Canada enjoys Beijing

Canada’s women’s football team has arrived in China before this month’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. The women’s football team has joined the full Canadian Olympic Team in the Canadian village for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The women’s football team will travel to Tianjin on 2 August to make its final preparations before the first game against Argentina on 6 August.



Canada will face Argentina on 6 August, hosts China on 9 August (also in Tianjin), and then Sweden on 12 August (in Beijing). A first or second-place finish in the four-team group will qualify Canada for the 15 August quarter-final. Two third-place teams (out of three groups) will also qualify for the quarter-final.



The women’s football team arrived safely in Beijing after more than a week of training in Singapore. The team played two final friendly matches, a 1:1 draw with New Zealand (also an Olympic Tournament participant) and an 8:0 win over Singapore. The women’s football team finished its pre-Olympic season with nine wins, six draws and five losses in 18 games.



Captain Christine Sinclair was the team’s leading scorer with 11 goals while Kara Lang and Melissa Tancredi were tied for second with five goals each. Goalkeeper Erin McLeod, meanwhile, has already established a single-season national-team record with six shutouts in 2008.



While the Canadian women’s football players are all making their first appearance at the Olympic Games, coach Even Pellerud is making his return after 12 years. Pellerud coached Norway to a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. Twelve years earlier, team assistant coach Ian Bridge was a player in Canada’s last appearance in this sport, the 1984 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament.



As for team doctor and medical lead Dr. Andrew Pipe, he is a member of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame for his work with the basketball team. Sport psychologist Kristen Barnes, meanwhile, is a member of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame as a past athlete in rowing.