Date: Monday 10th June 2019
Venue: Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier
A headed goal from Lyon’s Kadeisha Buchanan ensured Canada opened their 2019 campaign with a win over Cameroon.
Canada boasted Portland Thorn’s Christine Sinclair up top. The 35-year-old has scored a crazy 181 international goals which leaves her just three off the United States’ legendary Abby Wambach.
Canada dominated the early stages of the game although couldn’t create any meaningful chances.
Cameroon were playing with plenty of heart but especially early on everything looked quite frantic and they lacked composure on the ball. Every time they picked up the ball they immediately looked to exploited Ngo Ndoumbouk’s pace.
Nichelle Prince thought that she was destined to give Canada the lead but her low shot comes off Yvonne Leuko and rattles the foot of the post.
The key moment in the first half came as the half time whistle approached. Buchanan rose unchallenged to meet Janine Beckie’s corner with a strong header just before half time. Buchanan was voted the best young player at the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
Much like the game earlier in the day, this game was failing to inspire those in the ground and watching on tv. The game needed an equaliser to keep the game interesting for the neutral.
I loved how the referee, Hyang-Ok Ri, completed bossed the game. After the flurry of penalties for handball so far she left the defences in no uncertain terms, keep your arms down and not to give her any reason to use VAR. The incoming free kick from Sinclair went straight into the wall without a hint of handball. It was slightly disappointing from Sinclair, she and her teammates were struggling to kill the game off.
Cameroon’s best chance came in what was a carbon copy of Buchanan’s goal. Claudine Meffometou met a corner at the far post but headed into the ground and the ball bounced wide.
The game remained relatively dull until the closing moments when Sinclair’s effort was cleared off the line by Meffometou.
All in all a forgettable day of games and we’ll be hoping for a bit more excitement tomorrow which sees the Netherlands take on New Zealand, Chile against Sweden and the United States begin the defence of their title against Thailand.
Canada: Labbe, Lawrence, Buchanan, Zadorsky, Chapman, Prince, Scott, Schmidt, Beckie, Fleming, Sinclair.
Cameroon: Ngo Ndom, Awona, Manie, Johnson, Leuko, Meffometou, Nchout, Feudjo, Yango, Onguene, Ngo Ndoumbouk.
