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Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2008 23 PHOTOS BY MICHAEL IVANIN / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER READY TO GO: Oakville residents Kara Lang (left, 15) and Diana Matheson (above, 8), pictured in action during an international friendly Thursday against Brazil, will play for the Canadian women's soccer team at next month's Olympic Summer Games. Women's soccer team ready for Games to begin By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR TORONTO -- Let the Games begin. That's how Kara Lang, Diana Matheson and the Canadian women's soccer team are feeling these days, anxiously counting down towards next month's Olympic Summer Games in Beijing. "It's so exciting, a very exciting time for us," the 21-year-old Lang said Thursday, following Canada's 1-1 tie with Brazil in an international friendly at BMO Field. "I think I can speak for the entire team, in that right now every morning we wake up and we're a day closer. That's in the back of our minds. Everything we do all day, that's in the back of our minds. We're doing everything we can to prepare ourselves." The draw against Brazil -- the fourthranked women's team in the world -- was more reason for optimism for the Canadian squad, ranked ninth. Canada held the lead in the second half and had several chances to go up 2-0, including a spin-around effort by Lang that barely sailed over the Brazilian crossbar in the 78th minute. Brazil tied the game three minutes later, converting on a scramble in the Canadian crease. "I thought we (carried) the play much of the time," said Matheson, a 24-year-old midfielder. "Unfortunately, they got that late goal. I think we performed the way we wanted, and we're peaking at the right beatable teams. We've played all of them time. This was a consistent performance more than a few times, and we've had for us." some really great results against all of Canada, set to make its first them. Olympic appearance in women's "We're not "I'm not worried about other soccer, will be pooled with there just to people's expectations right now. Argentina, Sweden and the host participate, We're just focusing on ourChinese squad in Beijing. selves," the St. Thomas Aquinas we want to "That's going to be exciting," grad continued, moments before Matheson, a White Oaks alum- compete." being whisked away for mandatonus, said of facing China on its ry drug testing. "We know within home field. "There will be a great Kara Lang our team that we have the goal of crowd for that game. We've being on the podium. We're not (played in front of) lots of hostile crowds there just to participate, we want to combefore, so we're used to it." pete." Lang added, "They're all really good Canada's first Olympic contest is schedteams, but at the same time they're all uled for August 6, versus Argentina.