World Cup: Sinclair penalty miss ramps up Canada uncertainty

Christine Sinclair has been here before, in more ways than one. In 2011, in her second World Cup, Canada entered a World Cup in the midst of a battle with their own federation. The weight of the fight contributed to a surprise group stage exit in Germany.

Though such a fate is far from settled this time round after this goalless draw, Chiamaka Nnadozie's save from Sinclair's 50th-minute penalty means Canada have plenty to do in their remaining games against Australia and Ireland.

"I was happy," a beaming Nnadozie told DW post-match. "The reaction was emotional for me because I dreamt of this moment. And it came through."

Pay disputes put aside?

Though Sinclair had told the prematch press conference that both sides were putting pay and equity disputes to one side now the tournament has begun, neither team looked at their sharpest in Melbourne. Canada defender Kadeisha Buchanan told DW after the game that the side had refocused and wasn't distracted:

"That was never a factor in in the way we performed today. I think in our minds right now, it's just a World Cup. What we're focusing on is playing well and getting good performances. Whatever is happening behind the scenes has no effect on what's happening now.”

Canada started with control, if little conviction. At 40, Sinclair's movement is more economical but also smarter. As both teams struggled to settle, she allowed much of the play to rush past her; scanning, dictating her own tempo and finding the sort of pocket of space and time from which she flashed a curler narrowly over the bar early on.

Nigeria rode out Canada's wave of largely sterile possession with few genuine alarms. After the opening quarter, the African side started to threaten on the break and snap harder into their tackles, not least when Deborah Abiodun rapped Sinclair on the ankle just before the break.

Given that, at 19, Abiodun than less than half her opponent's age, it felt almost impertinent.

Nnadozie: 'Girl, go — you can do this'

But Sinclair was patient. After the break, she once again waved play on to draw a clever position in its wake, before tumbling over the leg of Francisca Ordega. After a VAR review, the referee explained to the crowd of 21,410 that a spot kick would be given.

Experience used, penalty given, advantage gained. But then, quickly spurned.

Sinclair's penalty was tame, and saved by player-of-the-match Nnadozie, who went on to claw the rebound away, meaning Canada's captain must wait for a 11th World Cup goal at her sixth tournament to extend her all-time international record goalscoring tally to 191. 

Should Sinclair score at this tournament, she would also become the first player — male or female — to score at six World Cups.

"I've never watched her play on the screen," said Nnadozie. "I only played against her last year. I never watched anything. Even when they gave the penalty. I was like 'Oh, I should have studied this.' I just told myself 'Girl go, you can do this. And I did it.'"

Ready for battle

Olympic champions Canada played the last few minutes against 10 women after Abiodun's impertinence spilled over, and her late tackle on Ashley Lawrence made her the first player to be sent off in this World Cup.

"I'm a little sore," Lawrence, who will soon join Buchanan at Chelsea, told DW. "That was pretty much the image of the game, it was a physical game. We've played against Nigeria in the past, we knew it was going to be a battle there. But we leave it all out on the field, like we always do."

Unlike in, and against, Germany 12 years ago, Canada at least emerged from this with a point that still leaves them with a good chance at qualifying for the last 16. Next up they face Ireland, who were equally physical in a narrow loss to Australia in Thursday's group B opener.

Despite the ferocity of Abiodun's late challenge, Lawrence didn't believe Nigeria crossed the line, calling the red card challenge "a little reckless." Buchanan, for her part, welcomed another physical battle against Ireland in Perth on Wednesday.

"There's a lot of physicality. Ireland kind of play similar to Nigeria, how they just had a low block and they just worked on a counter," she said. "I think we had a good practice today and hopefully can do better next time"

Both players were firm in their belief that Sinclair's experience and leadership qualities mean she will bounce back from the disappointment of her miss, though her body language suggested otherwise. While the mess they're in off the pitch may not be easily fixed, Canada and Sinclair still have the chance to rewrite old wrongs on it. But they'll have to do more than this.

Edited by Michael Da Silva