SoccerCanada, the True Strong North

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Canada's 'Captain Fantastic,' Christine Sinclair, is fitter, stronger and leading an impressive Canadian entry at the 2010 CONCACAF tournament in Mexico. (Vincent Yu/Associated Press)


Go ahead - celebrate! The mission has been accomplished with panache. Canada is going to the 2011 Women's World Cup and, on recent evidence, not just to make up the numbers.
 
Canada's qualification is not a surprise. Indeed, it would have been more of a shock had this team failed to secure one of the two automatic berths on offer from the CONCACAF tournament in Mexico. After all, Canada has been to each of the last four World Cups.
 
True, the path to qualification was made more difficult in that the regional tournament was expanded to eight nations. But it is also true to say most of the teams which qualified for the Women's Gold Cup were hopelessly ill-equipped for the task.

Guyana and Guatemala were horribly out of their depth. Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago both avoided the wooden spoon as a result. Thus the route to Germany, from a Canadian perspective, was no tougher - just longer.

In itself that is no bad thing. Being in a competitive tournament environment, where each match has to be taken on its merits, is a learning process for players and coaches alike. Every game has to be approached in a professional manner.

Canadian Head Coach Carolina Morace needs to know what her players are capable of - individually and as a unit. Sophie Schmidt, for example, began the competition as a central midfielder. A head injury to central defender Emily Zurrer in the first game changed all that.

Testing depth

Schmidt dropped back into the back four for the rest of the tournament and never missed a beat. Her partnership with Candace Chapman was one of the key reasons Canada qualified for Germany without conceding a single goal.

Jonelle Filigno may have been the 'find' of the roster. The youngest member of the squad, at the tender age of 20, has been around the national team for a while. She quickly became Canada's Super Sub following a series of impactful cameos off the bench in Mexico.

Filigno is quick, brave and clearly has an eye for goal. She fits well into a 4-3-3 formation and offers Morace a different option from the more robust style of Melissa Tancredi. In short, Morace now has a wealth of offensive talent to support captain Christine Sinclair.
 
At the other end of the field, and age scale for that matter, Karina LeBlanc has demonstrated there is no substitute for experience. While other goalkeepers flapped and dropped balls at the feet of opposition strikers, LeBlanc was focused and flawless.

In the absence of the injured Erin McLeod, who was Canada's number one at the Beijing Olympics, it was vital for LeBlanc to underline Canada's strength in depth at the position. A string of clean sheets cannot be faulted.
 
Morace cleverly and deliberately used every last member of her squad. As a former player she understands there will always be a preferred starting eleven. She also knows the real strength of any team is keeping the reserves engaged and hungry for a chance.

Their willingness to work for an opportunity puts pressure on those ahead of them. That, in turn, keeps the so-called stars honest and committed. The net result is a team which remains persistent and consistent on the field long after the game is over as a contest.

'Whipped into shape'

And what of Captain Fantastic herself? If anything Sinclair is getting better. There are a number of reasons why Canada's best player has improved on her own high standards. Firstly, by her own admission, she's fitter and stronger, acknowledging the whole squad has been "whipped into shape."

Secondly, Sinclair is no longer just chasing long balls. Under Moraces tuition, her role is as much about provision and service as it is about finishing. She's now looking for support, knowing her ability and sheer reputation will draw defenders and leave gaps elsewhere.

Finally, Sinclair is still learning - not only from Morace but also from her club colleagues. She spent 2010 partnering Brazilian superstar Marta in attack for FC Gold Pride. The two combined for 29 regular season goals and went on to lift the WPS Championship.

There are many positives but there is still much to do. Canada avoided the American juggernaut in qualifying but we all know the truth. The USA is still several steps ahead and has a long history of besting Canada's finest.

A full strength Canadian team was humbled by Germany in September, yet beat England among others en route to lifting the Cyprus Cup earlier in the year. There were also favourable reviews for Canada's recent victory over China in Toronto.

Canada has long been regarded as a heavy hitter in women's soccer. But with the rest of the world catching up quickly, Canada must adapt and improve at the same rate. Morace's new methodology has been embraced and understood but is not yet the finished article.

The next few months must be used to improve the execution. Germany 2011 will feature a higher standard from more teams than ever before at a Women's World Cup. Canada can expect a whole different level of competition next summer and must be battle ready.

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