Canada can’t stay dirt-free off pitch

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This article was published 27/06/2015 (3948 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It wasn’t the much-maligned turf that introduced controversy to the host nation at the ongoing Women’s World Cup. The Canadian national team just doesn’t strike one as a group much interested in excuses.

 

No, their adversity was self-inflicted — the result of a conversation that will serve as either bulletin-board motivation or the catalyst to a collapse. We’ll know which at the final whistle, or last penalty kick, of today’s quarter-final showdown with England.

On Sunday, former Canada international Christine Latham, who has been working for Fox Sports throughout the tournament, told an American television audience that the mood in the dressing room was “not good.”

Her source: Canada’s Carmelina Moscato, who has started only once this month.

The defender, according to Latham, “expressed concern” regarding manager John Herdman’s team selections and pointed out that injured, underperforming players were being given prominent roles in the side.

It was a paraphrase, but whatever discussion occurred would seem to have involved a reference, maybe implied, to centre-back Lauren Sesselmann, who has been preferred to Moscato despite struggling to return to full fitness following an ACL injury.

Moscato later claimed her remarks had been misinterpreted, although she admitted the discussion had, indeed, taken place.

Now, one could argue Latham might have conducted herself with rather more loyalty to the program she used to represent, or at the very least showed less enthusiasm in perhaps sensationalizing what could well have been a considerably more harmless conversation than the one she described.

But such arguments are as naØve as Moscato showed herself to be in confiding to her former teammate, and as a result the fallout from the England encounter will be cast as either overcoming or imploding.

Herdman, for his part, downplayed Latham’s report as someone “trying to fish for some stories.” Winnipeg’s Desiree Scott, meanwhile, blogged on Thursday “the best is yet to come” from an outfit that has so far scored just twice from open play at this World Cup.

Of course, they’ve also conceded just once and will no doubt be relying on that stability in front of goal to see them through to a first semifinal since 2003, when they lost to Sweden.

Against Switzerland in the round of 16 Sesselmann finally showed signs of improvement, even if she had to be rescued by the imperious Kadeisha Buchanan on more than one occasion. Then there was goalkeeper Erin McLeod, whose Player of the Match display had a lot to do with Canada’s progression.

All three, and the team as a whole, will have to be similarly impenetrable today in Vancouver.

Following an early defeat to France, the Three Lionesses have started to roar, beating Mexico and Colombia before fighting back to upset 1995 champions Norway. Crucially, their best players — including defender Steph Hughton, midfielder Fara Williams and winger Karen Carney — have elevated their performances at an important time, and a first semifinal for the England women could well be the outcome.

Still, there is little to separate these teams ahead of their meeting at BC Place. In fact, the matchup looks so tight it could swing on the slightest brush with adversity — on unrest either real or imagined.

This contest’s post-script was written during the week, for better or worse.

jerradpeters@gmail.com Twitter @JerradPeters