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Women's soccer team writes history with victory in first Olympic game |
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Written by Jim Morris, THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Wednesday, 06 August 2008 |
Manela Coronel of Argentina, left, challanges for the ball against Clare Rustad of Canada during their first round soccer match at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Tianjin, Wednesday. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Vincent Yu
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TIANJIN, China - The history the Canadian women's soccer team was writing wasn't lost on Kara Lang.
Playing in muggy heat and dripping humidity Lang headed in what turned out to be the winning goal in the 72nd minute as Canada defeated Argentina 2-1 on Wednesday night in the soccer team's first-ever game at a Summer Olympics.
The Beijing Games don't officially get underway until the opening ceremonies Friday.
"We're very well aware that we are part of something bigger than soccer right now," said the striker from Oakville, Ont. "This entire experience is a huge honour for me. It's a dream come true.
"Hearing the (Canadian) anthem before the game was a big one. It's one of those moments where you kind of step back and realize the magnitude of the event. You make a point of doing that so you can kind of take it all in."
An announced crowd of 23,201 watched the match, the first event of the 2008 Summer Olympics. The contest was played in the 60,000-seat Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium in this city of over seven million people located 120 kilometres from Beijing.
A Canadian men's team won the gold medal at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. The men's last Olympic appearance was at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Defender Candace Chapman opened the scoring in the 27th minute when she blasted a shot from about 35 yards out that weaved its way through a forest of legs before landing in the net.
"After the ball went into the net I think it just hit me," said the Ajax, Ont., native. "This is the first goal we've ever had in the Olympics.
"It's a special moment for me and my teammates."
Ludmila Manicler scored for Argentina late in the game.
In other action, Norway defeated the U.S. 2-0, China topped Sweden 2-1, Germany drew Brazil 0-0, North Korea beat Nigeria 1-0 and Japan and New Zealand drew 2-2.
A win against China on Saturday pretty much assures Canada will move into the second round of the Olympic tournament. The game will be played in an electric atmosphere as a loud Chinese crowd cheers on its team at the Tianjin stadium.
"The crowd is going to be amazing," said captain Christine Sinclair. "China is one of the best teams in the world.
"They keep the ball. We're going to run and chase and chase. It's going to be an amazing atmosphere."
The Canadians won't know until later this week if Melissa Tancredi will be able to play Saturday. The bruising forward left the game in the 44th minute with an ankle injury.
At times Wednesday it looked like the women were running in sand. The heat was oppressive, the air thick with smog.
After the game Lang's hair look like she had just stepped out of the shower. You could have wrung the water out of her jersey.
"I was surprised at how heavy it was and how thick the air was," said Lang. "With the humidity you just sweat buckets.
"Hydration is a huge issue. You've got that against you."
Sinclair, the thread that has sown the team together for years, said the players were nervous like teenagers at a first dance.
"We didn't play as well as we would have liked to," said Sinclair. "It's the first game of the Olympics.
"We were a little nervous, a little anxious."
Merely stepping on to the pitch was a moral for Chapman. She returned from a knee injury in time to join the team for last fall's women's World Cup played in China.
"I just tried to take it one day at a time," Chapman said about her long months of rehab. "I was coming back for the World Cup and I just trying to focus on that.
"Ever since then I've been building up the strength in my knee and my confidence."
Lang, who also underwent knee surgery, knows the hills Chapman has climbed.
"Chappie is a phenomenally skilled player," said Lang. "She's one of the most skilled defenders you will find in women's soccer.
"She is a very technical player. Her passing is just fantastic. As she showed tonight her finishing is great too."
The women followed a long, tortured path to the Olympics. Four years ago they lost a heart-breaking match to Mexico which denied them the chance to compete at the Athens Games.
Instead of being shattered the experience bonded them together. Lang said she can now better appreciate the opportunity she has been given.
"It (losing to Mexico) maybe was a blessing in disguise," said the 22-year-old. "There are a lot of girls who were older and, unfortunately, didn't get the chance to come back.
"For me this is a perfect time for me. I am at the age where I can understand how special this is. I am smart enough now to take it all in and live in the moment."
Coach Even Pellerud, who will leave the team after the Games, knows what it takes to be successful at an Olympics. He coached Norway to a bronze medal at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
"You could see the players were a little more tense than usual," he said. "Argentina did their best to keep the tempo down. That hurt us.'
"We created a lot of good chances and could have scored more."
Canada faces Sweden on Tuesday at Beijing Workers' Stadium.
The 12-team tournament is divided into three groups.
The defending gold medallist United States, Norway, Japan and New Zealand form another group. The final group has defending World Cup champion Germany, World Cup finalist Brazil, North Korea and Nigeria.
The top two teams in each group advance to the quarter-finals along with the two best third-place teams
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 06 August 2008 )
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