VANCOUVER — Captain Christine Sinclair scored two goals and set one up as Canada defeated Costa Rica 5-1 Monday in front of 8,105 fans at BC Place to claim first place in Group A of the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament.
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"We needed to take it another level and we did tonight," head coach John Herdman said. "The first goal was great and the rest were even better. The five goals put the game out of reach. I enjoyed it tonight as a spectator. They played great football, it was fun to watch. As a coach I am very happy."
Sinclair scored two first half goals along with teammates Kaylyn Kyle and Sophie Schmidt, before Costa Rican defender Marianne Ugalde scored a second-half own goal. Costa Rica scored a late consolation goal with under two minutes to go to spoil Karina LeBlanc’s clean sheet.
"She’s such an important player to the team," Herdman said of the decision to play Sinclair for 90 minutes. "The team enjoy her when she’s on the pitch, she loves being on the pitch. Just try getting Christine off — she’s the type of player that’ll play through broken noses, she’ll run through brick walls for these girls — there’s no problem with Sincy."
With the win, Canada continues its perfect record going into the semifinals on Friday, where it will face the second-place team in Group B (either Mexico or the United States).
Sinclair got things started by knocking in a rebound for her 130th career goal in the sixth minute. Fabiola Sanchez tried to stop it on the line with her hand, but the ball still found its way into the net. Referee Kari Seitz elected to give Sanchez a yellow card for illegally using her hand on the play.
Canada doubled its lead 10 minutes in, as Costa Rica goalkeeper Julieth Arias spilled a Kelly Parker cross, allowing Schmidt to finish from close range.
Kyle followed that up by sending Canada 3-0 up 10 minutes later with a headed goal after Sinclair sent in a tantalizing left-footed cross from the right.
Canada had a series of chances throughout the opening half which didn’t come off, perhaps the best of which was an attempt by Julien in the 43rd minute. Parker was once again involved, sending in a cross from the right, but Julien could only hit the side netting to the relief of Arias.
Costa Rica probably thought they’d be going into the half with a three-goal deficit, but Sinclair scored her second by chesting down a Rhian Wilkinson ball into the box, before placing it confidently into the bottom right corner, giving Canada the 4-0 lead at the break.
Robyn Gayle and Chelsea Buckland came in for Rhian Wilkinson and Kyle at the start of the second half.
In the 50th minute, Marianne Ugalde scored an own goal to put Canada 5-0 up, but Arias was fully responsible. The Costa Rican ‘keeper failed to stop a simple back pass from her defender to concede what will go down as one of the worst in the tournament.
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Sixty two minutes in, Brittany Timko came in for Schmidt, as Herdman used Canada’s last substitution. Timko thought she’d scored in the 79thminute, but the assistant referee adjudged the play was offside.
Fernanda Barrantes scored an 88th minute consolation goal for Costa Rica by taking a ball down well before hitting it into the top right corner, meaning the match ended 5-1.
Canada now gets a four-day break before Friday’s semifinal match.
"They need to bring it for this next game," Herdman said. "All their dreams are pinned on that game. I hope that the game is everything that a semifinal is meant to me as both teams want to go to the Olympics."