China Defeats Canada 2-1

Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian Women’s World Cup Team lost a close match to China PR at the Four Nation Women’s Tournament on Friday, January 30, 2004. This was Canada’s first match of a single round robin format in which two players earned their first international cap with the senior team.



Veronique Maranda of Montreal, scored Canada’s lone goal in the 87th minute to bring Canada back from a 2-0 deficit. The 17 year-old earned her first international goal during her sixth cap with the senior squad.



Aysha Jamani and Marie-Eve Nault both earned their first cap with the senior women’s team after substituting in for Diana Matheson in the 46th minute and Isabelle Morneau in the 71st minute respectfully. Jamani recently finished a successful three game tour of T&T with the Women’s Under-19 Team, scoring four goals for Canada. Nault, a Trois-Rivieres, Quebec native, attended the senior camp in December 2003 but has never played a game until today.



Teng Wei, of China PR, took advantage of the early minutes in both halves by scoring both goals in the 12th minute and the 52nd minute.



“Other than the first 15 minutes of each half, there are reasons to be pleased with the team’s performance,” said head coach Even Pellerud. “Despite an overall good game, it was obvious that the winter break affected many of the players. The fitness was good but lack of intensity in the midfield was a minus. I will have to address the lack of aggressiveness leading up to the next game. Veronique scored our goal and had an outstanding second half. Marie-Eve Nault and Aysha Jamani played their first international senior game. Both these players proved to become players for the future.”



Canada’s next game is on Sunday, February 1 against Sweden who is ranked fifth in the world and earned the silver medal at the 2003 Women’s World Cup in USA. Canada will then finish the tournament with a game against USA on Wednesday, February 3.



Results



01/30/04tUSA vs Sweden (3:0)

ttChina PR vs Canada (2:1)



Games



02/01/04tCanada vs. Sweden

ttChina PR vs USA



02/03/04tUSA vs Canada

ttChina vs Sweden



January 30, 2004 – Four Nation Women’s Tournament – China

Shenzhen Stadium

Shenzhen, China

Canada 1 (0)

China PR 2 (1)

Goals: Canada – Veronique Maranda (87); China PR – Teng Wei (12, 52)

Canada: 1-Erin McLeod; 11-Randee Hermus; 5-Andrea Neil (3-Carmelina Moscato, 67); 10-Charmaine Hooper; 15-Veronique Maranda; 13-Diana Matheson (14-Aysha Jamani, 46); 7–Isabelle Morneau (2-Marie-Eve Nault, 71); 6-Sharolta Nonen; 12-Christine Sinclair; 9-Rhian Wilkinson (17-Tanya Dennis, 84);16-Brittany Timko; Head coach: Even Pellerud.