by Charlene Douglas
her first assignments as a FIFA Assistant at the
Women's U19 World Cup Qualifying Tournament in
Montreal / Ottawa.
Wednesday May 26th, 2004
So far so good! I got to Montreal
on time and with all my luggage, and had a CSA
Representative waiting for me at the airport. It's so nice to see a familiar
face and have
someone there for you when you are traveling.
I immediately met the two officials from Panama who arrived just before
me and I was
wishing I knew some Spanish, as they do not speak English. We were able
to
communicate by me speaking a modified French, adding vowels to make it
sound like
Spanish, and it actually worked!
Unfortunately Jill Proctor, Referee from Vancouver was not having as much
luck as I
was. She was supposed to arrive the same time as me, but was stuck in
Toronto with
plane troubles and did not arrive until three hours later.
So the Panamanians and I were transported to the downtown hotel and my
luck
continued. I found out that I was rooming with Denise Robinson, AR from
Ontario. In
the past two years Denise has had many appointments including the Women's
U-19
World Cup, the Pan-Am Games, the Women's World Cup, and was just recently
appointed to the Olympics. With all her accomplishments Denise is still
friendly,
approachable, and willing to share her experiences both on and off the
field. There is
nobody better for me to learn from.
Jill finally arrived and we met all the other officials including Dianne
Ferriera-James,
Referee from Guyana who I have not seen since the U-19 World Cup in Edmonton
in
2002. Dianne and I have kept contact by email and phone for the past two
years and
she has encouraged me to keep striving for my goal to be a FIFA AR. Two
years ago
Dianne said that one day we would officiate a game together...it looks
like that day has
finally come!
We were allowed to sleep-in
today due to some late arrivals last night, so we had a relaxing breakfast
at the hotel. Then it was off to the Commissioner/Referee meeting at
10:00am. There are two Commissioners here- one from the Caribbean and
the other
from Costa Rica, and there are two FIFA Instructors- one from the USA
and the other
Barbados. There are 4 Referees and 5 Assistant Referees- 3 from Canada,
3 from
Mexico, 2 from Panama, and 1 from Guyana. It was announced that 4 in our
group of 9
have just been appointed to the Olympics in Greece- Denise (CAN AR), Isabel
(MEX AR),
Jackeline (PAN AR), and Dianne (GUY REF) and that others will be chosen
based at this
tournament for the Women's U-19 World Cup being held Nov 10-27 in Thailand.
Discipline, fitness, and teamwork were emphasized during the meeting.
The meeting
ended with appointments for the first 2 games tomorrow. The Canadian crew
(we include
Dianne from Guyana with us as she is the only other official that speaks
English) will
have the opening game, Costa Rica vs. Trinidad....Jill the Referee, Denise
and I AR's,
and Dianne the 4th.
Team Canada plays the second game vs. Jamaica before heading off to Ottawa
for their
remaining games. We then went to the Stadium for the field inspection,
took some group
photos, and headed back to the hotel. The rest of the day was ours, so
of course being in
downtown Montreal we had to go shopping! The 4 of us spent the day together
and had
our pre-game meeting relaxing after dinner. As Jill has refereed in China
and Costa Rica
already this year, she has great experience and tips to offer. I am very
happy to have my
first official international game with this awesome crew.
allowed to do whatever we wanted to prepare for the games later in the day. The
Canadian group went for a little walk, grabbed a light late lunch, and relaxed in the hotel
before having to leave at 2:30pm for the 4:30pm kick-off. We were all in the lobby in our
dress suits ready to go at 2:15pm and met important CONCACAF and CSA persons such
as Mr. Jack Warner, Mr. Andy Sharpe, and Mr. Kevan Pipe.
We were at the McGill Stadium within minutes and able to walk the field before the teams
arrived. Thankfully the football lines were painted over and the field looked great. On our
inspection the day before the football lines and advertisements were still on the field as
the weather had not been cooperating lately to paint over them. The painting crew ended
up working all day yesterday and through the night to get the field ready.
Kick-off was at 4:30pm and it was immediately evident that Costa Rica was the dominant
team. They had a quick 2-0 lead by the 20 minute mark when a Trinidad player lost her
cool and was ejected for violent conduct. By the 80th minute there were a few more
cautions, I believe all to Trinidad before a huge collision about 10 yards outside the
Costa Rican penalty area. A Trinidad attacker had a chance at a break away before being
struck extremely hard by the Costa Rican goalkeeper. Everyone in the stadium heard the
hit, it was that hard. Many were comparing the hit to the Men's 1982 World Cup involving
Schumacher. I don't remember, but apparently it was similar or even worse. The Trinidad
player was unconscious before hitting the ground and remained that way for 8 minutes.
The goalkeeper was also hurt and removed on a stretcher, but not before Jill ejected her
for serious foul play. The game was stopped for over 10 minutes while the paramedics
worked on the Trinidad player and tried to find a doctor in the stadium. They finally were
able to move her on a stretcher to the ambulance and she remained in the hospital over
night with a serious concussion.
It was not a pretty game to watch, and difficult to officiate. There was little flow or skill, and offsides were complicated. There were always 2-3 players in an offside position so
determining an offside offence took much patience and concentration.
It was hard to regain the momentum and concentration after a 10 minute delay, and
difficult to end the game on a high when it ends with such a violent incident and serious
injury. We felt good about our performance though and the two ejections did not reflect
the rest of the game. Both were unrelated and unnecessary. As Jill said to me walking off
the field "Welcome to international soccer!".
We had a lot of paperwork to complete and hand over to the Commissioner before hitting
the showers. The assessor, Esse Baharmast made a quick appearance with the
Commissioner, but did not give any feedback. It appears that he was there for support
and guidance, the assessment will come tomorrow during the morning meeting.
We watched the second half of the Canada game from the VIP lounge and were
surprised to see that Canada was only leading Jamaica 1-0 at that time. The game was
uneventful and ended 4-1 for Canada. Back to the hotel by 9:30, off to Tim Horton's a
couple of blocks away for night cap and wind down before bed. We are all drained and
hoping for a good night's sleep as we have to be up at 7:00am the next morning for a
training session.
although it is a little cool for the Canadians, and absolutely freezing for the rest of the
officials. The training session was great! Continual movement with lots of concentration
needed to get through the routines properly. Some sessions were specifically for Refs
and others for AR's, and ended with a little "easy" game of soccer against one
another....trying not to have any injuries. Esse Baharamast is our FIFA Instructor who
leads the training sessions and as he was at the Womens World Cup last year, we are
doing the same training that was done by the officials there. I am very fortunate to be
surrounded by such experienced and knowledgeable people, I have already learned
so much.
The training is about 2 hours long, and then we head back to the hotel for breakfast. We
then meet at 11:00am for our post-game assessment/debriefing from the previous day
with both FIFA Instructors present. All ends well. It was confirmed a difficult game to
officiate and we did what we needed to do. We will take what we learned from it and
improve on what we need for the next game.
The appointments were announced for tomorrow's games and I am AR on
Costa Rica vs Dominican Republic. I am very excited as the Referee is Dianne from
Guyana and the other AR is Isabel from Mexico, both who I met in Edmonton 2 years
ago at the U-19 World Cup, and now I am on a game with them! Jill is 4th official on the
game, and Denise has been given the day off.
We are given the rest of the day off to ourselves, so it's off to see the sights of Montreal
and try to learn some more Spanish!
at 10:00am and then just went our separate ways to relax before the game. I ended up
going back to bed for a little nap while Jill and Denise went shopping to find more
bargains and have a little lunch. I needed time on my own to focus more than I did the
first game. I did nothing wrong the first game, as Denise says "no news is good news
from the Instructors!", but just did not feel myself....I think the nerves got to me.
Dianne, Isabel, Jill and I were in the lobby at 1:15pm with the Instructors and
Commissioners ready to go to the Stadium. We were there and walking the field by
1:30pm. Pre-game instructions were already done this morning at breakfast, so we
were just trying to stay relaxed, yet focused.
Kick-off was at 3:30pm in front of a small crowd....maybe a couple hundred of people,
majority Costa Rican fans. Unfortunately attendance has been very poor even on this
beautiful sunny 18 degree Sunday afternoon.
As this was my second game with Costa Rica, I was prepared for their attacking style,
having 2-3 players always in an offside position. But today they were smarter than 2 days
ago. They had 1-2 attackers, usually the wingers, in an offside position and would push
the ball through the centre to a striker that would come out of nowhere to play the ball.
I had to be very patient and keep my concentration. I was lucky as I had Costa Rica
attacking the first half, so I was very busy right away. Costa Rica was definitely the
stronger team, quickly taking a 2-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the game. The
second half was definitely quieter for me, with the final score 11-0. I was very happy with
my performance and felt that I had a much stronger game than the first. Offside, or
non-offside, was tricky and kept me on my toes, and the Referee needed more
assistance from both Isabel and I. Even though Dominican Republic was not overly
skillfully, they knew some tricks and were physical against their opponents.
We stayed for the second game of USA vs Trinidad & Tobago and watched the
Referee from Panama on her first international match. The crew did well and the
game ended 11-1 for USA.
It was back to the hotel and Jill, Denise and I headed off to get our nightly drink at
Tim Hortons.
We all make our nightly phone calls home to check on our kids, and then it's bedtime.
7 will come bright and early tomorrow morning for another training session.
The training session starts out similar to the first one, but expands by being a bit more
physically demanding. The sessions are longer and faster and are again broken down to
Referee training scenarios and AR training scenarios. This is great for Denise and I as
we are the only AR's that also referee, so we participate and gain by both sessions. The
training is still somewhat basic and repetitive.... concentration, keeping your head up and
looking while running, jogging, backwards, etc, eye contact, awareness, and expanding
the diagonal as a ref....but there is always something more to learn.
We also were given a training program for the new Yo-yo test that will eventually be
incorporated by FIFA, and ran a modified version of the test/training. We ended the
session with a little "easy" game that quickly ended. Unfortunately Jill turned and
twisted her right ankle very badly and we returned to the hotel for ice and physio.
We had a quick breakfast, then it was off to the 11:00am meeting to get our
assessments from last night's games. Everything was good in my game, and I even
received a compliment from the Instructor on my "non-calls"....recognizing the player
offside is not involved in play and keeping my flag down.
We were given the assignments for tomorrow's games, and what do you know, I am on
the game with Costa Rica vs USA. I guess I have an advantage having Costa Rica for the
third straight time as I know the attackers #9,15,and 16 are always in an offside position
with #5,8,and 10 coming through the centre. And defending I will be lined up with #12,
except when she suddenly pushes up to attack, then #3 comes back to defend. Who
knows, they surprised me last game playing a smarter attack, I'm sure they will have
something new tomorrow! I am excited to finally be on the game with the USA, I am
interested to see the difference in play compared to Canada.
So they mixed up the officials and Denise and I are on the 7:00pm game with the
Mexican Referee and Dianne is the 4th. The first game at 4:30pm was supposed to be
Jill with a Mexican AR and Panama AR, but Jill has had to remove herself from the
game do to her injury. Her ankle is the size of a bluish purple baseball! So the Panama
Referee will step in for Jill and have the opportunity to have a second international match.
We were given the afternoon to ourselves and they were back at 7:00pm for our pre-game
meeting. We were done by 8:00pm and Jill, Denise, and I hid out in our room to watch the
Stanley Cup. Dianne arrived after the game and was very disappointed, coming into the
room saying "I can't believe we lost!". I guess we really did make a Canadian out of her
already.
Denise and I awoke at 7:00am
to pouring rain. We are allowed to sleep-in today, but for some reason
we were both up early. It's a cool one out there today, raining hard and
only
about 15 degrees. The other officials will be freezing. Yesterday in our
morning meeting
the Panamanian officials were wearing big black thinsulate gloves, and
it was sunny and
22 degrees! They will not be happy today!
We met with Jill for breakfast at 9:30. Her ankle is still huge and she
definitely cannot ref
the game today. We are just having a relaxing day in the hotel. We went
a picked up a late
lunch as Denise and I are on the 7:00pm game, and will be ready to go
to the Stadium
at 4:00pm.
We were told that 2 girls, age 17 and 18, defected last night from the
Dominican
Republic. They have not been seen since about 5:00pm and around midnight
the police
were brought in. I guess it's pretty sure they defected as they told teammates
that they
had lots of money and had nothing to return home to because of the floods.
They only
have $200 US, but think they are rich. We just hope that they are safe.
Apparently they
are expecting more, especially from D.R.
So this may be my last game today of the tournament, and I plan to make
it a good one.
I am excited to work with the Mexican Referee with the whole language
barrier thing as
she only speaks Spanish, and I am excited to be on what should be the
best game of
this first round as both teams are undefeated. After the game we will
be back to the hotel for a meeting and find out who stays and who goes
home. We have absolutely no idea
what the Instructors have planned.
Well off to catch a few zzzzzzz's before the game. Will tell you all about
the game and
meeting later tonight!
I had a restless sleep probably due to nerves, excitement, shock....you name it, I was
feeling it! So I guess I will start at the beginning and tell you about last night's game.
I was right, it was the best game in Montreal in the first round. USA vs Costa Rica playing
in the worst rain storm I have ever been in....absolute downpour for the first 3/4 of the
game. The game ended in a 0-0 tie. Both teams were thrilled as a tie for USA put them
first in the standings, and a tie for Costa Rica put them through to the semi's, but felt like
a win for them. The last time they played USA two years ago, they lost 14-1....so Costa
Rica is on a high right now. Costa Rica actually had more chance to score in the game,
and looked more talented than the US team. The semi's on June 4th Costa Rica vs
Canada will be interesting.
So game ended well, no problems, the officials all did well. We returned immediately to
the hotel for our meeting to see who stays and who goes home. What a shock for me....
I and 2 Referees, Dianne from Guyana and Virginia from Mexico are the only ones
remaining from the 9 officials in Montreal. 5 others have been chosen, 2 refs and 3 AR's
from Ottawa and will be traveling to Montreal tomorrow to join us. They have chosen
Referees from Costa Rica and Trinidad, and the 3 AR's are from Jamaica, USA, and
El Salvador.
So it was then time to say our good-byes and have last minute photos. Denise packed
immediately and drove the 5 hours home. She got home safely around 3:00am. Jill had
to leave the hotel at 5:30am, as did many of the other officials, so by 11:00pm I was on
my own to Tim Horton's for my nightly cup of tea. I'll admit my room was lonely without
Denise, and I finally fell asleep around 2am.
I awoke this morning at 7:00am and did not have a chance to add to my diary as Denise's
laptop was gone, and the hotel computer was broken down for the day. Dianne and I met
for breakfast, and then it was off to do laundry for the day before our soaked clothes from
last night turn moldy.
The crew from Ottawa arrived in the afternoon. Thank goodness Sonia Denoncourt is still
here. Esse Baharmast who was our FIFA Instructor in Montreal, returned home, and
Sonia has remained. So things are a little different with Sonia in charge. We have
scheduled dinners together, and the first one with this new group of 8 is at 7:30. It was
nice to have that so we could all re-group and get to know eachother....it's important as
we have very serious games upcoming quickly and not much time together to bond.
We had a nice pasta dinner and walk after. And of course I had to take everyone to Tim
Horton's on our way back to the hotel for a night cap. Sonia and Caralee (USA)
appreciated it, the rest don't seem to drink anything hot. My new roommate is Paulette
from Jamaica. She is really friendly and has been at the Gold Cup and recently the
Olympic qualifiers in Costa Rica.
So I'm thrilled to still be here. Very nervous of course because of the unknown, but I
figure that I will just keep doing what I have been as it is obviously working.
up waiting to use it behind me. Had our morning meeting at 10:30. Appointments made
for tomorrow's semi-finals. I am on the first game USA vs Mexico with the Costa Rican
referee. I have been appointed Snr. AR with my roommate Paulette the Jr. AR and
Shayne (Trinidad) the 4th.
I am very excited about the appointment and a bit nervous too. My stomach did a huge
flip when I heard Snr. AR as I had my first 3 games Jr, so am getting used to my place on
the field, etc. The Canada vs Costa Rica game will be refereed by Virginia (MEX), USA AR
and El Salvador AR, and Dianne as 4th.
We have training today at 2:00pm, and then a group dinner at 7:00pm. We discussed
things in the meeting about what has happened here, anything to watch for with
teams, etc.
Will send another entry tomorrow if the line-up is not too long!
To finish off where I left
you yesterday, we had a very good 2 hour training session at the stadium.
It was led by Sonia Denoncourt and was very light, ending the last hour
with
scenarios and technical sessions. I was given a "beep" flag
to try out and hold for the last
hour to get used to the bigger grip and red button, as I probably will
have to use it for the
last 2 games. I was allowed to keep it and said that I would tape it to
my hand and sleep
with it through the night.
We were lucky enough to get the training in just after, and just before
2 huge
thunderstorms with hail and heavy rain. We all went to a Mexican restaurant
last night for
dinner. The Spanish speaking officials were thrilled, I have not seen
them so happy and
laugh so much all week. It was a really good time and we all learned how
to dance to mexican to "Achy Breaky Heart" sang in Spanish.
And believe me, there was no alcohol
involved!
We slept in until 8 this morning, had a big breakfast together, then my
crew went to have
our pre game meeting at 10:00am. It took only about 45 minutes which was
pretty good
considering we had 2 interpreters present as the Referee Maria Ortega
from El Salvador
does not speak any english. We are all feeling good and confident for
today's game.
It is an absolute beautiful morning today. Sunny, 22 degrees. So I am
really hoping we
get to wear short sleeve uniform. The other officials are always cold,
so I get to be the
one over-heating in the long sleeve. We all went to Old Montreal and the
port area for a
couple hours this morning, and are now back for a couple of hours to rest
before
leaving at 3:30pm.
All the CSA, CONCACAF, and FIFA dignitaries started arriving yesterday
and are at our
hotel. I'm going to head to my room and hide out to focus after writing
this, the fewer I
see of all of them, the better my head and nerves are.
I will try and write tonite after the game to update everyone on how the
semi-finals went.
After that we have breakfast tomorrow morning, post game meeting at 10:30,
then off
to Ottawa at noon.
Off to catch some zzzzzz's and get ready. Hope you all watch the Canada
vs Costa Rica
game tonite and enjoy. I will be at the Stadium watching it too.
I got here! It was so warm that we got to wear our short-sleeve uniform...finally! The game
was good, but USA definitely were the stronger team and played much better than they
did last game against Costa Rica. Offsides were minimal which was good because the
Referee relied on me much greater than in other games. I think it was because I was the
Snr. AR and play was all in my end the first half with USA attacking, so she got used to
me being there. Unfortunately early in the game the Referee went to caution the first
player (US), only to find that she did not have her yellow card on her.....panic time! I know
it sounds like a major rookie mistake, but things can happen, especially when the nerves
get to you at this level of game. The incident happened down in the Ref's corner and I
knew by the panic in her body language as soon as she went to her pocket and nothing
was there that she didn't have it. I ran down my line calling to the 4th to get her yellow card
out, so by the time the Ref had run to the half, the 4th was there giving it to her. I called
after the Ref "thirteen, treize, blanco, blanco!" hoping my Spanish lessons had worked
and that she would find the correct player as she attempted to hide in the wall farthest
away from where the foul occurred. Thankfully she found the correct player and recovered
well from the incident. She relied on me heavily after that, just needing support to regain
composure and confidence, so I tried to be there and encourage her as much as
possible. It was the first time I ever called ball in/out of play with direction on my entire
touch line, corner to corner, but it didn't matter, we are a team out there and do what we
can for each other. The second half was good, less challenging as I think USA was
already leading 5-0 at the half, and the game ended 6-0.
We showered as quick as we could and were out to watch the second game Canada vs
Costa Rica. I am a Canadian and like to see the team do well, but was keeping my
fingers crossed that Costa Rica would come out strong as I knew they could. I had been
hearing many rumours that no matter what happened at the semi's, there would be a Canadian present in the final game.....so it was either the Canadian team, or me! Well I
am sure you all know the Canadian team was too strong for the Costa Ricans and won,
putting them through to the final game against the USA. Of course that meant I lost and
would be on the bronze game. Oh well, them's the breaks. I honestly was extremely
happy just to still be here, learning and gaining experience.
After the semi's the officials were already talking about the finals, assuming we knew the
appointments. Sonia overheard this and put a stop to it saying that this is a new age of
refereeing and that things that happened in the past may not happen in the future. She
used the example from the Womens World Cup where her and Denise were kept to the
final round even though Canada had also advanced. In the past, the Canadian and
American officials would have been sent home, but FIFA is now wanting the best officials
to remain. So that started all the talk that a Canadian and American AR would be put on
the gold game with a neutral Ref and 4th. You should have heard the different scenarios
that arose....I stayed out of it. All I knew is that I did my best and whatever happens,
happens. There is no way of knowing what the Instructors are thinking, so why waste
energy trying.
We were back to the hotel late, but everyone was pumped and wanted to have some time
together so we all gathered in Sonia's room and talked and laughed until 1:00am. It was
good to be all together and having fun, no matter what language.
We were up at 8:00am this morning and all had breakfast together at 9:00am. We then
went to our meeting at 10:30 for post-game assessments and a big talk about
expectations, both on and off the field. Sonia is doing a great job and telling it like it is.
She has much respect from the officials as well since she's not only talking from
experience, but also from the heart. We got an ear full for 2 hours! The assignments were
given for the bronze game Mexico vs Costa Rica and it will be Shane (Trinidad), me
Snr. AR, Karalee (USA) Jr. AR, and Maria (El SALV) as 4th. The gold game between
Canada and USA will be refereed by Dianne (Guyana), Patricia (El SALV), Paulette (JAM)
and the 4th Virginia (MEX). Everyone congratulated each other, and there was really no
surprises. Then it was straight to our rooms, pack our bags, put on our "monkey suits"
, and in the lobby by 1:00pm to load the vans and off to Ottawa. It was a gorgeous hot day
and a great trip. The van I was in was driven by Sonia, with Yolanda Camachoo (Costa
Rican Commissioner), my roommate Paulette, Karalee (USA) and Patricia (ELSALV).
We boogied to Reggae and Spanish music all the way and had lots of fun learning
Jamaican and Spanish sayings and swear words!
We were at the hotel by 3:30pm and had until 6:30pm on our own. The hotel was very
nice and only a block away from the Marketplace and a few blocks from the Parliament,
so we all went sightseeing and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon. We then were off to
Sonia's house in Gatineau, only about 20 minutes away, for a pasta dinner that we all
cooked together while watching the hockey game. It was a really nice night in a relaxed
atmosphere. As it was Bonnie Bishop's birthday (FIFA Instructor-Trinidad) so we finished
the night with birthday cake.
We had our pre game alone in Sonia's kitchen with Bonnie interpreting for Maria who only
speaks Spanish. The Referee's pre-game was very brief, but as there was some
confusion for both Karalee and myself, it ended up being quite lengthy. Karalee and I
knew it was going to be a tight physical game and we wanted to know exactly what was
expected of us, and to help the Ref know what to look for as she had not refereed these
2 teams before. Some think it is only the bronze game, but I know Costa Rica is on a
high and wants to end their tournament well, and Mexico wants to end with a win to keep
their reputation. Both teams are extremely physical and can play dirty, we have to be
ready for this game.
We were back at the hotel by 11:30pm and able to catch the o.t. in the hockey game.
Thankfully it ended quickly, so I was able to get to sleep by midnight. I will be up by
6:30am as we leave the hotel at 8:00am for the 10 o'clock kick-off.
stomach had started. So I got up early and went for a good breakfast to get some energy.
I had breakfast with Sonia, as she for some reason was also up early. I laughed at her
because she's not here as a referee, but she still has the feelings and nerves happening
for the final games. I got a good pep talk from Sonia and was ready to take on
anything by the time 8:00am arrived and we were leaving for the Stadium. I am very
fortunate to have Sonia here always offering guidance, support, and boosting my
confidence.
Right away things were different for me. It was my first time at this Lansdowne
Stadium, and first time with this Referee who does things different than all the others
I had been with so far. Usually we arrive, put our bags in the locker room and go out and
walk the field. This is so important for me to get a feel of the field, start visualizing, get the
adrenaline going a bit. We didn't do this. We remained in the locker room for over an
hour, mostly getting dressed and pumping up brand new balls in silence. Thank
goodness I had my walkman with me. Karalee used hers, so I put on mine. It's the first
time I have ever done this in the dressing room, but I needed it. We finally went out to do
our warm-up, but it was not what we had been doing for all the other games. We were
taught the warm-up that was used at the Womens World Cup, so I was expecting this,
but unfortunately the Referee wanted to do something else....so Karalee and I did what
she wanted. Now I was really getting nervous....it's the unknown. We got back to the
dressing room and I sat on my own and focused. I had to get rid of the nerves and
concentrate on the game....I know the game, the rest doesn't matter.
It ended up being one heck of a game. Two goals called back, one from each team, on
offsides. Costa Rica was the dominant physical team and kept attacking, getting the first
goal. Then Mexico would regroup and look great and tie it up. Mexico scored a second
goal late in the half and at the 34 minute mark you could feel the temperature rise in the
game. We ended the first half 2-1 for Mexico, but Costa Rica was fighting hard. Costa
Rica came out strong the second half and I caught them right away with offsides. They
scored the tieing goal at about the 55th minute, only having it called back to where I was
standing indicating an offside. They kept attacking and eventually timed it right, getting
two strikers through not offside on a break away and scoring the second goal. Costa Rica
kept the pressure on and scored the third goal. The stadium had about 1500 fans, half
Costa Rican, half Mexican, so they were very loud and excited watching a close game.
Karalee and I were kept very busy and had to call many fouls and control off-ball
situations between the heated players.
10 minutes left in the game and Mexico tied it up. We do not want overtime. We are
playing by the new laws, so o.t. means an extra 30 minutes, no matter if someone
scores. The game was getting too heated. Mexico keeps the pressure on and scores the
4th goal, only to have it called back as Karalee has called an offside. 7 minutes left to go
in the game and Costa Rica attacks hard. The Mexican defense is scrambling and gets
caught. Costa Rica scores and it's 4-3. A Costa Rican player removes her shirt after the
goal and is cautioned. The bench behind me is going wild. Mexico puts on the pressure
and has a few close shots at net. 3 minutes to go in the game and Karalee calls a serious foul right in front of her by #14 Costa Rica. She has been extremely physical and
hard to control the entire game by myself and Karalee. She received her first caution in
the 51st minute on my recommendation, and now it's her second on Karalee's
recommendation. #4 Costa Rica jumps in front of the Referee saying that it was her that committed the foul, so she wants the yellow....and she almost got it. Thank goodness
that the incident happened close enough to the touch line that Karalee was able to yell to
the Referee as well as use our correct hand signals so that the correct player was
cautioned. Then the Referee realized that it was the second caution and the player was
ejected.
Now it's 3 minutes left to go in the game. Costa Rica is down to 10 players, and the ball
is in Costa Rica end with Mexico having a great chance at net. Mexico had great chances,
but kept shooting just wide. The Referee signals for an additional 3 minutes to be played
and my stomach dropped.....what else could happen in another 3 minutes?! At the
4 minute mark of extra time the 4th official is yelling at me in Spanish to beep the
Referee....unfortunately we were not using the beep flags or I would have done it by now!
It was very intense. Finally at 95 minutes the Referee ends the game and Karalee and
I go running on the field to intercept players of three confrontations. Everything calmed
down and Mexico left the field with their heads down, they did not have a good
tournament.
We hit the showers, get our suits back on and it's up to the VIP lounge to watch the final
game. An exciting way to end the tournament with overtime, but a different game than the
bronze final. We all end up back in the dressing room and were given game balls that we each passed around and signed. What a great memento to have from my first
international tournament. I had to say my good-byes as I was traveling back to Montreal
with my husband and kids who were there visiting family and watching my games, and
we were flying home tomorrow from Montreal. It was emotional as we had become a
close group, and you never know when or if you will ever see each other again.
I felt that I had a great tournament. My confidence slowly built with each game. I learned
that many others have much confidence in me, and by the semi-final game I had realized
it in myself. I learned something new everyday and made friends with people from many
countries. I received many, many compliments from people of importance and from
people I respect, and I am so thankful for the support. I was given an opportunity and did
not want to let myself, or anyone else who believed in me, down. As Jill Proctor told me
just before walking out of the dressing room for the first game "You've waited too damn
long and tried too damn hard for this.....go out there and show them what you can do".
And that is what I did.