So, stop me if you've heard this one before...
A Canadian team controls the ball for a good chunk of a match. Based on the run of play, it's reasonable to suggest that a result is deserved. And yet, when all is said and done, Canada simply can't put the ball in the back of the net, and the result fails to materialize.
Oh, I see that you've stopped me. Because, yes, this is a troublingly familiar story for Canada at all levels. And in the context of the U20 Women's World Cup, which kicked off on Tuesday night, it could mean a startlingly early exit from the tournament for the host nation.
Now, while no one can seriously pretend to have a substantial scouting report on the Ghanaian under-20 women's national team, there's no question this was an upset. The senior national sides of the two nations are in different stratospheres when it comes to world rankings (Canada is at #7, Ghana is at #48) and realistically, Ghana won because they had one chance and took advantage of it. A shot that might usually have been handled by the generally sure-handed Kailen Sheridan wasn't; Ghana jumped on it and there you go.
As for what Canada offered in return? Emma Fletcher had an impressive first half and came closest to finding the score sheet for Canada, ringing a shot off the Ghanaian goal post late in the first half. Unless she had an injury that I'm to this point unaware of, I'm still left scratching my head as to the reasoning behind pulling her out of the game early in the second half.
In fact, that was one of two questionable decisions on the evening, from where I sit. Nichelle Prince starting on the bench was a head-scratcher, particularly given the havoc that she and Fletcher could have wrought on opposing wings, had they happened to see the field at the same time. Prince did get into the game in the second half as Little Red desperately pushed for an equalizer; much to the chagrin (presumably) of anyone reading these words, it never came.
As far as goal-scoring punch for Canada goes, let's just address the elephant in the room and be done with it. Yes, Canada could really use Summer Clarke in this tournament. No, I don't know why she isn't playing; nor, perhaps, does she. And yeah, while it certainly aggravates me as a supporter of Canadian soccer to see one of our teams go down to defeat while a player that could help us is sitting idly by for unknown reasons, I'm also far beyond the point in my life where I'm going to publicly castigate a 19-year-old athlete I've never met.
Mostly because it's weird, and also kinda stupid and pointless.
As for the players who were there for Canada on Tuesday night, Kadeisha Buchanan put in a predictable "yep, this is me, get the hell out of my way" performance, while you could almost see the mechanical cogs tick-tick-ticking in Jessie Fleming's brain as she did her best to pull the strings in the Canadian midfield. Ashley Lawrence also put in a good night's work, with a number of productive runs.
Now, let's jump off the field for a moment, if we can.
It was kinda disconcerting to see the crowd of Ghana fans in sections 110 and 111 swell as the game went on (clearly due to people moving from their assigned seats to join the party), particularly after one Canadian fan next to me in section 113 -- who traveled from Alberta for the game and is one of the most passionate followers of Canadian soccer you'll ever find -- was harangued by security about where she was.
Look, organizing committee, I get it -- you're under all sorts of mandates from FIFA for all sorts of ridiculous things. (The "Budweiser" taps at the concession stands were covered with duct tape, lest some pedantic brand ambassador get offended, or something.) You need to act as though Canada's just another competing nation, no favours here, nope. I get it, I do.
All I will say is that the Voyageurs have done a hell of a lot of legwork to promote games and put asses in seats for all sorts of games. And it is in the best interests of those involved in Canadian soccer to not take that work for granted.
And as for my fellow Voyageurs... well, I'll say much the same thing I was saying repeatedly on Tuesday night. Like it or not, we are the public faces of the Canadian program, in the stadium on game day. Yeah, I know many of you have traveled great distances and just wanna have a good time. But dropping f-bombs in the vicinity of children does nobody any good. Chanting things you really probably shouldn't be chanting at this tournament, that also does no one any good.
Want to do some good? Keep an eye on the youth teams sitting near us. See what gets them engaged. Stick to the chants that get them energized and interested. They're the future of support. However fun it may be to sing esoteric songs or yell silly in-jokes, our job in the stadium is to support our teams, not amuse ourselves.
Anyway, that's enough moralizing for one night. (You think?) Canada's got a tough task ahead of them. Finland's next on Friday. Hopefully everyone will have cause to be less mopey after that one..