VANCOUVER — Canada enters its first knockout game of this FIFA Women’s World Cup at BC Place on Sunday as favourites over a dynamic and at times a defensively delicate Switzerland team, but Canadian coach John Herdman is taking nothing for granted.
Yes, the Canucks are eighth in the world compared to Switzerland’s rank of 19th, but how these nations match up will be the biggest question.
“I think the winning mindset is a big one,” Herdman said during a Saturday evening press conference when asked by Sportsnet what his team needs to do to improve on the two goals it scored during the group stage.
“I think that’s a huge component of this game, because you have to win the match, because it’s not like a draw would suffice. We’ve started moving the mentality in the team, because we felt through the first three games, there was almost this mindset of if Canada responds well, then they’re the underdog. That’s when you see Canada really rise up in that group stage – we’re the hunted, in many ways.”
Canada was steady in the face of stern opposition during the first round without looking that dangerous offensively, and that compares with a Swiss team that has been able to create chances in all of its matches, led by striker Ramona Bachmann and midfielder Fabienne Humm.
Those two players, with three goals apiece, each have more than Canada’s collective output over the three group stage matches, although it is worth noting all six of the duo’s goals came in a 10-1 rout of Group C whipping girls Ecuador.
“I have nothing but praise for Ramona,” said Herdman of Bachmann when asked by a Swiss journalist about the player dubbed the “Alpen Messi.”
“I love what she brings to the game. It’s the sort of player that I love to watch. She’s the Gazza (Paul Gascoigne) of Switzerland, she’s the (Lionel) Messi of Switzerland, potentially the next Marta. I mean that’s the sort of quality she’s got. I love to watch her play. I hate to be playing against her.”
The great disparity between the top nations in this tournament and some of the women’s sides at earlier stages of program development can make it times difficult to compare teams directly.
Here’s what we do know: in matches against strong sides so far, Switzerland has narrowly lost. On the balance of play, the Swiss should have claimed at least a draw against Japan in its opening match, as only a point-blank miss from Bachmann allowed the reigning World Cup champions to claim the victory. But it’s in the knockout round thanks to its rout of lowly Ecuador.
In contrast, against strong teams, Canada has either narrowly won or lost – it was the beneficiary of a questionable penalty for its only win over China, and then scored just one goal over its last two games, draws with New Zealand and the Netherlands.
“During the game, we’ve looked at certain statistics, when our momentum drops off, and when the team starts to tail off, and we’ve been trying to get in the minds of the players at that point, about what you’re thinking, about what you’re letting in your mind,” Herdman said.
“The expectation of playing at home. Because in this game, at the end of the day, you’ve got to win it. There’s only one focus, right from the beginning – not the scoreboard – just what do you have to do to win a football match in your position? That changes things for players, almost gives a bit of a release, because they know, there’s a single focus going into this.
“A draw isn’t good enough, and defending well won’t be enough. So, I think, as a group, they’re ready to go to war. We’ve put ourselves in a great position, in the town we wanted to be in to play this game. It’s just time to do it.”
In terms of who will be around to actually do that, it sounds as if Diana Matheson–the woman who scored the winning goal in Canada’s 1-0 victory over France in the London 2012 Olympics bronze medal game–could make an appearance off the bench if the game is going in the right direction for Herdman’s team. But the coach ruled out a start for the player, saying she wasn’t yet ready.
Matheson has been battling back from a foot injury suffered in March, and has yet to make an appearance during the group stage as a result.