USA legend Alexi Lalas takes a brutal swipe at Canada
USA legend Alexi Lalas takes a brutal swipe at Canada after it is dumped out of the World Cup in the group stages
- Canada is out of the Women’s World Cup after a humbling 4-0 defeat to Australia
- Lalas – ever the provocateur – didn’t miss an opportunity to take a dig at Canada
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
For the first time in women’s football history, the reigning Olympic gold medalists have been knocked out in the Group Stages of the following World Cup.
Canada, who came in with the eleventh best odds to lift the trophy in Australia, lost 4-0 to hosts Australia on Monday night in Melbourne.
Coupled with a Nigeria 0-0 draw against Ireland, that meant that the Super Falcons would join the hosts in the knockout stages.
Canada joins three men’s teams that won the Olympic gold but got knocked out in the group stages: Czechoslovakia (gold in 1980, eliminated in 1982), the Soviet Union (gold in 1988, fell in 1990) and Cameroon (won gold in 2000, knocked out in 2002).
Never one to pass up on a time to mock America’s rivals, former US men’s national team defender Alexi Lalas took a jab at Canada – all while former CanWNT keeper Karina Leblanc was sitting on the same desk.
Alexi Lalas (far right) jumped on the opportunity to provide a sly dig at Canada’s misery
The goals came early and often for host nation Australia, who defeated the Canadians 4-0
This loss, coupled with a Nigeria draw, means Canada are the first women’s Olympic gold medal winners in history to be knocked out in the group stages of the following World Cup
Lalas likened the tournament to a game of musical chairs, saying, ‘the music has stopped and Canada is left without a chair.
Sindely, Lalas added, ‘Congratulations on winning the Gold Medal at the Olympics.’
Prior to that jab, Lalas gave a pretty fair review of the state of the match. ‘It was… emphatic. It was an exclamation point, and now they go into the Round of 16 with incredible momentum. Out wide they were dominant, in terms of finishing they were dominant, in set pieces they were ultimately dominant.
‘And so I know Karina, this probably hurts. But it may hurt a little bit less because Canada was never even in this game.
Leblanc, reluctantly added, ‘I would have to agree with you. I’m proudly Canadian but I tip my hats off to Australia. They deserved it, they dominated.
‘I mean you talk about that left hand side [Steph] Catley, Caitlin Foord, [Hayley] Raso, like everybody did what they needed to do today except for Canada.
‘And you know, its disappointing. You’re coming off an Olympic win, you hope for more but I don’t think there’s any Canadian who watched this game or who has played the game who would say they deserved it tonight.
‘The good thing is its a home country a home team one of the things you as a former player you want that, it’s good for the game but yeah, that’s how it ended tonight.’
It’s jubilation for the host nation, who managed to win the group with this victory on Monday
But it’s likely the end of the road at the World Cup for Canada legends Christine Sinclair (L) and Sophie Schmidt (R) – the latter of which already announced her retirement from the team
A fellow person on the desk, USWNT legend Carli Lloyd praised Australia, saying they were better, ‘In every aspect of the game. From start to finish, they scored early – we said it in the pre-game the team that was going to score early was the team that was most likely going to come out and win this game.
‘I thought defensively they were compact they made it really difficult for Canada to go centrally. And Foord, in her more natural position out on that left hand side between her and Catley just deadly they made so much happen. Raso getting on the end of those goals, they really came out and fought and Sam Kerr did not have to play and that’s exactly what they wanted.’
As for Canada, this defeat marks the country’s fifth Group Stage exit at a Women’s World Cup – following two straight knockout stage appearances.
It’s the final game in a Canada uniform for one of the country’s brightest stars – Sophie Schmidt and likely the last World Cup game for the world’s all-time leading international goal scorer Christine Sinclair.
After the match, Schmidt said, ‘I don’t think there’s any words for how we’re feeling right now. We’re shook, we’re disappointed.’
Source: Read Full Article