Fans get a show as Washington Freedom, Canada tie 3-3

By Joe Dougherty

The more than 2,200 fans leaving George Mason University’s soccer stadium seemed more than content on Sunday evening, having just watched a six-goal match in which the Washington Freedom jumped to a 3-1 halftime lead over the Canadian National Team and the Canadians responding with two quick goals early in the second en route to a 3-3 tie.

But if the spectators were happy, some on the field were less so.

“I’m very upset with this game,” said Canadian coach Carolina Morace, a former Italian international who took over the women’s national team programs in February 2009 and who has guided Canada to a 6-1 record this year. “It looked like it was the first time this team was together.”

Members of the Washington Freedom weren’t particularly exuberant, either.

“Giving up a 3-1 lead is not what we wanted to happen,” said Freedom midfielder Sarah Huffman.

It was the first international friendly hosted by a WPS club, and for the Canadians it comes during preparations for the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, which serves as the qualification route to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011.

The Canadians used the trip to prepare for a June 3 friendly match against Norway, in Norway.

Morace had a right to be unhappy with her team’s performance in the first half as Washington jumped to a 2-0 lead in the opening 15 minutes.

After a nice series of possession for the Freedom, midfielder Beverly Goebel cracked a 20-yard shot that Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc was able to tip off the crossbar, but which took LeBlanc out of position. Forward Christie Welsh pounced on the rebound, tucking it in from 10 yards to give Washington a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute.

The Freedom doubled their lead four minutes later as midfielder Sonia Bompastor raced down the left sideline with possession before slotting a pass between two defenders onto the feet of forward Lena Mykjaland. The Norwegian international cut back to her right foot before bending a shot past LeBlanc and inside the far post.

Washington nearly blew the game open two minutes later, but Welsh’s header was pushed over the bar by LeBlanc, who plays for the Philadelphia Independence.

Instead of folding, however, Canada responded with a goal of its own in the 22nd minute when Kelly Parker took advantage of a 4-on-3 counterattack – “numbers up” in soccer parlance – and found Christina Julien open inside the penalty area. Julien did well to put her shot past a diving Erin McLeod, Canada’s starting goalkeeper in most situations but who was permitted to play for her club team by Morace.

Washington regained its attacking momentum, though, and in the 33rd minute made it 3-1 when Welsh netter her second goal of the game, nodding in Bompastor’s left-footed corner kick off the near post as LeBlanc dove late.

If it was a tale of two games, the halftime substitutions were likely the reason for it.
Freedom Coach Jim Gabarra replaced three defenders – Marisa Abegg for Kristi Eveland, Alex Singer for Rebecca Moros, and Cat Whitehill for Becky Sauerbrunn. At the same time, Morace made perhaps the most important change of the game, bringing in forward Jody Robinson – who plays for University of West Florida – for Julien, who plays for James Madison University.

Robinson’s pace and one-vs-one prowess had a dramatic effect for the Canadians, unbalancing the Freedom defense to give Parker time to find forward Christine Sinclair, who beat McLeod to make it 3-2 in the 51st minute.

Just a minute later, Robinson fired a rebound from 20 yards past McLeod, turning what could have been a Freedom blowout into a tight match.

“I don’t really know what happened,” said Freedom defender Nikki Marshall, who played the entire match. “There was some sort of complacency. It’s disappointing. Luckily it wasn’t a league game, but we always want to win.

“[Canada] came out with a lot more heart in the second half. I’m sure their coach gave them a hard time,” she said.

Morace, the former head coach of Italy’s national and youth teams, said her team restricted space by playing more closely together, making it harder for Washington to play in the second half.

“We wanted the game to be tight and compact. In the second half we were more compact, and had better play,” she said.

“The goals we let up in the second half came from a lack of focus, a lack of sharpness,” Gabarra said. “I think we righted ourselves after that.”

McLeod, who said she felt pressure throughout the week because of the stress of not knowing if she would play for club or country, said it may have affected her performance.

“I definitely felt extra pressure when I went out today,” she said. “I was afraid of making mistakes, and [Freedom goalkeeper coach] Nicci Wright said that was my first mistake. It is part of being more mature, and if I want to become one of the best players in the world, these are experiences that I have to go through.”

McLeod and LeBlanc will face each other again next week when Washington takes on Philadelphia Independence May 30, 6 p.m. at Maryland SoccerPlex. The game will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel.

Freedom Notes

Washington played without forward Abby Wambach, who on Saturday netted two goals and an assist in leading the U.S. national team to a 4-0 win over Germany in an international friendly in Germany. Wambach and Whitehill flew back to Washington Sunday in time for the Canada match, although Wambach remained in her “civilian” clothes. Whitehill did not play in the U.S. game.

Against Germany, Wambach’s 29th-minute goal was the 106th of her national team career, moving her past Michelle Akers into sole possession of third place on the U.S. all-time scoring list, behind only Mia Hamm (158) and Kristine Lilly, who scored her 130th career goal later in the match.