Oh no, Canada! Aussies advance on late equalizer

Soccer Betting Lines

09/20/2007 - Chengdu, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cheryl Salisbury put Australia in the quarterfinals for the first time in the team's history as she scored a dramatic equalizer in the 90th minute to earn a 2-2 draw with Canada.

Trailing by a goal in the dying minutes, Australia needed to earn a draw to advance, and Salisbury, the team captain, picked a good time to score her first goal of the tournament.

Lisa DeVanna once again provided a spark off the bench for Australia, and a great piece of individual skill inside the box allowed DeVanna to shake free from two defenders.

Canada's Candace-Marie Chapman was able to poke the ball away from DeVanna, but it ended up on the foot of Salisbury, and she buried her shot from eight yards to knock Canada out of the tournament.

Needing a win to progress, Canada got off to a dream start by scoring the second fastest goal in Women's World Cup history.

A long ball from the back found the head of Kara Lang on the right flank. Lang nodded the ball into the path of Melissa Tancredi, and she lobbed her shot over the head of keeper Melissa Barbieri to put Canada in front after only 31 seconds.

The shortest-ever goal came in the 1991 World Cup, with Sweden's Lena Videkull scoring 30 seconds into a match against Japan.

However, a fantastic free kick by Collette McCallum leveled the match in the second half for Australia. It appeared that Canada would sneak past the Aussies when Christine Sinclair headed home from close range to put Canada up with just five minutes to play, but Salisbury broke the Canadians hearts with her late goal.

The Matildas were not stunned by the early strike, and they went to work trying to find the equalizer.

Caitlin Munoz found a chance for Australia, heading a corner over the net from close range. Sarah Walsh then continued her strong play up top by getting a number of opportunities, only to be denied by Erin McCleod.

First, Walsh turned with the ball at the right corner of the box and drove a near-post shot low that forced a diving stop by McCleod. Australia was beginning to take over the game, but Canada proved to be dangerous on the counter attack.

Lang crossed from the right and ended up putting the ball off the crossbar. Christine Sinclair picked up the rebound and knocked it to Tancredi in front of goal, but her volley ended up sailing over the net.

Midway through the half, Walsh continued to give the Canadian defense fits. She first got in behind the back line on the right and beat McCleod with her shot, only to be denied by the far post. Minutes later, Walsh had a chance after a scramble in the box resulted in the striker with the ball on her foot eight yards from goal. McCleod came charging off her line, however, and did well to cut down the angle, getting on top of Walsh and deflecting the shot away.

Joanne Peters kept the pressure on the Canadian goal, driving a shot just inches wide of the right post from 20 yards before the halftime whistle.

The Matildas have been a second-half team so far this competition, and that trend continued shortly after the restart with Walsh drawing a foul 25 yards from goal.

McCallum stepped up to the kick and sent a dipping shot over the wall and inside the right post past a diving McCleod. It was a perfect free kick and it put Australia in position to claim a spot in the quarterfinals.

Australia missed a great chance to move in front minutes later, with super-sub DeVanna once again sparking the attack. DeVanna carried the ball through midfield and slid a pass to Walsh on the right. The striker then ripped a strong shot toward the far post, but it slid just inches wide.

Jodi-Ann Robinson thought she had given Canada the lead in the 70th minute when she headed a cross from the right past the keeper. However, the ball struck the post and stayed out.

With just five minutes to play in its World Cup, Canada relied on Sinclair to carry it through. A corner kick from the left was lofted to Chapman and she headed it back through the face of goal to Sinclair, who headed it home with two defenders positioned on the goal line.

However, Salisbury's heroics sent Canada home early, and the Canadians, just one World Cup removed from a semifinal appearance, will have to wait four more years to prove that they belong among the world's elite.