SCOTLAND had no complaints after losing their opening Cyprus Cup game to a powerful Canadian side in Nicosia yesterday.
The World Cup hosts, who have recent competitive games under their belts, swept aside a Scotland team whose players are still in pre-season.
A defensive mix-up, when goalkeeper Gemma Fay's hesitation allowed Jessie Fleming to score in only three minutes, put Anna Signeul's side on the back foot and they never recovered. Canadian captain Christine Sinclair ensured there would be no slip up when she netted her 150th international goal five minutes in to the second half.
"Canada were very strong, as we expected them to be," admitted Signeul. "They have been together for a long time now and they paid us the compliment of playing their strongest eleven against us.
"It was unfortunate to lose goals early in each half, but some individuals, such as Jenny Beattie, did very well. The performance felt quite solid, even if we didn't have much ball possession in the first half.
"The thing was we couldn't keep the ball further up the pitch. Even if we managed to escape their first pressure, which I thought we did well, the ball quickly came back again."
The opening goal, which followed Scotland giving the ball away after mounting a dangerous attack of their own, was a real body blow. Sinclair's low ball to the far post could have been collected by Gemma Fay - but the Scotland captain hesitated and Fleming slid in to put her side ahead.
Canada had several chances to go further ahead in the first half, including a powerful shot from Fleming which beat Fay but rebounded off the bar to safety. Scotland's best effort of the game came early on, but Rachel Corsie's powerful header from a Jane Ross corner was well saved by Erin McLeod.
Scotland (4-2-3-1): Fay; Smith, Dieke, Beattie, Mitchell; Love (Fiona Brown 73), Corsie; Weir (L Ross 82), Little, Lauder; J Ross (Murray 87)
Canada (4-3-3): McLeod; Wilkinson, Buchanan, Moscato, Chapman; Schmidt, Scott, Fleming (Lawrence 72); Belanger (Leon 72), Sinclair (Julien 85), Tancredi (Filigno 72)
Referee: T Albon (Rom)
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