One of the things that makes Canada great is its overriding sense of fairness and equality (which in many cases exists more in principle than in practice, but just go with me for a moment here).
The latest example of that equality principle came on Sunday, when our women's national team proved that they can do exactly what our men's national team did earlier this year: Lose 1-0 at a tournament to a team that's unranked by FIFA.
Yes, the script got flipped at the Torneio Internacional Cidade de Sao Paulo for Canada, whose fans surely expected them to waltz over Scotland and Chile before a pair of showdowns with the host Brazilians. Now, Canada's fate isn't even in its own hands as it heads into its final group-stage game on Thursday.
So, is this the beginning of the end for Big Red? Is the bloom fully off the rose for John Herdman and his charges?
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Well, not exactly.
Losing to a team playing its second game in two years isn't acceptable, and surely Herdman and the players would admit as much. As it was, Chile's goal came against the run of play, off a set piece, on an unfortunate goalkeeping error, while Canada created more than a half-dozen chances at the other end, most of which were frantically cleared away at the last moment.
Plus, as much as the competitive fires burn within professional athletes no matter the venue, the reality is that in the grand scheme of things, this tournament is not especially important. Prior to the competition, Herdman said (as he said about friendlies in Edmonton and Vancouver in the past two months) that the main purpose was to use it as preparation for the 2015 Women's World Cup.
Again, that's not to say the result is acceptable. Any team with aspirations of earning a Women's World Cup medal should not be getting shut out by an unranked side 18 months before the tournament begins.
But again, those rushing to conclude that this result dooms Big Red's podium chances at Canada 2015 (if, indeed, one actually believed that a podium finish is a realistic expectation) are jumping the gun a bit.
There is plenty of cause for concern in the future of this program, there's no doubt about it. To reiterate something I've said countless times before: The extent to which this team's success has been reliant upon Christine Sinclair over the past decade (and the impact of her eventual departure) cannot be overstated.
While she's won Canadian player of the year for the 10th time running in 2013, many regular followers of the team (this author included) feel as though she was a legacy pick, having lost a step this year. That's not to say she can't rebound in 2014, or that her time as a world-class striker is done. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
However, there's a reason Herdman has reached out to the likes of Kara Lang, Melissa Tancredi and Josee Belanger, essentially pleading with them to return to the program. Sinclair won't be around forever, and the next generation of attacking players isn't ready to own the spotlight yet. Someone needs to fill that gap.
Now, in fairness, if that trio, along with Jonelle Filigno, all return to the fold and, say, two of them can compete at a level close to what they're capable of, it will provide a significant boost to Canada's chances in 2015.
But for now, none of them are part of the equation. Herdman only brought two true strikers to the tournament -- Sinclair and Adriana Leon -- and with Sinclair having been hobbled late against Chile, on Thursday a lot of attention will be turned to the 21-year-old (who has three goals in this, her first year with the senior team) along with Brittany Baxter (nee Timko), who in 121 appearances for Canada, has just five goals.
Perhaps the team will pull it off against Brazil, and perhaps they'll find themselves in the final on Sunday. Perhaps they'll even bring home the gold medal again, the sort of thing that has a way of glossing over road bumps encountered along the way.
Either way, from the Canadian perspective, the upset loss to Chile will likely be nothing more than a forgotten historical footnote in the grand scheme of things, potentially memorable only if 15-year-old Jessie Fleming (who made her debut for the senior national team) lives up to the potential that many in the Canadian soccer community believe she possesses... or, maybe, if this ends up being the genesis of Chile's ascension into superpower status in the women's game.
The one real lesson that can be taken from the game, though, is a lesson that should be heeded all by all followers of the Canadian team, whether they've been around forever, or were brought on board by the bronze medal in London: There are no "gimme" games for the Canadian women's national team anymore.
The global game is changing. The Canadian program is changing. Whatever the FIFA rankings may say, and whatever lofty perch Canada may sit upon, the reality is that nothing can be taken for granted. To his credit, Herdman is fully aware of this, and is doing what he can to adjust accordingly. But, quite simply, Canada can no longer assume three points are a given in any game -- if the women's national team wants a win, they will need to work hard to earn it.
Kinda like the men's national team, come to think of it.
.