SoccerCanada can make progress in Germany

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It was never going to be easy. But did it have to be this hard? Canada will face the ultimate test at next year's FIFA Women's World Cup and will have to hit the ground running.

Carolina Morace's CONCACAF Champions face a daunting task. They will feature in the opening act of the tournament and will be cast in the role of party poopers at Germany's celebration of the women's game. The World Cup holders will be licking their lips.

If Germany is a giant in the men's game, it is a colossus by women's standards. The Germans have not just won the last two World Cups - they have dominated them. They won every match in 2003 and remained undefeated in China four years later.

On European soil, Germany has been even more impressive. It has won the last five editions of the European women's championship, dating back to the mid-90s. Most recently, the Germans captured their seventh European title with a perfect record in Finland in the summer of 2009.

Canada is good and getting better, but not that good. Morace and her players found out first-hand the power of the German team barely two months ago. In September, the Canadians were well beaten, 5-0 in Dresden, even if the score somewhat flattered the hosts.

In truth, few teams, if any, can handle Germany. Germany takes it football seriously and the results speak for themselves. It is a country which benefits from a fully professional women's league established 20 years ago.

Soccer wasteland  

Canada, by comparison, is a barren wasteland. Despite the relative successes of the Canadian women's national team, the product has seen precious little growth in recent years. The national team has virtually no club structure beneath to help produce tomorrow's internationals.

A handful of Canada's elite make a modest living performing in Women's Professional Soccer. But the fledgling U.S.-based league is struggling to make an impression. Its 2010 champion, FC Gold Pride, featuring Brazilian superstar Marta, recently went out of business.

Canada's top player, Christine Sinclair, was also part of the Gold Pride success story. She is recognised as one of the world's best female footballers. Yet even a player of Sinclair's talent cannot command a regular salary in a fragile market.

Sinclair's salvation is the Canadian national team. Such is her importance, it is hard to imagine Canada at the Women's World Cup without Sinclair leading by example. The captain's armband and trademark No. 12 jersey fit only one player.

Canada probably won't beat Germany and we all have to accept that. But that does not mean Canada cannot compete at the Women's World Cup. Two things strike me which could work in Canada's favour during the competition.

First, little will be expected of Canada in the opening game. Its job will not be to put on a show and entertain a pro-German crowd. All the pressure will be on the hosts to fulfill those expectations. I've seen enough World Cup openers to know such expectations sometimes fall short.

Second, Canada cannot be eliminated by Germany, at least not until the latter stages of the tournament. If Morace's team can qualify from Group A, Canada could not face Germany again until the final itself - or possibly the bronze-medal match.

So can Canada advance to the knockout stages? The key to progress may well lie in the outcome of their second group game against France. The French, ranked one place higher than Canada, qualified in style, but are not regarded as a European heavyweight.

Experience crucial

While Canada prepares for its fifth straight Women's World Cup, France has made it only once before. In 2003, when Evan Pellerud's Canada finished fourth, France failed to negotiate the group stages. At this level, a lack of experience could be crucial.

Canada avoided the likes of Sweden and Norway and, for that, they can count themselves fortunate. The unseeded Scandinavians will be tough, dangerous opponents, but would not come into contact with the Canadians until the semifinals at the earliest.

The Canucks' final group game is certainly winnable. Nigeria's Super Falcons are a dominant force on the African continent, but the transition to global success has eluded them time and again. In five attempts, Nigeria has only once reached the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup.
 
So while the Canadian trail begins with a mountain, the road ahead appears to become less hazardous. An opening loss to Germany would not be unexpected. But by the same token, it would not end Canada's dream of a place in the last eight.

Morace's remodelling of the Canadian team remains a work in progress. But there is no doubt her core group of players have bought into the system and believe, reasonably enough, the more they stay and play together the sooner it will be more effective.

Winning the Cyprus Cup and the CONCACAF qualifying tournament in 2010 are evidence of progress. Avoiding the U.S. in Mexico certainly aided their cause, but also proves every great team has an off day now and again.

Perhaps Germany will oblige in Berlin next June 26th.

(Photo of Steffi Jones by Johannes Eisele/Getty Images) 

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