Mêmes actrices, même scénario. Quatre ans après la finale d’Athènes 2004 remportée face au Brésil, les Etats-Unis ont décroché la médaille d’or du Tournoi Olympique Féminin, Pékin 2008. Lors de la finale disputée ce jeudi 21 août au Stade des Travailleurs de Pékin, les Américaines se sont imposées en prolongation grâce à Carli Lloyd et conservent leur titre acquis il y a quatre ans. Pour le Brésil, les finales se suivent et se ressemblent : après Athènes et la Coupe du Monde Féminine de la FIFA 2007, la Seleçao termine la compétition avec des larmes et une médaille d’argent. Cette fin de match et l’émotion qui va avec fera peut-être oublier 90 minutes équilibrées mais sans réel spectacle. Durant toute la partie, les deux équipes, peut-être paralysées par l’enjeu, se sont montrées bien plus inspirées en défense que dans les phases offensives. C’est tout de même la sélection sud-américaine, essentiellement grâce à Marta, qui aura dominé les débats, se heurtant plusieurs fois à une Hope Solo impeccable.
After a 1:1 draw at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada and Jamaica are tied in second place in CONCACAF Group 2 on the road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Each team picked up a single point in the 20 August match. Mexico, meanwhile, is in first place with three points after a 2:1 victory over Honduras at the Estadio Azteca. Honduras was up 1-0 before Pavel Pardo scored a pair of goals in two minutes.
For more information on this match, please visit the following fixture link. Canada kicks off CONCACAF Stage III of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Qualifiers this evening in Toronto. Canada’s men’s national team will host group opponent Jamaica for a 19.30 ET kick off before a sold-out crowd at BMO Field. The match will also be broadcast live on Sportsnet Pacific and Sportsnet West for those television viewers with all four Sportsnet channels (19.30 ET / 17.30 MT / 16.30 PT). The Canadian match will also air on delay on Sportsnet East and Sportsnet Ontario (23.00 ET), Sportsnet West (23.00 MT) and Sportsnet Pacific (20.00 PT). The broadcast will feature the play-by-play call of Gerry Dobson and the colourful analysis of former goalkeeper and Soccer Hall of Fame honoured member Craig Forrest.
Canada’s men’s national team had its last day of training today in Toronto, a closed one-hour session with all 17 players. Coach Dale Mitchell and his staff practiced a number of tactics as the team makes its final preparations before tomorrow’s FIFA World Cup Qualifiers™ match against Jamaica. The Wednesday 20 August match kicks off at 19.30 at BMO Field. The match will be broadcast live on Sportsnet Pacific and Sportsnet West.
For more information on this match, please visit the following fixture link. The first few players have arrived in Toronto this weekend in anticipation of Wednesday’s Canada-Jamaica match in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ Qualifers. The earliest group – Julian de Guzman, Ali Gerba, Tomasz Radzinski and Paul Stalteri – all trained briefly this Sunday at BMO Field with coach Dale Mitchell and the team staff. Canada’s men’s national team faces Jamaica on Wednesday 20 August in its first of six CONCACAF Stage III matches. Group opponents Honduras and Mexico, meanwhile, face each other in Mexico City. The Canada-Jamaica match will be broadcast live on Sportsnet Pacific and Sportsnet West (19.30 ET / 17.30 MT / 16.30 PT) for viewers with all Sportsnet channels. Tickets to the match are available via ticketmaster.ca (416.872.5000).
In anticipation of Canada’s big Wednesday match in Toronto, adidas Canada has invited several members of Canada’s national team to its downtown store off Yonge Street this Monday 18 August. The players will be visiting the store from 14.30 to 15.30 (10 Dundas Street East at the corner of Dundas/Yonge). This Wednesday 20 August, of course, is the start of CONCACAF Stage III of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ Qualifiers. Canada will host Jamaica at BMO Field in its first of six Stage III matches. Tickets are available via ticketmaster.ca (416.872.5000). The match will also be broadcast live on Sportsnet Pacific and Sportsnet West (19.30 ET / 17.30 MT / 16.30 PT).
For more information on this match, please visit the following fixture link. Canada’s Olympic dream has come to an end after a 1:2 loss to the United States at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. Canada held the world’s number-one ranked Americans to an even score for much of the 15 August quarter-final, but the United States finally went up for good with the winner in extra time. Canada’s women’s football team was participating in its first Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. Canada was successful in reaching the quarter-final stage, but could not topple the reigning Olympic champions. Heading into this tournament, the United States is the only team with a top-three finish in all eight senior women’s FIFA tournaments (five FIFA Women’s World Cups and three Women’s Olympic Football Tournaments).
Malgré cette défaite crève-cÂœur face aux Américaines en quarts de finale du Tournoi Olympique de Football Féminin, l’équipe canadienne féminine rentrera la tête haute au pays après une première expérience fort réussie. Avec une participation à la ronde des médailles et une défaite en prolongation aux mains des tenantes du titre olympique et meneurs au classement mondial de la FIFA, les Canadiennes auront encore une fois fait tourner bien des têtes.
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.