While the wider soccer world continued to convulse over revelations of FIFA bribery and corruption, Canada took a deep breath on Thursday and prepared for their moment in the Women’s World Cup spotlight.
Their fellow members of Group A — China, New Zealand and the Netherlands — who share opening day honors today, have not been able to escape questions as the media digs for answers behind a scandal that has triggered multiple arrests and investigations of high-ranking soccer officials.
However, players and coaches at the Women’s World Cup have provided no insight while side-stepping the controversy in the same way they might avoid a tackle.
“There is no attention being put on that any more, it’s all about game day,” Canada midfielder Sophie Schmidt told reporters. “The hype after the first 24, 48 hours of all that has settled down and we’re able to just focus on the game and task at hand. In this environment, we are now kind of shielded from all that.”
Ensconced in the Alberta capital, which sits on the edge of the oil sands, there is no noticeable outrage in the city known as the “Gateway to the North” about the dark forces ripping away at the beautiful game.
Here the more pressing questions are economic ones centered on the oil sands and the nose-diving price of crude.
The tournament opens with Canada facing China in front of an expected sellout crowd of more than 50,000 at the Commonwealth Stadium and is to end on July 5 in Vancouver.
Edmonton has a long history of supporting women’s soccer, including more than 47,000 filling the Commonwealth Stadium in 2002 for the women’s Under-19 final.
“The opening match is trending to be the largest attended Senior A soccer match in our Canadian history, with over 52,000 people,” Canadian Soccer Association general secretary Peter Montopoli said during the tournament’s opening news conference in Vancouver on Thursday.
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