Canada Downs Argentina In Olympic Debut

The Chinese air seems to work wonders for Candace Chapman. The Canadian defender scored her national team’s first-ever goal at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament on Wednesday. Her goal got Canada off on the right foot for a 2:1 victory over Argentina at the Tianjin Olympic Sports Center Stadium.

Chapman struck an Argentine clearing from 30 yards out into the lower-right corner of the net for the first goal of the game. The play started on a Canadian corner kick in the 27th minute. Chapman’s strike made its way through a pack of players, giving Argentine goalkeeper Vanina Correa little chance on the play.

“There was just the perfect speed on the ball,” said Chapman. “I said, you know what, I’m just going to go for it and keep it low to the ground. It was extremely important to have three points under our belt and to have a game under our belt.”

It was Chapman’s fifth career goal for the full national team. Last September in Hangzhou , China , the Ajax native scored Canada ’s first goal in the FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007.

“The team was very pumped up and ready to play, but it was mixed with emotions,” said coach Even Pellerud .

“The team settled down after the first goal and then we dominated clearly. Overall, we would have preferred a higher-skilled game, but Argentina preferred to keep the tempo down.”

“They were tough conditions: the heat was 35 degrees and there was high humidity,” said Pellerud. “We should have determined the final result much earlier, but our finishing was not great.”

While Canada dominated the match, it wasn’t until the 72nd minute that the team added to its score. It was Kara Lang who doubled the Canadian lead.

Lang was positioned just inside the box when she headed a free kick from Rhian Wilkinson into the Argentine goal. It was Lang’s 33rd career goal, leaving her five back of Silvana Burtini (38) for third place on the all-time list.

Lang actually thought she doubled the Canadian score much earlier in the match. She had slipped the ball past Correa in the 34th minute off a long free kick from Clare Rustad. Lang, however, was called offside on the play.

Then on the final play of the first half, Lang’s free kick from the top of the box was stopped by the Argentine goalkeeper.

Christine Sinclair also had chances to score, was notably in the 59th minute after Sophie Schmidt sent her in alone on the goalkeeper. Sinclair, though, missed the target.

Jodi-Ann Robinson, who came on as a substitute for Melissa Tancredi near the end of the first half, also created a scoring opportunity for Canada . She trickled her way past the Argentine defence and then centred a pass to Sinclair, but Maria Quinones was there to clear the ball off the line.

In the 85th minute, Argentina then scored to cut the Canadian lead. Mariela Coronel stole the ball from Wilkinson and then passed it to Ludmila Manicler. Manicler had no problems beating Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod from the short distance.

Argentina had few chances in the match. Before the Manicler goal, Maria Potassa had the best opportunity in the 44th minute. Her shot from 30 metres out, however, sailed over the crossbar.

At the other end of the pitch, Canada had one more chance late in the game. Martina Franko nearly added the insurance marker, but her lobbed shot hit the crossbar and stayed out.

Canada finished with nine shots on goal against Argentina ’s three shots.

Canada’s 2:1 victory was a much closer contest than its last encounter with Argentina , a 5:0 win at the Peace Queen Cup on 14 June. Canada ’s next match in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament is Saturday 9 August, also in Tianjin . Canada will face hosts China for a 19.45 kickoff (07.45 Eastern or 04.45 Pacific).