VANCOUVER – Josee Belanger scored early in the second half to give Canada a 1-0 win over Switzerland in their Group of 16 match at the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
Canada managed to withstand several dangerous runs from Swiss star forward Ramona Bachmann in the first half to punch their ticket to the quarter-finals.
It’s just the second time in six trips to the tournament that Canada has made it to the knockout rounds. The Canadians finished fourth in 2003.
“We knew it was going to be tight against Switzerland. That’s a good team,” said Canada coach John Herdman.
“Proud of my girls,” he added.
Captain Christine Sinclair, playing in front of her hometown crowd, helped set up the goal, laying off a Rhian Wilkinson cross to Belanger for the game’s only goal.
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Canada dominated possession early, but the Swiss had a prime scoring chance when Bachmann crossed the ball into the box, but Lara Dickenmann failed to connect.
Bachmann and Dickenmann looked dangerous at times, forcing Canadian defender Kadeisha Buchanan to make several key tackles.
Canada had a chance of its own 16 minutes in when Belanger lofted a cross over Swiss goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann that hit the post, marking the fourth time Canada has hit the woodwork in the tournament.
After Belanger’s goal at the 52-minute mark, Canada chose not to sit on its lead.
Moments after Melissa Tancredi nearly connected on a cross with Sinclair, Belanger almost had her second goal of the match following a scramble in the front of the net, but her shot was blocked at the goal line by defender Caroline Abbe.
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Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who earned her third clean sheet of the tournament, was named Player of the Match. McLeod came up big at the 78-minute mark when she got a hand on a Vanessa Bernauer shot from close range.
“I cannot give enough compliments to the backline,” said McLeod. “Everyone in the backline has been phenomenal this whole tournament. (I’m) especially proud of Rhian Wilkinson … she was phenomenal for us.
“It makes my job a lot easier.”
A total of 53,855 fans were in attendance at BC Place, a record for a Canadian national team home game.
That record was set June 6 when 53,058 took in Canada’s tournament opener against China in Edmonton.
-with files from Canadian Press
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