It’s well-known that the Vancouver Whitecaps regularly practice at UBC’s new National Soccer Development Centre, but this week campus quietly served as the training grounds for another distinguished guest: the US Women’s National Team.
L O A D I N G . . .
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) November 6, 2017
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The American women are in town for Thursday’s friendly against Team Canada in what will be their first official visit to Vancouver since winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup here in 2015. It’s the first match in a home-and-home series featuring “the fiercest rivalry in women’s sport.” With kickoff set for 7 p.m. at BC Place, here’s our by-the-numbers event primer.
1: USA’s current FIFA ranking.
3: The number of Women’s World Cups the United States has won (in 1991, 1999 and 2015).
5: Canada’s current FIFA ranking, after having previously climbed to an all-time high of fourth.
2: Olympic bronze medals won by the Canadians, both under current head coach John Herdman (2012 and 2016).
1986: The first women’s soccer match between Canada and the USA was played on July 7, 1986 in Blaine, Minnesota.
57: The number of times these two national teams have played each other. As of tonight’s match they are now each other’s most common opponents.
47: The number of US wins against Canada.
2001: The year of Canada’s last victory against the United States at the senior national team level, a 3-0 decision at the Algarve Cup.
0-27-5: Canada’s record against the Americans’ record since then.
260: Canadian captain Christine Sinclair is set to earn her 260th cap for the national team.
2000: March 12, 2000 was the date of Sinclair’s first cap, a 4-0 loss against China. At least three of her current teammates were not even born yet!
3: Canadian players who currently train with the Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite BC Super REX U-18 squad alongside Danielle Mosher, daughter of long-time UBC men’s soccer head coach Mike Mosher. (Jordyn Huitema, Jayde Riviere and Julia Grosso)
184: Retired US star striker Abby Wambach’s all-time record for international goals scored.
17: The number of goals Christine Sinclair needs to surpass Wambach’s record.
11: The number of times Sinclair has scored against the United States in her career, including an incredible hat trick during the semifinals at the London 2012 Olympic Games, considered to be one of the best individual performances in the history of women’s soccer.
123: USA striker Alex Morgan scored in the 123rd minute of that semifinal game to give her team a 4-3 victory. The Americans would go on to win the Olympic gold medal, while the Canadians took home their first bronze medal.
5: The number of Sinclair’s Portland Thorns teammates on tonight’s US roster (Adrianna Franch, Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Horan, Allie Long, and Tobin Heath). Portland recently won the 2017 NWSL Championships.
0: The number of National Women’s Soccer Leagues teams in Canada, although the Whitecaps are rumoured to be interested in joining.
26.7 million: The TV audience in the United States during the 2015 FIFA World Cup Finals in Vancouver, a 5-2 American victory over Japan. This remains the most-watched soccer match broadcast in the United States.
~28,000: Expected attendance tonight at BC Place, considered to be a lower bowl sellout.
574: Days until the start of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
You can watch tonight’s match live on TSN1, or follow along on Twitter using #WNTRivalry.
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