Canada ready for historic quarter-final match

For more information on this match, please visit the following fixture link.
On the eve of what could be the biggest women’s football match in Association history, Canada is ready for its opponent, the world’s number-one ranked United States. As strong as its opponent has been in the past, Big Red is ready for the win-or-go-home quarter-final in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. The 15 August match kicks off at 18.00 at Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai, China (06.00 ET or 03.00). Live coverage will be broadcast on CBC television and CBCSports.ca.
This is Canada’s first participation in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament and its second trip to a women’s senior FIFA quarter-final. Five years ago, Canada won 1:0 over China to advance to the semi-final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003. Now, Canada will have to defeat the United States – something it hasn’t done in seven years – to advance to this tournament’s semi-final in Beijing.
Canada has faced the United States four times already this season, twice in a championship match. On 12 April, Canada pulled off a 1:1 draw with USA in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament final. USA was awarded first place after it won 6-4 on penalties. On 21 June, Canada lost 0:1 to USA on a 92nd-minute goal in the Peace Queen Cup final.
One should not forget the 2006 CONCACAF Gold Cup from two years ago, either. Both sides traded goals in the first half, but neither could get ahead through 90 minutes. Deep into extra time, the United States pulled off the victory after it was awarded a penalty in the 120th minute. Kristine Lilly scored the championship-winning goal.
Four years earlier at the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup, it was a similar story. That time, it was a Mia Hamm’s golden goal in extra time that broke the Canadian hearts.
With the world watching in 2008, Canada is looking to flip the table on its CONCACAF rivals. Canada will have to be at its best to beat the United States, an aim to which Canada has progressed since it opened the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament on 6 August. Canada advanced to the quarter-final stage after posting a 1-1-1 record in three group matches. Canada won 2:1 over Argentina, drew 1:1 with China, and then lost 1:2 to Sweden. Coach Pellerud says the team has played consistently well in all three matches.
Up front, Canada will rely on the scoring heroics of Christine Sinclair, Kara Lang and Melissa Tancredi, each of whom has scored six or more goals in 2008. All three have also scored in this tournament – Lang against Argentina, Sinclair against China, and Tancredi against Sweden.
Friday’s winner will advance to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament semi-final on 18 August. The next opponent will be the winner of the China-Japan quarter-final match. The other two quarter-final matches feature Brazil against Norway and Germany against Sweden.