Women’s World Cup is history, it’s all about Olympics now

Redemption? No. Not now and not here. The Canadian women’s soccer team opens the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament at B.C. Place on Thursday against Haiti (7:30 p.m, Sportsnet Pacific).

It’s the first of three group games that should culminate in an all-or-nothing semifinal to determine who goes to the 2012 London Olympics, and who goes back to the drawing board.

But anyone seeking a storyline of atonement after a dismal Women’s World Cup last summer will just have to wait.

“It’s not about redemption,” said Canadian captain Christine Sinclair of Burnaby. “It’s just about getting to the Olympics. Playing well these next two weeks, getting to the Olympics, then maybe we’ll deal with some redemption, on the world stage.”

In other words, Haiti, Cuba and Costa Rica — Canada’s group opponents here — are not Germany, France and Nigeria, whom Canada faced, and lost to, at the World Cup.

Ultimately for Canada, this is a tournament about one game: “Game 4” as coach John Herdman refers to the Jan. 27 semifinal. Ideally Game 4 will be against 21st-ranked Mexico.

If something goes wrong — if Canada fails to win its group, or Mexico tops the U.S. in the other group — Canada would face the topranked U.S. for a London berth.

At Monday’s meet-and-greet, Herdman, an Englishman who previously coached New Zealand to a Women’s World Cup, talked often about Game 4. As if Canada was already there.

“It’s going to be one hell of a game on the 27th,” he said.

He even claimed that Canada is capable of winning gold in London.

“With another six months of hard work, we can be . . . a team that can go and win that tournament,” he said of the Olympics.

Some will suggest Herdman is getting ahead of himself. But in his mind it’s essential preparation. Believe you will be there, and then go about planning how to reach that day in peak mental and physical condition.

“It just goes to show the confidence he has in us,” Sinclair said. “That’s to take nothing away from the teams we’ll face in the first three games. He expects us to be in the semifinal, and so do we. It’s a matter of being as fresh as possible in that game.”

The coach and players, though, acknowledged the challenge posed by their group opponents.

Canada expects to face similar frustrating tactics in all its group games: put everyone behind the ball and look for a chance to counterattack, or get lucky on a set piece.

“A big part of it is knowing teams are going to try and frustrate you and put you in that busy head[space],” Herdman said. “They’ll have transition strategies . . . and if we’re not organized, that will be our Achilles heel.”

The focus on the semifinal is really about growing through a tournament.

It’s something Herdman spoke of when he first took charge in the late summer, following the resignation of Carolina Morace.

It could mean conserving energy with a lead or trusting the depth when key players are rested. Canada won gold at the Pan American Games in October, a tournament format that replicates the CONCACAF event.

“They got used to sacrificing,” said Herdman. “In tournament play, the whole team has a role.”

Herdman’s is to push all the right buttons. Sunday and Monday, he gave the players the day off, which was much appreciated.

“He believes in a balance that I don’t think we had prior to the World Cup,” Sinclair said. “These past two days, he just told us, ‘Get lost, go visit you friends and your family, experience Vancouver, don’t even think about soccer,’ which is a breath of fresh air.”

Today, the focus returns to the practice field. It will be on Haiti, but with Game 4 in mind. And when Game 4 comes, said Herdman: “Not one ounce of Canada will be left on that pitch.”