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Canada Thriving at Rio Away from the Pressure of Being World Cup Hosts
- Updated: August 8, 2016
Being the host nation at an international tournament can usually go one of two ways. A home crowd can inspire, such as for the Brazil women’s team at this year’s Olympic Games or South Korea during the 2002 World Cup.
However, the weight of a nation can also add too much pressure, and if things don’t quite go to plan, cheers can produce nerves and affect performances—as Canada found out 12 months ago.
They were the proud hosts of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. John Herdman’s team managed to squeeze out the results, reaching further than they have before, but the performances were far from memorable.
In front of a packed Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, it took a controversial late penalty to beat China 1-0 in the opening game.
Two draws—0-0 in a dull match against New Zealand and 1-1 against the Netherlands—saw them win their section with five points. That was the lowest winning total from any of the six groups.
England ousts host Canada to make Women’s World Cup semifinals for first time in history: http://t.co/ye3LAQHKBF pic.twitter.com/evue9ox8yM
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) June 28, 2015
They qualified for the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Switzerland, courtesy of Josee Belanger’s 52nd-minute winner, but would fall to defeat when they came up against an inspired England side.
With the pressure of satisfying their home fans off their shoulders, Canada are already showing signs at the Rio Olympics that they could emulate their amazing feat of four years ago.
Canada shocked the world when they won the bronze medal at London 2012, beating France despite starting as huge underdogs. That came after they had to pick themselves off the floor following a devastating 4-3 semi-final defeat to the United States in injury time of extra-time.
Does anyone love #CAN like Christine Sinclair? https://t.co/EyfLcXXyOX
— Laura Armstrong (@lauraarmy) August 3, 2016
The Canadians arrived in Brazil with few expecting a repeat of their London heroics, but the way they have come flying out of the blocks has perhaps changed that and made them a genuine medal contender.
It took just 19 seconds for Canada to announce themselves to the Rio Olympics, stunning Australia after pouncing on a defensive mistake.
The opening goal scored by Janine Beckie is one of those traditional feel-good Olympic stories. It wasn’t too long ago that the forward was playing her way through the United States youth system.
She was training with the under-20 side when she received a phone call from Andrew Olivieri, the head of the Canadian Soccer Association’s youth setup. They were on the lookout for new talent and with Beckie’s parents and three brothers having been born in Canada, she was eligible.
They invited her to train with the team and after settling in well, she was soon called up to their squad for the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, also hosted by Canada.
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