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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Two Second-Half Goals Lift Norway over Matheson's Canadians at Women's World Cup
September 12, 2007 | Women's Soccer
HANGZHOU, China -- For a little more than a half Wednesday in Hangzhou, China, it looked like Princeton senior Diana Matheson and her teammates on the Canadian national women's soccer team would knock off group favorite Norway for Canada's first-ever first-game win at the FIFA Women's World Cup.
But after the break, Norway showed why it is undefeated against Canada in nine tries, scoring twice in the second half in a 2-1 win on the first day of Group C play. The Norwegians join Australia atop the group standings, while Canada and Ghana, which lost 4-1 to Australia Wednesday, will battle it out Saturday to keep advancement hopes alive.
Matheson, a midfielder, played all 90 minutes and had a role in the decisive goal. Off a corner kick in the 80th minute, Matheson stood on the goal line and blocked a quick first attempt, but the ball bounced back off Norwegian attacker Ane Stangeland Horpestad, off the fingertips of Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod and just inside the right post.
Canada struck first in the 33rd minute when Christine Sinclair, Canada's leading international scorer, attracted a few Norwegian defenders in the 18-yard-box and deflected the ball to Candace-Marie Chapman, who fired it home. Norway tied it with a Ragnhild Gulbrandsen goal in the 52nd minute.
Matheson, who has been on Canada's top squad since 2003, will return to Princeton for her senior season following the World Cup. She is one assist shy of tying the Princeton all-time career assist mark of 20, held by Kathy Kobler '91.
Canada's next pool game against Ghana will be televised live on ESPN Saturday at 5 a.m. ET. Matheson's collegiate teammates will head to Notre Dame for a pair of matches against the Irish Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 11 a.m. against Washington State.