The Wait Is Over

Payback For The Stars And Stripes

Steph and Yael hosted a viewing party for the second US/Canada match, with Julie, Morgan, Patrick, EJ, Sarah, Meagan, and Devon coming over to watch with them.

Steph: Both teams are going to be short-handed tonight since Rhian and Harvs released the players who have playoff games on Saturday. The battle will be between the keepers and which team's offense can take advantage of the absences of some of the more defensive-minded stalwarts.

Morgan: Will cooler heads prevail tonight, or are the US coming for blood after Saturday's draw and the unfriendly atmosphere following the match?

Steph: Shelina said that she and Julie met for coffee last night and will attempt to set a different tone for tonight. By the way, dear, she said that Julie sends her best and that we're on her mind. She also said that there might finally be a resolution to her stand-off with Christen.

Yael: Good for her. Christen and her should be together, everyone knows it, even she does. As for tonight's game, I don't want to see Chappie and Rose getting after one another or another flare-up between Rose and Jessie. Mo, any idea how you'll handle things at home if they come back on less-the-friendly terms?

Morgan: I might need EJ to play mediator since she has close buds on both sides of the war.

EJ: I'll drop Becca and Gibby texts during the game if I see any skirmishes. Hopefully, they can do some preemptive peacemaking before the two of them get back here.

Meagan: Does everyone have their outfits picked for the wedding?

Yael: I'm going to go this week to finally get mine since I don't think I'm going to grow much more between now and then.

Steph: Since I'm in it, I've had mine for a few months already.

Sarah: I'm going to be a difficult fit because I'm so tall.

Steph: Yael, Sam, and I already went down this road back in March, so we can help you out when you want to go shopping.

Sarah: Thanks. EJ, want to do a mall run tomorrow since we're still sort of off-training with John in Hamilton tonight?

EJ: Sure. The rest of you want to join us?

Steph: I'm in.

Morgan: I'll come along. Maybe I can find something that will be a bit of a surprise for Patrick, as well as scope out something to spruce up his wardrobe.

Meagan: Thank you, Mo! I can't believe how little fashion sense he has. The outfit for Meet The Breakers, that was the best he and I were able to do with what was in his closet that night.

Shelina and Julie were in the tunnel at Tim Hortons Field ready to lead out their two squads. With both Alyssa and Steph back home with their NWSL teams, the goalkeepers tonight would be Kailen Sheridan for Canada and Jane Campbell for the US. Once the FIFA Fair Play anthem started, the teams left the tunnel and walked out to the center circle, then spread out. Following introductions, the two captains read their joint statement concerning the spirit in which tonight's game hopefully will be played.

Julie: As partners in the management of the NWSL, both the USSF and the Canadian Soccer Association stand together in promoting fair play between our national teams and good sportsmanship on the field, as most of us have club teammates on the other side of this battle.

Shelina: As leaders of our national teams, Julie and I feel it is our duty to exhibit the kind of cross-border affinity that we hope will be the tenor of tonight's match.

The two captains placed an arm across one another's shoulders while posing for a picture. They then returned to their lines and led off the pre-game handshakes. From the opening whistle, the US took control of the match, as their midfield of Sam Mewis, Rose Lavelle, and Sarah Killion combined with Shea Groom and Mallory Pugh on the flanks were able to overwhelm the Canadian foursome of Becca Quinn, Ashley Lawrence, Jessie Fleming, and Victoria Pickett. Lynn Williams' opening score on 19 minutes would be doubled just before the halftime whistle by Sam Mewis heading home an Abby Dahlkemper corner kick (seriously, Canada, did you NOT watch any of the Breakers' games this past season?). The second half was a bit pedestrian for the first twenty minutes before Wilkinson and Harvey began emptying their benches. Canada would cut the deficit to 2-1 at the 78 minute mark on a goal from Lauren Raimondo, her first international tally. As the home team pressed for an equalizer, the midfield triangle of Mewis, Meggie Dougherty Howard, and Killion pressed the center back pairing of Zadorsky and Bianca St. Georges, which resulted in the Canadian captain straining a muscle in her right calf, thus requiring a substitution just four minutes from stoppage time. With no defenders left on the bench and having pulled Becca Quinn earlier for Desiree Scott, Rhian decided to slide Ashley Lawrence back into the defensive line and move Meagan Kelly alongside St. Georges, a move that would prove to be disastrous. Ashley Hatch took a well-weighted ball from Jaelene Hinkle and one-timed it past Sheridan to put the US back up a pair, a lead they would hold onto for the duration of the match.

The disappointment across the faces of the Canadians were visible to the Americans, and Christina Gibbons was quick to approach Becca Quinn with a comforting embrace, followed by Sarah Killion with Kailen Sheridan and Abby Dahlkemper with Allysha Chapman. The hatchet seemingly buried for the time being, a much more peaceful post-game night was in store at the teams' hotel. Shelina's leg was tightly wrapped as a precaution for the strain, with the hope being that nothing would flare up on her flight to LA in the morning and that she would be back to normal in time for the Western Conference final on October 8th.

***

Canada 1 USA 3 (Raimondo/Lavasseur; Williams/Lavelle, Mewis/Dahlkemper, Hatch/Hinkle)

***

NWSL - Announced as finalists for individual awards the following:

* Rookie of the Year: Kayla Duran (ATL), Sophia Smith (CHI), Meagan Stassi (BOS)

* Coach of the Year: Jenny Bindon (LA), John Herdman (BOS), Rebecca Nolin (ATL)

* Defender of the Year: Abby Dahlkemper (BOS), Julie Johnston Ertz (PHI), Emily Sonnett (ATL) 

* Goalkeeper of the Year: Ashlyn Harris (ORL),  Stephanie Labbe (BOS), Katelyn Rowland (LA)

* Executive of the Year: Lee Billiard (BOS), Carlos Bocanegra (ATL), Mia Hamm (LA)

* Players' MVP: Dahlkemper, Labbe, Steph McCaffrey (CHI), Sam Mewis (BOS), Christen Press (LA)

* Most Valuable Player: Dahlkemper, Sam Kerr (SB), Labbe, Mewis, Press,