Now he has the Canadians one win from the goal.
Herdman has used each of his 20 players as Canada has won all three group matches in five days at CONCACAF Olympic women's qualifying. It has given him the luxury of putting Canada's first-choice 11 on a minimum of three days rest to play in Friday's one-game, do-or-die semifinal for a trip to London.
"It's a major advantage," Herdman said. "In 96 hours, the glycogen stores are in full repletion so the players will be in tip-top shape."
Canada has won its matches against Haiti, Cuba and Costa Rica by a combined 13-1, earning it a berth against the runner-up from Group B, and likely avoiding the United States. With its 5-1 win over Costa Rica on Monday, it also will have an extra day's advantage against whichever team it faces in Friday's semifinals.
"It's fantastic, so any player that has played 90 minutes (Monday) plus all the managed minutes over that time they're back to full fitness," Herdman said. "I think it's a massive advantage."
Herdman replaced Carolina Morace after Canada lost all three games and finished last at the Women's World Cup in July. The former New Zealand women's national team coach has made quick converts of his new charges.
"When John came in it was a super easy adjustment and I'll be completely honest I was shocked," said midfielder Kaylyn Kyle. "The people that he has brought in around him are just so intelligent and so smart. and for our game plan they rip apart the other teams and we really don't have to think when we're playing.
"It's just we go out and play soccer. He has our game plan set out for us."
Only six players have appeared in all three games, and only forward Christine Sinclair and defender Shannon Woeller have started all three.
Woeller has played every minute, while Sinclair has played two full matches, plus half of the 2-0 win over Cuba.
With Sinclair leading all scorers with seven goals, neither she nor Herdman seemed concerned about her fitness for Friday.
"Of course she is," Herdman said, when asked whether Sinclair would be ready. "Ninety-six hours recovery, the sports science will tell you and our recovery strategies. Christine will be ready and as I say she's such an important player to the team.
"The team enjoys it when she's on the pitch. She loves being on the pitch and like I say you try getting Christine off she's the type of player that will play through broken noses you know, she'll run through brick walls for these girls. There's no problem with Sincy."
With three days to get ready, Sinclair was looking forward to enjoying a little of the tournament in her hometown.
"I'm sure we'll have some kind of recovery session, just sort of flush some things from (Monday's) game," said Sinclair, who is from the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby. "But John likes us to sort of get away from soccer for a while so I'm sure I'm going to visit some family."
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Wendy Pineda scored three first-half goals and Guatemala concluded its run at the CONCACAF Olympic women's qualifying with a 6-0 victory over the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.
Pineda converted 72 seconds after the opening kickoff and added goals in the fifth and 29th minutes to give Guatemala its first goals and win at the tournament, ending the Dominican Republic's stay with a third straight loss and outscored 27-0.
With both teams already eliminated from contention for CONCACAF's two berths in the London Olympics, the result finished Guatemala with three points and in third place in Group B, behind the United States and Mexico, who were to play later Tuesday for the group title.
Maria Monterroso added two and Ana Lucia Martinez another for Guatemala, which missed a chance to add to its total when Pineda sent a second-half penalty attempt well over the crossbar.
Both Guatemala and the Dominican Republic were two of the youngest teams in the tournament. Guatemala started five teenagers and the Dominicans four, including the youngest of the eight-team event - 15-year-old forward Anajaira Claudio.
With everyone but Claudio - who had played in the previous two matches as a substitute - starting their third match in 10 days, the Dominicans appeared fatigued and slow.
Guatemala jumped ahead when Idiana Perez served a ball down the middle to Pineda, who ran past Carmen Polanco, one-touched into the area and shot low past keeper Heidy Salazar from just inside the 18.
The Chapines created almost an exact copy for the second goal. Martinez took a ball from Perez and again served a ball down the middle to Pineda, who ran just inside the area before tallying her second within five minutes.
Monteroso added her first in the ninth, volleying a bounding cross from Marylin Rivera at the penalty spot.
Martinez capitalized on a loose ball for her goal in the 53rd. Guatemala's Amarilis Lozhaiza dribbled into Dominican defenders Denny Vargas and Ana Frias, resulting in the ball bounding away where Martinez raced into the area to settle it, round Salazar and tap in for the finish.
Monterroso completed the scoring in the 91st minute, driving in a loose ball after two earlier shots were blocked following a four-on-one break.
Pineda volleyed a ball off the bar in the 42nd, Monterroso headed a corner off the bar in the 71st and Martinez shot off the near post in the 89th in three other near misses, while the closest the Dominicans came to scoring was a missed bicycle kick attempt by Betzaida Ubri in the 16th.
The Dominicans final chance came in the 88th when Yaquesi Nunez was able to break in alone from midfield, but 16-year-old Guatemalan keeper Mariandre Rodoas raced off her line to smother the ball.
Women's Olympic Qualifying CONCACAF 2012
All Times U.S. Eastern
Group stage
| Date | Home team | Result/ | Away team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 19 | Costa Rica | 2 - 0 | Cuba | View events | More info |
| Canada | 6 - 0 | Haiti | View events | More info | |
| January 20 | Mexico | 5 - 0 | Guatemala | View events | More info |
| Dominican Republic | 0 - 14 | United States | View events | More info | |
| January 21 | Haiti | 0 - 2 | Costa Rica | View events | More info |
| Canada | 2 - 0 | Cuba | View events | More info | |
| January 22 | Mexico | 7 - 0 | Dominican Republic | View events | More info |
| United States | 13 - 0 | Guatemala | View events | More info | |
| January 23 | Cuba | 0 - 3 | Haiti | View events | More info |
| Canada | 5 - 1 | Costa Rica | View events | More info | |
| January 24 | Guatemala | 8:00 PM EST | Dominican Republic | More info | |
| United States | 10:30 PM EST | Mexico | More info |
Semifinals
| Date | Home team | Result/ | Away team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 27 | B1 | 8:00 PM EST | A2 | More info | |
| A1 | 11:00 PM EST | B2 | More info |
Final
| Date | Home team | Result/ | Away team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 29 | Winner A1/B2 | 8:00 PM EST | Winner B1/A2 | More info |
Results
Central American 1st Round
| Date | Home team | Result/ | Away team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30 | Costa Rica | 5 - 0 | Nicaragua | View events | More info |
| Guatemala | 3 - 1 | Honduras | View events | More info | |
| October 2 | El Salvador | 2 - 6 | Costa Rica | View events | More info |
| Guatemala | 4 - 0 | Nicaragua | View events | More info | |
| October 4 | Nicaragua | 1 - 3 | El Salvador | View events | More info |
| Costa Rica | 4 - 0 | Honduras | View events | More info | |
| October 6 | Honduras | 1 - 6 | El Salvador | View events | More info |
| Guatemala | 2 - 5 | Costa Rica | View events | More info | |
| October 8 | Nicaragua | 0 - 1 | Honduras | View events | More info |
| Guatemala | 2 - 1 | El Salvador | View events | More info |
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