Women’s World Cup: Canada Beats Switzerland To Gain QF
Canada will advance to the quarter-finals of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup after knocking out Switzerland in Vancouver on Sunday night.
The Canadian team edged past the Swiss with a 1-0 victory finally breaking the curse of not beating a European team in the past five world tournaments. With an energetic crowd of nearly 54,000 at BC Place Stadium, coach John Herdman’s team delivered.
"Proud of my girls. Proud of what we've been able to achieve. We've got more tough opposition coming,” said Herdman via Times Colonist.
Forward and substitute Josee Belanger scored the winning goal in the 52nd minute mark. Fullback Rhian Wilkinson delivered a cross to a left-foot Belanger shot that passed through Swiss goaltender Gaelle Thalmann.
"Just worked out like we planned. I don't remember how it happened. It just happened,” Belanger said after banking the goal that propelled them to the next round of the World Cup. Herdman was believed to have convinced a retiring Belanger to rejoin the national program and restored Wilkinson to the starting lineup after a hamstring inury.
Despite suffering gloomy offensives throughout the first stages of the tournament, Canada’s game plan worked against a dangerous Switzerland lineup full of potential strikers. After a series of pounding from the home team, the Swiss managed to counter in the first half, but still went to a scoreless half-time.
Canada came out in the second period with determination as Belanger netted the lone goal. The team managed to press on getting several chances to make the match decisive. Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod made a crucial save stopping a Swiss attack from in close in the 78th minute mark. It was the only chance Switzerland had and Vanessa Bernauer could not convert an attack that could have changed the complex of the game.
“We just couldn’t get a goal. The players are disappointed because they allowed just two chances and Canada got that goal and so we are going home,” Switzerland’s German coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said to reports from the Guardian.
Canada, who had only won a Women’s World Cup knock out stage for the second time, will face a resilient England team in the quarter-finals of the tournament. England eliminated Norway with a 2-1 win after Lucy Bronze made the winning goal in the 76th minute.
