Rio 07 Journal: Rhian’s Game 2

Rhian Wilkinson’s
Pan American Games Rio 2007 Journal
Game 2 – Ecuador – July 16th, 2007

Wake-up came just after 8 followed by breakfast. We then had some time to kill before pre game meeting and meal so a couple of us started playing a game called Apples to Apples. I had never heard of it before, I don’t think many have, but I really enjoyed it. It definitely filled in our free time and had us all laughing out loud- good stuff.

Our meeting was a short one, basically just went over tactics and what we needed to focus on offensively and defensively in order to be successful in today’s game. We watched game tape yesterday so it really was a short and to the point meeting. We soon after ate our pre game meal, I had the usual rice and beans, and meals are starting to get a repetitive. At 130 we left for our field under police escort, on game days we get the VIP treatment. This game was at a different stadium than the last one, this one was called Havalanche

(I think) stadium, after the FIFA president before Blatter, and was especially built for these games. The stadium is great with 8 full-length bathes in the locker room as well as a warm-up room with a full sized net in it, not bad at all.

We won the game 4-0 but should have had more. Andy (Andrea Neil) scored the first goal off of a corner kick by Kristine Kiss. The next three were put away by Kara Lang, two in the first half and one in the second.

There was a good-sized crowd on hand and I personally enjoyed getting to play for them, it is always fun when the crowd is really into it. WE had an all right game all in all, nothing better nothing worse, we got the business done and we are happy with our win. In tournaments like this it is important to improve with every step, to peak and be at your best for the finals, this is obviously not a consciously done thing but just seems to happen.

Tonight will be a quiet one as we rest and prepare for the cycle to start all over again in the morning, training day followed by game day.

CANADA MATCH REPORT HIGHLIGHTS
FIRST ROUND GROUP A – MATCH 11
MON 16 JUL 2007
João Havelange Stadium, Rio de Janeiro>
CAN – ECU
4:0 (3:0)

Goals Scored
NEIL Andrea (CAN) 13′, LANG Kara (CAN) 24′, LANG Kara (CAN) 30′, LANG Kara (CAN) 50′

CAN Lineup
[ 1 ] LEBLANC Karina (GK)
[ 2 ] KISS Kristina (-67′)
[ 3 ] BOOTH Melanie
[ 5 ] NEIL Andrea
[ 7 ] WILKINSON Rhian
[ 8 ] MATHESON Diana
[ 10 ] FRANKO Martina
[ 11 ] HERMUS Randee
[ 12 ] SINCLAIR Christine (C) (-46′ HT)
[ 15 ] LANG Kara
[ 17 ] TIMKO Brittany
Substitutes
[ 4 ] TANCREDI Melissa
[ 6 ] ANDREWS Sasha (+67′)
[ 9 ] CHAPMAN Candace
[ 13 ] WALSH Amy
[ 16 ] THORLAKSON Katie
[ 19 ] VERMEULEN Any (+46′ HT)
[ 20 ] SWIATEK Taryn (GK)

Cautions
KISS Kristina (CAN) 39′, VELARDE Mabel (ECU) 92′

CAN – Statistics – ECU
23 Shots 3
11 Shots on Goal 2
26 Fouls 6
13 Corner Kicks 4
1 Free Kicks 2
0 Penalty Kicks 0
5 Offsides 1
0 Own Goals 0
1 Cautions (Yellow cards) 1
0 Expulsions (Red cards) 0
0 Ball Possession% 0
0 Actual Playing Time 0