19 mins - Stars of the game for Canada thus far are Diana Matheson and Desiree Scott, doing all the clean-up just in front of defence.
16 mins - Momentum starting to shift. Sawa and Ogimi nearly play each other through Canadian defensive line with a series of give and gos. Canada still running hard, which is what's keeping them in this.
14 mins - Japanese shouts for a penalty as Kyle goes very gently through the back of Sakaguchi on a 50/50 ball in the air inside the area. Very soft, but Kyle probably shouldn't do that sort of thing twice.
12 mins - Sinclair cuts to goal again. Kyle's though pass is not far off, but far enough.
11 mins - Anyone wearing hot pink head to toe - like Japanese 'keeper Fukumoto - should try to be more exciting. Her goal kicks take 30 seconds minimum.
9 mins - Now a short break, to acknowledge our sponsors and bat the ball around in midfield to no discernible purpose whatsoever. And as I write that, Christine Sinclair gets the ball on the trot ten yards out of the Japanese box, and fires one in. The goal bound ball hits a defender and bounces into touch.
7 mins - Now Sawa dances into the Canadian area. First she arcs a ball to Kawasumi, who once again runs into a Wilkinson shaped wall. She gets the ball back and tries to slot through another teammate, but the ball bounces off a Canadian leg. Sawa is already imposing herself - which is not good.
5 mins - That was close. Kinga lofts a ball into the area. Japanese star Sawa is standing in a thicket of defenders and roundhouses the ball before it bounces. Difficult skill, but Sawa didn't miss it by much. Ball canons over Canadian net. Notice, consider yourself served.
4 mins - As Kawasumi tries to cut in from the left flank, Wilkinson turns her back and powers her opponent out of bounds. That's the game Canada needs to play.
3 mins - Canada pins Japan back against their own goalmouth for a good bit. Kyle tries to outlet Sesselman down the side, but it rolls out. Strong start.
2 mins - Canadian tactic pretty clear - they're piled up in midfield trying to disrupt Japanese passing game. Working so far, but it's early.
1 min - They're off. Canadian 'keeper Erin McLeod misjudges an early bouncing ball. Recovers easily while crowd yelps.
The Japanese women's soccer team is the most enthusiastic group of pre-game high fivers in sports history.
There were rumours beforehand of 28,000 tickets sold. There are far fewer than that on hand right now - I'd guess 6 or 7,000 - but security here is a genuine nightmare.
Ticketbuyers being forced to empty out all their bags, transfer their belongings into a clear, plastic bags, then schlep all their crap back into the bags once they get in. Pointless.
So we'll take stock again at the half, attendance-wise.
They're coming out onto the field now. First time we've heard the Olympic anthem in England (well, the first time I've heard it).
A telling point - seven of Canada's 11 starters have no professional club, while four of Japan's starters (including Homare Sawa, the best player in the women's game) play on the same pro team.
Canada's stated goal in this game is a draw, and that would be a major result against the world champions. Japan did recently lose 4-1 to the U.S. but in a game in which they were fiddling with their alignment ahead of this tournament. So ... that means nothing.
Having watched Japan warm up - and I say this in the most gender neutral way possible - they play like men. Strong, crisp passing. Powerful running. They look like a very special team. Canada don't need a result today, but should they lose, their mulligans are gone.
And if they win, we drink.
We drink in any case, but it'll be nice to pretend there's a reason.
Okay, soccer. Weren't we doing this together just a few weeks ago?
Yes, that seems very distant to me, too. But I'm drying out now, and many things are coming back into focus. Many terrible things.
Line-ups.
JAPAN XI: Fukumoto, Kinga, Iwashimizu, Kumagai, Sameshima, Sakaguchi, Miyama, Kawasumi, Sawa, Ohno, Ogimi
CANADA XI: McLeod, Moscato, Wilkinson, Chapman, Sesselmann, Kyle, Matheson, Scott, Schmidt, Sinclair, Tancredi
Made the hour-long train ride up from London this morning.
Quite pleasant, until we were told the train was being stopped because some poor wretch had been “struck” further up the line. Ugh.
Coventry, you ask? Yes,
that Coventry.
It didn’t seem quite that bad on the cab ride in.
As George Johnson of the CanWest chain noted ruminatively: “It has a Swift Current feel.”
Since George lives out in the bush himself (Calgary, right George? It’s Calgary? They’ve got stoplights out there now, right?), I think he meant it kindly.
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