she struck a ferocious shot past Jamaican goalkeeper Nikkeshi Thomas from almost 25 yards out in the 62nd minute. She completed her hat trick when she struck a left footed shot into the roof of the net after a smooth square ball from Kristina Kiss. Lang completed the scoring in the 91st minute when she coolly volleyed home a Sinclair cross from 10 yards out.
The Canadians opened the scoring when Sinclair notched her tournament leading fifth goal in the 14th minute. The Burnaby, BC native bolted into the box and quickly unleashed a right-footed shot past Thomas. Her second, and sixth of the tournament, came in the 77th minute when she took a nice flick on from Kiss and beat Thomas to the far post.
Hooper made it 2-0 in the 20th minute when she headed home a superb cross by Breanna Boyd for her 53rd international goal in her 87th game (both all-time records). It was her fourth goal of the tournament.
Four minutes from the halftime whistle, Canada carved out one of their best goals of the tournament when Walsh converted a great series of passes. Sinclair won the ball in midfield and slid the ball to Walsh, who then worked a delightful give and go with Hooper before sliding her shot into the far corner.
Canada's first goal of the second half was a well-worked free kick, which saw Burtini pick out Hermus behind the Jamaican defence. Hermus's header found the back of the net to make it 5-0.
The Canadians, who have now scored 20 goals in two games, suffered an early setback when Carmelina Moscato was carried off with a knee strain and was replaced by Walsh.
In the earlier game, Costa Rica defeated Haiti 5-0 to clinch the other semi-final spot. Canada and Costa Rica will face each other for first place in the group on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Both teams will travel to Seattle on Monday.
The semi-finals will be played in Seattle on Wednesday, November 6 with the final in Pasadena, California on Saturday, November 9.
Friday, November 1, 2002 ? Football Confederation Gold Cup
Centennial Stadium, Victoria, BC
Attendance: 1834
Canada \t\t 9 (4)
Jamaica\t\t 0 (0)
Goals: Canada ? Christine Sinclair (14, 77), Charmaine Hooper (20), Amy Walsh (42), Kara Lang (44, 62, 84, 91), Randee Hermus (56)
Cautions: Jamaica ? Alicia Wilson (6), Michelle DePass (44); Canada ? Brittany Timko (21)
Referee: Ave Maria Alpizar (CRC)
Assistant Referees: Milena Lopez (CRC), Amarelis Merette (DOM)
Fourth Official: Sandra Hunt (USA)
Canada: Karina LeBlanc, Randee Hermus, Breanna Boyd, Carmelina Moscato (Amy Walsh, 6), Sharolta Nonen, Candace Chapman, Christine Sinclair, Kara Lang, Brittany Timko, Silvana Burtini (Melanie Booth, 60), Charmaine Hooper (Captain) (Kristina Kiss, 73). Head coach: Even Pellerud
Jamaica: Nikkeshi Thomas, Philicia Lewis, Geneva Sinclair, Alicia Wilson, Diana Hue, Alicia James (Captain), Nicole Berwise (Jodi-Ann McGregor, 74), Hishamar Falconer, Latoya Linton (Suzette Murray, 60), Denise Duncan, Michelle DePass. Head coach: Christopher Bender
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