Vancouver, BC, Canada 9 November 2017 – The US and Canadian women’s national teams faced battled to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of a home and home series. The Canadians looked the better organized from the start, but it it was the Americans who scored first through Alex Morgan. Canada stuck to their game plan and continued to attack, eventually finding the equalizer in the second half. The match heated up as both teams looked for the game-winner, but both defenses held strong.
Canada started strong, applying pressure and keeping the US in their half. As the US settled in, they made more forays into Canada’s half of the pitch. Megan Rapinoe had the first chance for the US, nut-megging a defender only to hit the inside of the post. The ball rolled across the goal and Canada got to it first to clear.
At the half hour mark, Alex Morgan put the Americans on the board. Casey Short headed a failed Canadian clearance to Morgan at the top of the penalty area . She fought off two defenders and put the US up 1-0 with a right-footed volley.
The Canadians kept their composure and, after a substitution that implemented their pre-planned formation change, came very close to finding the equalizer. Janine Beckie played a long ball that put substitute Adriana Leon in behind the US defence. She met the bouncing ball at the top of the US penalty area and fired it into the on-rushing Alyssa Naeher. Naeher chased the ball out of the penalty area, but Sinclair was there. She got control and fired a shot. Luckily for the US, Kelly O’Hara was there with the block.
The Canadians started the second half strong, creating several early chances, putting US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and the US defence under serious pressure. In the 57th minute, the Canadians earned a corner kick. Ashley Lawrence won a 50-50 ball at the top of the US penalty area. The ball squirted over to Rebecca Quinn who fired a lovely, bending ball to the far right upper corner. The US goalkeeper dove for it, but didn’t have it covered. She had a bit of and the ball clanged off the crossbar, but it went right to Canada’s Christine Sinclair, who sent the ball back across the goal with a nifty half-bicycle. Leon charged in and smacked the ball into the back of the net past Naeher’s attempt to fling herself into the ball’s path. The sell-out crowd of just over 28,000 erupted in cheers at the Canadian equalizer.
Both teams pushed for the game winner. Megan Rapinoe had another chance in the 65th minute, her shot deflected off a Canadian defender. Canada goalkeeper, Stephanie Labbé had already made the dive to save Rapinoe’s shot, but managed to stop the deflected ball with her feet to keep the match on even terms. A few minutes later, Leon almost got her brace for Canada, breaking free behind the US defense. Her shot flew just over the the right corner of the American goal. The US battled back, Abby Dahlkemper sent a long cross to Alex Morgan at the far post. Morgan took the first time shot, but Janine Beckie blocked it for Canada. The rebound went directly back to Morgan who shot it into Beckie again as she charged out of the goal. Canada had the final good chance of the match. Desiree Scott played a long ball to Canada debutante Maegan Kelly all alone in the US penalty area. Kelly easily made the chest trap and took the half-volley shot. The ball bounced agonizingly toward the far post as US defender Abby Dahlkemper tried to chase it down. Unfortunately for Canada, the post robbed Kelly of a goal in her debut and, almost certainly, the game winner.
The teams face each other again in San Jose on Sunday 12 November for the second leg of this home and home series.
Lineups
USA
Naeher; Short, Sauerbrunn (C), Dahlkemper, O’Hara; Rapinoe, Horan, Ertz, Mewis, Williams; Morgan
Substitutes
64’ Lloyd in for Mewis
66’ Smith in for Short
66’ Press in for Rapinoe
74’ Sullivan in for Ertz
87’ Long in for Williams
Canada
Labbé; Chapman, Zadorsky, Quinn; Fleming, Lawrence Scott; Rose, Sinclair (C), Beckie, Prince
Substitutes
32’ Leon in for Rose
71’ Megan Kelly in for Nichelle Prince
89’ Jordyn Huitema in for Janine Beckie
Misconduct
59’ Yellow Beckie (CAN)
79’ Yellow Kelly (CAN)
