Emily Zurrer could hardly have imagined this when she started playing in Duncan youth soccer.
Hundreds of adoring young female soccer fans came out to watch the back-line stalwart and her Canadian national teammates in an open practice Friday in Toronto ahead of today鈥檚 hotly anticipated friendly (1:30 p.m. Pacific on Sportsnet) against the world No. 1 U.S. at a sold-out BMO Field.
It is the first meeting between the sides since last summer鈥檚 controversial U.S. victory over sa国际传媒 in the semifinals of the 2012 London Olympics and seems to have taken on a life of its own. This is much more than a mere friendly for Crofton-raised Zurrer and the rest of the Canadians.
sa国际传媒 went on to win bronze at London to became the first national side from this country in any sport to win a medal in a team sport at the Summer Olympics since Victoria players Doug Peden and Art and Chuck Chapman with the men鈥檚 basketball squad at Berlin in 1936.
But the feeling persists in many circles that the Canadian women鈥檚 soccer team should have been playing for gold in London if not for a rather harsh 鈥� and to some an inexplicable 鈥� officiating decision that helped the U.S. escape with the Olympic semifinal victory.
The atmosphere surrounding today鈥檚 game simply can鈥檛 be ignored.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to set the context around this match,鈥� said Canadian head coach John Herdman, in a statement.
鈥淔or us, it is very much a learning experience as for many of the girls they are dealing with something approaching rock-star status in the build-up to this game. We are not necessarily used to that. We arrived at training and were greeted by hundreds of screaming kids 鈥� and that hasn鈥檛 always been the reality for this team. I think it has brought some good energy into the team. It鈥檚 no secret that we are playing the best team in the world, yet people still expect us to try and get a result on home soil.鈥�
Herdman is also looking to the future: 鈥淭his is the type of environment we need to get used to leading into the FIFA women鈥檚 World Cup [which sa国际传媒 is hosting in 2015] and the Olympics at Rio in 2016.鈥�
Today鈥檚 game could be a kind of personal redemption for Zurrer.
The Olympic bronze medal was bittersweet for the 25-year-old, one of 48 Island athletes in the 2012 Summer Olympics. The graduate of the Lower Island Metro program and Cowichan High was injured early in the London Games and unable to play on 鈥� a blow to an outstanding player whose 59 caps for sa国际传媒 have included 51 starts.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics, the former Island women鈥檚 league standout with Nanaimo FC and NCAA star with the University of Illinois Fighting Illini was solid as Zurrer helped lead sa国际传媒 to the quarter-finals before an overtime loss 鈥� to who else but the Americans 鈥� denied the Canadians a spot in the medal round at Beijing.
Zurrer, who plays pro for the Seattle Reign, said she is committed to playing through to the 2016 Rio Summer Games.
sa国际传媒 has only three victories, the last in 2001, five ties and 44 losses in 52 women鈥檚 soccer Test matches against the U.S.
CORNER KICKS: Goalkeeper Simon Thomas and defender Adam Straith, both from Victoria, have been named to the 35-player preliminary Canadian roster for the 2013 men鈥檚 CONCACAF Gold Cup in July at various U.S. venues. The roster must be cut to 23 before sa国际传媒 meets Martinique on July 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena before continuing group play against Mexico on July 11 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle and Panama on July 14 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver.
Left off the Canadian roster was national team veteran Josh Simpson of Victoria, the 43-time capped midfielder out of Juan de Fuca, who has yet to recover from a horrific leg break sustained last year in a Swiss Premier League game.
