[browna]

Sounds like they had their chances in the second half but couldn't find the target.

I disagree they lost to the better team. Nothing from England showed me that they're a step ahead, and the results prior to this in the tournament back it up. The teams are evenly matched, for better but more likely for worse, and Canada made one extra mistake that England capitalized on. That said, they played their most progressive game of the tourney, Sinclair shows how she is head and shoulders above most on the team with her awareness, power, and skill.

For organizers, Canada REALLY needed to win this game, especially with the teams matched evenly. Doing so would've instantly meant two more games that Canada is in in the next week.

Japan would've been a definite step up from tonight, though they haven't looked lights out. But assuming Canada would've lost that, still would've had the 3rd place game and a medal opportunity.

With the terrible attendance in Edmonton today (and for the Esks game in Ft McMurray...must have been mullet washing day up north), having Canada as a draw would've ensured at least one semi final being near capacity, but now, not liking the chances of decent attendance for the semi's, and I am sure there are lot of final match tickets available tonight now too.

Where women's soccer goes from here, Internationally, who knows? Hopefully the awareness and funding from hosting spurns the grass roots. But Canada does have a fair way to go to be legit contenders, skill wise and mentally, and their best player over the past decade may not be around for the next WC.

The London Games was a fairy tale, and may have set unrealistic expectations (though after the last WC, there was nowhere to go but up) for this tourney, at home to boot, but it was pretty evident that Canada had more mental issues then it really should these last week.

Herdman seems like a good coach, and just from the little I followed the inbetween game chat through this tourney, it seems that the women's game (or at least Team Canada) is focused a lot more on keeping up the mental side than men's. Him having to talk up the team in the press on training days, pat them on the back etc moreso then a coach should need to do DURING a World Cup, given there has been 2+ years of preperation since London 2012, but clearly the team was not really comfortable and seemed fragile, feeling too much of the pressure. He tried every trick in the book before/during and after London, and before/during this WC to get the team properly (but not overly) prepared, relaxed, and focused, but the team overall still came out cautious, tense, impatient and easily flustered at best; scared, unable to handle the spotlight/pressure, and flatout clueless on the field at times, at worst, each game this tourney.

On the flip side, it was all still there...one less mistake on either of the goals, or Canada getting one in the second half, and a very good chance of being in the WC semi finals, no matter the fragile mental state or lack of consistent performance by anyone not named Sinclair.

From that aspect, not sure how things move forward. I guess there won't be the external pressure at the next WC in France, with it not in Canada, but there also won't be that added advantage either (if they even really used it this year - Game 1 China maybe, but that had nothing to do with the crowd support. a generous referee), but Herdman has his work cut out for him to cut out the atrocious, basic mistakes that occurred too often, the lack of awareness and basic expectations you have of players and roles on the field, and the mental self doubt this team held onto all tournament, all while also replacing Sinclair and those others that are leaving, assuming he himself sticks around...though I guess the next focus is only a year or so away (qualifying, one assumes) for Rio 2016.