Canada Beats Argentina 3-0 For First World Cup Win

Columbus, Ohio – Canada’s Women’s World Cup Team earned their first World Cup victory with a 3-0 win over Argentina at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Germany defeated Japan 3-0. The Germans lead Group C with six points while Canada and Japan are tied with three points each. However Japan’s goal differential is plus 3 while Canada is even, meaning Canada must beat Japan on Saturday in Boston to advance to the quarter-finals.



Christine Latham earned Canada’s opening goal in the 18th minute when she made a strong run into the box and was fouled by Mariela Coronel. Charmaine Hooper stepped up and beat Argentine goalkeeper Romina Ferro for her third World Cup goal and first of the 2003 tournament. Latham then scored two goals late in the game to seal the shutout win.

Head coach Even Pellerud shuffled his lineup a little bit following Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Germany, with Taryn Swiatek coming in for Karina LeBlanc in goal and Rhian Wilkinson replacing the injured Andrea Neil. Neil picked up a slight hamstring pull in training on Monday.



“This performance was not good,” said Pellerud after the game. “We must find the confidence we showed all summer if we are to advance. We must play the Canadian way against Japan on Saturday or we will be in trouble. We seem to still be suffering from the effects of our game against Germany and we must work on changing that in the next two days.”



Pellerud opted to start with a 4-4-2 formation which played like a 4-2-4 with the outside midfielders (Kara Lang and Wilkinson) playing very high in support of strikers Christine Latham and Christine Sinclair. Kristina Kiss and Diana Matheson were responsible for controlling the middle while the back four remained intact from the game against Germany with Brittany Timko and Tanya Dennis playing on the outside and Charmaine Hooper and Sharolta Nonen partnering each other in the middle.



Canada came close to doubling their advantage in the 30th minute when Hooper grazed the cross bar with a left-footed shot off a direct free kick. A minute later, Kiss showed some fancy footwork and hit a left-footed shot which just missed the near top corner.



Argentina’s Marisol Medina had a great chance to level the score when a long through ball split the Canadian defence in the 35th minute but she hit her shot well over the bar.

Canada had another glorious chance to make it 2-0 in the 52nd minute when Latham powered a strong header towards goal only for Ferro to make a good save and deflect the shot. The ball fell near Lang who failed to knock the loose ball into an empty net.



Medina was a real threat for the Canadians and in the 60th minute Hooper had to tackle strongly to prevent her from going in on goal alone after a nice through ball.

In the 75th minute, Pellerud brought on Silvana Burtini for Wilkinson and put her in midfield and changed to a 4-3-3 formation.



Latham made it 2-0 in the 79th minute when she hammered home her own rebound from close range. Lang provided the cross from the right side and Latham’s strong header was well saved by Ferro but the ball fell back to her and she volleyed it home.

Three minutes later she made it 3-0 when she pounced on a loose ball which had hit Burtini after a Kiss cross from a free kick.



Pellerud then gave Sasha Andrews her first World Cup cap, subbing her in for Latham who was named the player of the game by FIFA.



The Canadian squad will travel to Boston on Thursday and will have two days to prepare for Saturday’s crucial game at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro at 3:30 p.m. (Rogers Sportsnet). If they win, they advance to the quarter-finals. A draw or a loss and they are eliminated.



September 24, 2003 – Women’s World Cup

Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

Attendance: 15,490

Canadatt3 (1)

Argentinat0 (0)

Referee: Nicole Petignat (Switzerland)

Assistant Referees: Elki Luethi (Switzerland), Nelly Viennot (France)

Fourth Official: Sandra Hunt (USA)

Goals: Canada – Charmaine Hooper (19, PK), Christine Latham (79, 82)

Cautions: Canada – Diana Matheson (41), Rhian Wilkinson (62), Sasha Andrews (86); Argentina – Mariela Ricotti (29)

Canada: 20 – Taryn Swiatek, 2 – Christine Latham (4 – Sasha Andrews, 83), 6 – Sharolta Nonen, 8 – Kristina Kiss, 9 – Rhian Wilkinson (17 – Silvana Burtini, 75), 10 – Charmaine Hooper (c), 12 – Christine Sinclair, 13 – Diana Matheson, 15 – Kara Lang, 16 – Brittany Timko, 18 – Tanya Dennis. Subs not used: 1 – Karina LeBlanc, 3 – Linda Consolante, , 5 – Andrea Neil, 7 – Isabelle Morneau, 11 – Randee Hermus, 14 – Carmelina Moscato, 19 – Erin McLeod. Head coach: Even Pellerud

Argentina: 1 – Romina Ferro, 2 – Clarisa Huber, 3 – Mariela Ricotti (6 – Noelia Lopez, 79), 4 – Andrea Gonsebate, 5 – Marisa Gerez (c), 10 – Rosana Gomez, 11 – Marisol Medina, 14 – Fabiana Vallejos, 18 – Mariela Coronel 15 – Yanina Gaitan, 84), 19 – Celeste Barbitta Nuno, 20 – Maria Villanueva (7 – Karina Alvariza, 75). Subs not used:, 9 – Yesica Arrien, 12 – Vanina Correa, 13 – Nancy Diaz, 16 – Adela Medina, 17 – Valeria Cotelo, 8 – Natalia Gatti. Head coach: Jose Carlos Borrelo