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Sinclair Sets Scoring Record As Canada Downs Kiwis

by Jeremy Ruane

Christine Sinclair became the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of the Canadian women's national team at North Harbour Stadium on June 3, as she struck twice in her country's 3-0 defeat of their New Zealand counterparts in the first of two friendly internationals between these Women's World Cup finalists.

The match, watched by a bumper crowd some 5000 in number - 2500 adults paid with children under fifteen admitted free - proved a worthwhile exercise for both teams, particularly the host nation, who were playing their first “A” international on home soil since October 1998.

Not surprisingly, the Canadians, semi-finalists at the 2003 Women's World Cup Finals, were keen to assert their authority from the kick-off, but found themselves on the back foot inside the first ten minutes as the Kiwis produced a couple of neat interchanges which, although ultimately breaking down due to Canada's high defensive line stifling the movement of the front-runners, suggested that the locals wouldn't be over-awed against their more experienced opponents.

And they weren't. But they did show the visitors too much respect, particularly in the first half. And after Sinclair had tested Jenny Bindon with two twenty-yard efforts, she struck the opening goal in the thirteenth minute of the game to join the legendary Charmaine Hooper in having netted seventy-one goals for Canada on the world stage.

In Sinclair's case, she has achieved the feat in just ninety-three games, and she only turns twenty-four in a fortnight! But she turned home the opening goal with no little authority in this match, having been left unmarked by a New Zealand defence which had been undone by Rhian Wilkinson.

She wriggled in between Rebecca Smith and Ria Percival to get to the by-line on the right, from where she pulled the ball back across goal. Kara Lang, who at twenty years of age, already has over fifty caps to her name, drew the Kiwi defence across with her dummy run to the near post, which left Sinclair in yards of space to pick her spot. She did - 1-0.

After Randee Hermus had headed a Katie Thorlakson cross over from eight yards, New Zealand's attempts to prise open Canada's defence saw many a lofted ball over the top gifting possession back to the visitors.

The lack of mobility from the frontrunners meant much good work by those behind was being undone, and goalkeeper Karina Le Blanc found herself mopping up outside her penalty area far more often than she was contained within its eighteen yard confines.

The locals' first chance of the first half came in the 27th minute, when Nicky Smith, Marlies Oostdam and the lively Katie Hoyle combined on the left for the last-mentioned to whip in a cross beyond the far post, but just too far ahead of Renee Leota, who was ghosting in behind the defence.

Moments beforehand, Candace Chapman's efforts to make something out of a Canadian free-kick routine which went horribly wrong saw her foiled by the solidly performed Abby Erceg, in tandem with Bindon.

On the half-hour, the Canadians were denied a second goal by Hayley Moorwood, whose star generally shone brightest in a largely workmanlike Kiwi display. Kristina Kiss - the source of much that was good in Canada's forward forays - picked out Martina Franko with a corner. Her downward header to Sinclair saw the striker let fly, but Moorwood was perfectly placed to clear off the line.

Four minutes later, Kiss sent Wilkinson scurrying down the right, and her deep cross picked out Sinclair. Rebecca Smith's spectacular mistimed clearance sent the ball sailing over her own cross, but New Zealand's captain made amends when heading Kiss' resulting corner to safety.

The “Canucks” were soon prowling again, however. Maia Jackman, making her New Zealand debut as a right-back having played half a game for the FIFA Women's All Stars in that position, cleared under pressure, but only as far as Sinclair, who raced to the by-line and pulled the ball back deep for Kiss. Her goal-bound drive was diverted to safety by Oostdam.

Then it was Franko's turn to go close, her header crashing off the angle of post and bar after Kiss had picked her out with a 41st minute corner. Within seconds, however, the Canadians were celebrating their second goal, Sinclair having slipped in between Jackman and Erceg to put Chapman in on goal.

With Rebecca Smith racing across to cover, and Bindon advancing off her line, the striker hammered the ball high inside the `keeper's near post from a tight angle - 2-0, the score remaining that way until half-time thanks to Bindon smothering a Sinclair shot.

New Zealand's rearguard tended to sit back in the

first half, and with the strikers not pushing on, it meant much of the game was spent in the locals' half, much to the disappointment of the crowd. But their heroines were a more assertive group in the second spell, thanks in part to a couple of half-time substitutions - Zoe Thompson, in particular, gave the Canadians cause for concern as she led the line for her country.

But it was the visitors who began the stronger again, with Erceg to the fore in the 55th minute as she cleared a Franko header off the line following an inviting cross from another half-time introduction in Amber Allen.

Back came the Kiwis, Moorwood and Michele Clarke combining on half-way. The latter invited Jackman to ping the ball forward, and her pass sent Merissa Smith scurrying through the inside right channel.

The composed figure of Tanya Dennis stepped in to foil this rare sighting of Canada's goal by the New Zealanders, albeit at the expense of a corner, which Oostdam whipped in with pace and curve aplenty. Le Blanc grabbed it well, despite Rebecca Smith's pressure.

The `keeper sparked a Canadian counter-attack which saw Wilkinson scything inside off the left flank and into a dangerous position just outside the penalty area. A neat one-two with Allen put her into the eighteen-yard box, from where she angled a shot narrowly wide of Bindon's left-hand post.

Two minutes later, New Zealand made a couple of substitutions, among them the replacement of Jackman by Hannah Bromley. As the newcomer was familiarising herself with her central defensive position, and Erceg was taking up the right-back duties, Canada punished the inattention afforded them in ruthless fashion.

Wilkinson's throw-in was played through by Chapman for Sinclair, who had ghosted in behind Bromley. She lifted the ball over the covering Rebecca Smith and the stranded figure of Bindon, who, given the arc of its trajectory, could do little to prevent the ball from dropping under the crossbar to give Sinclair her record-breaking 72nd goal for Canada.

3-0 down after 63 minutes, New Zealand certainly didn't want the scoreline to get any worse - their performance didn't merit it. When they enjoyed possession in this match, they looked very promising at times, with Moorwood, Hoyle, Rebecca Smith and second half substitutes Rebecca Sowden, Annalie Longo and Emily McColl all at the heart of instances which, on another day, could have brought greater reward.

But not today, and not against a high-calibre opponent ranked among the game's top ten - only England, when they visited in 1991 for the NZFA's centenary, has held a higher rung on FIFA's rankings ladder when gracing these shores.

The end result was about right in this match, but both teams attempted to alter that scoreline before the game's conclusion. Another Bromley blemish in the 67th minute allowed Franko to pick out Sinclair, but she shot at Bindon, while four minutes from time, substitute Diana Matheson drove low but wide through a crowded penalty area.

Before then, however, New Zealand came close to scoring - how that would have lifted the crowd! But Rebecca Smith was left to beat her fists in frustration as her 74th minute header, from a Percival corner, flashed over the crossbar.

Nonetheless, the crowd's moment was soon at hand, for fourteen minutes from time, referee Neil Fox awarded a penalty to Canada for what he deemed to be an offence by New Zealand's captain - what infringement Rebecca Smith committed remains a mystery.

Cue the crowd, a chorus of boos which showed their displeasure at the official's officiousness. Brittany Timko stepped up and steered the ball home, only to have her goal celebrations cut short after referee Fox redeemed himself somewhat in the eyes of the local faithful by spotting a couple of Canadian players encroaching inside the penalty area before Timko had taken the penalty.

So a re-take was required, and this time Timko hit the crossbar, with the resulting scramble clear by New Zealand's defence producing the biggest cheer of the day from a very healthy attendance - the most pleasing aspect of all on a day when New Zealand's national women's squad's first game on home turf for nigh on a decade resulted in a deserved 3-0 victory for Canada over their fellow Women's World Cup finalists.

New Zealand: Bindon; Jackman (Bromley, 62), Erceg, R. Smith, Percival; Moorwood (Longo, 62), Hoyle (Sowden, 46), Oostdam (McColl, 62); Leota (Thompson, 46), N. Smith (booked, 4) (Clarke, 46), M. Smith

Canada: Le Blanc; Kiss (Andrews, 69), Dennis, Franko, Hermus (Timko, 65); Thorlakson (Neil, 79), Walsh (Matheson, 46); Chapman, Sinclair; Wilkinson (Robinson, 69), Lang (Allen, 46)

Referee: Neil Fox

2007 Home Internationals