Canada’s 2015 Women’s World Cup team played to thousands and won the hearts of millions around the world, but that wasn’t enough to get them past a strong English Club.
Head Coach John Herdman worked hours getting the squad ready and it was clear from the outset that they were “up” for any match they played.
From the opening match in Edmonton with a sellout crowd to the final sellout at BC Place, this squad is second to none on and off the pitch.
Soccer Canada released the following statement and as Canadian’s we are proud of what these young Women did for uniting our Country.
If ever a team was up for a match Canada was not only ready for this one, but the previous one they played against John’s former squad New Zealand who he coached from 2006-2011.
After taking over for the Canadian women’s team in 2011, he led them to a Gold Medal finish at the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico,then took them to the CONCACAF OLYMPIC qualifying tournament also in Vancouver.
Here they secured one of two qualifying spots for the London Olympic Games where they finished third winning Bronze.
For two-straight games in Vancouver, crowds numbering in the range of 54-thousand came out not only to cheer, but also, to make themselves a part of tight-knit group of women that’s helped to grow the women’s game in Canada and truly put it on the sporting map.
“This is a real women’s football country,” said Head Coach John Herdman. “Those fans showed everyone around the world how to support the women’s game.”
England won on the night with two first half goals from Jodie Taylor and Lucy Bronze pacing them to a 2:1 victory over Canada at BC Place in Vancouver.
But this Canadian team, as they’ve done for the last number of years, has engaged a new generation of players.
The amount of people walking around Vancouver these past few days with Canada gear with names like Sinclair and Schmidt on their backs has simply been astonishing.
The true impact of this team and this tournament may not be felt right away.
But of the thousands of youngsters that has been so charmed by this group of players, there are undoubtedly so many who now dream of working hard, living a healthy life as they chase that desire to pull up their socks, lace up their boots and put on that Canada Red shirt.
“Stick with us, that’s all I’m going to say. Stick with us. We’ll be back fighting,” said Herdman. “We’ll be back strong. We’ll learn from this and those youngsters have done you proud.”
Three years after they first dazzled the country at the 2012 Olympics in London, Canada less than a year away from embarking on another Olympic qualifying campaign.
So while there is sadness and tears on this night, the never-ending carousel of this sports rolls on with new opportunities for these Canadian women to continue to entertain and inspire and set new dreams in motion.
