Foxboro, Massachusetts – Canada's Women's World Cup Team advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup with a 3-1 win over Japan at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, Saturday. Canada will likely play the winner of the China-Russia game which will be played Sunday.

Canada needed to win in order to clinch second place in Group C and they did just that with goals from Christine Latham, Christine Sinclair and Kara Lang. Sinclair booked Canada a flight to Portland and a berth in the quarter-finals with a strong header off a Brittany Timko corner in the 49th minute after the teams went into the dressing room tied at 1-1.

“We played with guts and determination,” said Pellerud. “We have worked hard to change things after the first two games and find the confidence we had before the World Cup. We played more like the Canadian team of this past summer but still not as well as we can. I am very excited for my players. They wanted it badly and we are moving on in the competition.”

Pellerud made two changes from the squad which defeated Argentina on Wednesday. Andrea Neil returned to the midfield after missing one game with a hamstring injury. Isabelle Morneau also made her first start in a year at left back, pushing Timko from left back into the midfield. 
Taryn Swiatek started her second consecutive game in goal while the back four consisted of Tanya Dennis, Charmaine Hooper, Sharolta Nonen and Morneau. The midfield featured Neil alonside Timko and Diana Matheson with Kara Lang, Christine Latham and Sinclair playing up front in a 4-3-3.
Japan opened the scoring against the run of play. Yayoi Kobayashi broke free down the right hand side and her cross across the box was met by Homare Sawa who one-timed it past Swiatek and inside the near post.

The Canadians rallied and Latham tied things up in the 36th minute. After a great chip pass from Sinclair, Latham used her strength to push past Japanese defender Yasuyo Yamagishi and volleyed the ball past the onrushing Nozomi Yamago in the Japanese goal.

Japan thought they had tied it in the 66th minute when Mio Otani got in behind the Canadian defence and scored with a diving header but the goal was called back when she was ruled offside.

Swiatek had a great game in goal for the Canadians and made an excellent reaction save to deny Otani who burst onto a free kick cross and hit a right-footed shot which Swiatek was quick to react to and block. Swiatek played with composure throughout the game and now has two wins in two World Cup starts.

In the 60th minute, Pellerud brought on Silvana Burtini for Latham and switched to a 5-3-2.

Lang put the game out of reach in the 72nd minute when her left-footed cross attempt drifted over Yamago and into the far post netting.

Kiss came on for Neil and Wilkinson replaced Lang late in the game.

The Canadians will travel to Portland on Sunday and will immediately prepare to face their next opponent which is likely to be China or Russia on October 2 at PGE Park.
This is the first time a Canadian team has advanced to the quarter-finals of a World Cup.

September 27, 2003 – Women's World Cup
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,356
Canada\t\t3 (1)
Japan\t\t1 (1)
Referee: Ju Eun Im (Korea)
Assistant Referees: Jin Soo Choi (Korea), Nyo Kum Hong (North Korea)
Fourth Official: Nicole Petignat (Switzerland)
Goals: Canada – Christine Latham (36), Christine Sinclair (49), Kara Lang (72); Japan – Homare Sawa (20)
Cautions: Canada – Isabelle Morneau (45+)
Canada: 20 - Taryn Swiatek, 2 - Christine Latham (17 - Silvana Burtini, 60), 5 - Andrea Neil (8 - Kristina Kiss, 77), 6 - Sharolta Nonen, 7 - Isabelle Morneau, 10 - Charmaine Hooper (c), 12 - Christine Sinclair, 13 - Diana Matheson, 15 - Kara Lang (9 - Rhian Wilkinson, 85), 16 - Brittany Timko, 18 - Tanya Dennis. Subs not used: 1 - Karina LeBlanc, 3 - Linda Consolante, 4 – Sasha Andrews, 14 - Carmelina Moscato, 19 - Erin McLeod. Head coach: Even Pellerud
Japan: 1 - Nozomi Yamago, 2 - Yumi Obe (c), 3 - Hiromi Isozaki, 4 - Yasuyo Yamagishi, 5 - Tomoe Sakai (17 - Miyuki Yanagita, 62), 6 - Yayoi Kobayashi (9 - Eriko Arakawa,, 54), 7 - Naoko Kawakami, 8 - Tomomi Miyamoto, 10 - Homare Sawa, 11 - Mio Otani, 16 - Emi Yamamoto (20 - Aya Miyama, 89). Subs not used: 12 - Shiho Onodera, 13 - Mai Nakachi, 14 - Kyoko Yano, 15 - Yuka Miyazaki, 18 - Karina Maruyama, 19 - Akiko Sudo. Head coach: Eiji Ueda