Music: {allcanada} Sinclair's late goal lifts Canada over China 1-0

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

{allcanada} Sinclair's late goal lifts Canada over China 1-0

MONCTON, N.B. -- Christine Sinclair scored in injury time as Canada scratched out a 1-0 win over China in a women's exhibition soccer match Wednesday.

Sinclair got to a Diana Matheson free kick and expertly redirected the ball past Chinese keeper Wang Fei and into the goal.

"It was a great ball by Matheson, her and I have a connection," Sinclair said. "It would have been hard to miss."

It was Sinclair's 134th career international goal, which is the third highest total ever. It came in a tightly played Olympic warmup with very few chances for either side.

Canada had a chance to open the scoring early in the 14th minute when Sinclair threaded the ball through to a breaking Brittany Timko, but Wang rushed out and made the save.

Sinclair almost put Canada up 1-0 in the 31st minute, when she received the ball uncontested in the penalty area, but she sent Kelly Parker's pass from the right flank wide of the goal.

Canada had another chance when Sinclair's free kick in the 37th minute squeezed through a wall of Chinese players. Parker was first to the ball right in front of the goal but couldn't handle it cleanly.

China had a solid chance in the second half when Gao Qi flicked a header just wide in the 68th minute.

After Matheson tried to break the deadlock in the 83rd with a shot from a tight angle, the home side was awarded back-to-back corners four minutes later. However, neither Sinclair nor Chelsea Buckland could finish.

Erin McLeod earned the clean sheet for Canada.

Canada had 11 shots (seven on target) while China had six (three on target).

Canada's next Olympic warmup is June 30 against the United States in Sandy, Utah