Canadian soccer vets Tancredi, Wilkinson, Nault set to wave goodbye in friendly
VANCOUVER — No one was quite sure what Melissa Tancredi would say or when she would say it.
Handed the captaincy for Canada’s final group game of the women’s soccer tournament at the Rio Olympics, the veteran forward was tasked with leading a team that already had two wins in the bag and a spot booked in the quarter-finals.
Some believed the best route to a medal would be to lose the match against Germany and set up a meeting with a weaker opponent in the next round.
Usually one to lighten the mood with her quick wit or locker-room dancing, Tancredi was having none of it during a passionate pre-game speech where she hit a number of key notes and inspired Canada to a 2-1 win over the European powerhouse.