The Tancredi streak: five in five at CONCACAF

Melissa Tancredi likes Mexico. In five career matches in this country – all in official CONCACAF matches – she has scored five goals, one in every match. Her streak of five goals in five CONCACAF matches (2008 and 2010) is second best in the annals of Canadian women football.



Tancredi’s most recent goal was the winner of a 1:0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago at the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Cancún, Mexico. She previously scored goals in all four matches at the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Juarez, Mexico. Canada is unbeaten (four wins and one draw) in those five matches.



“It was nice to have the win and nice to have the goal,” said Tancredi after the 29 October match against Trinidad and Tobago. “In the end, all we wanted was a win, no matter how it is done. Thankfully I got (the goal) for the team.”



Only Charmaine Hooper has a longer streak at eight matches, scoring in all five matches at the 2000 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup and then the three opening matches of the 2002 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup. Tancredi’s current streak surpasses previous four-match streaks by Lydia Vamos at the 1991 CONCACAF Women’s Championship and Aysha Jamani at the 2004 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament.



Tancredi is Canada’s most dangerous goal scorer in official competitions these past four seasons. With her most recent strike, she has seven goals in 10 FIFA/CONCACAF matches since 2007. That’s one more than all-time goals leader Christine Sinclair, who has six goals in 12 FIFA/CONCACAF matches over the same period. The two work extremely well together up front on Canada’s offence.



Tancredi’s biggest goal was of course the winning goal that sent Canada to the 2008 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament for the first time. With Mexico’s Rubi Sandoval falling to the ground as she moved backwards, Tancredi stole the ball and charged in to score the lone goal of a 1:0 victory in the semi-final stage of the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.



Three days later, she scored the tying goal in extra time of the championship final against USA. Her goal with four minutes remaining ensured a 1:1 draw, although USA claimed the CONCACAF trophy after kicks from the penalty mark.



Tancredi’s next match is Sunday 31 October against Guyana at the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifier. A win will qualify Canada for the semi-final stage.



Canada, whose title sponsor is Winners and presenting sponsor is Teck, is taking part in the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifier from 28 October to 8 November. Canada has qualified for each of the last four FIFA Women’s World Cups and hopes to make it five straight with a qualification to Germany 2011.