By Alan Duffy
The 2015 Women’s World Cup got underway on Saturday night with hosts Canada meeting China in Edmonton. 53,000 watched the game at the Commonwealth Stadium, a record for either a women’s or men’s football game in Canada, but overall there was little in the way of real quality.
In the first-half, both sides did hit the woodwork but after the break, John Herdman’s side struggled to find a way past a well-drilled, if inexperienced China side.
But then, with the game almost over, China’s Zhao Rong was (very harshly) adjudged to have fouled Adriana Leon in the box. Veteran striker Christine Sinclair stepped up to place a perfect penalty kick past ‘keeper Wang Fei. And that was that.
Harsh on the Chinese, and one wonders if referee Kateryna Monzul would have given the penalty had it been at the other end.
Here are the highlights. The penalty decision is at around 1:27…
Photos: Getty Images
Highlights: Footytube