Canada confident captain Christine Sinclair will have impact vs. Swiss
MONTREAL — Christine Sinclair may be struggling at the World Cup, but Canada is confident its captain is primed to find her groove in time for a Round of 16 knockout match against Switzerland.
Sinclair scored the winning penalty in Canada's 1-0 opening win against China, but has been kept off the scoresheet since.
Coach John Herdman is confident Sinclair will respond against Switzerland at BC Place on Sunday. "Christine makes Canada tick. Her time is going to come," Herdman said. "Great players become great in the great moments and her time's coming, trust us on that."
Canada certainly needs Sinclair to get ticking.
The 32-year-old captain has been unable to break out on home soil, being tightly marked and looking a little slower of foot.
"I think we're reaching our potential," Sinclair said after Monday's 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, which allowed Canada to top Group A. "These rest days are helpful, we get to watch other teams kick each other and get that extra day of rest."
Herdman's decision to include some younger players in the lineup — such as 17-year-old Jessie Fleming, 22-year-old Adriana Leon and 20-year-old Ashley Lawrence — against the Dutch paid off with Lawrence scoring Canada's only other goal of the group stage.
With midfielder Sophie Schmidt nursing a badly bruised thigh, those youngsters are going to need to contribute even more against the Swiss. Diana Matheson is absent to injury and Melissa Tancredi has been unable to find her form.
The Swiss, led by Ramona Bachmann and Lara Dickermann, have one of the tournament's top attacks with 11 goals scored. But Canada has been steady at the back with centerback Kadeisha Buchanan and goalkeeper Erin McLeod having been outstanding to this point.
"They have a lot of players that play in the highest levels of women's football, but it really is those two players that set that team alight," Herdman said. "There isn't a massive underdog here. There is no David and Goliath story about this game. They have two world class strikers who play at the top level in Europe and are in great form."
By finishing top of its group, Canada earned the luxury of playing in Vancouver, its home base where it trains all-year-round.
"Being out west for a lot of these girls is like being at home," Herdman said. "The goal was to finish top and we'll see what the universe brings us."
