Canada holds off Switzerland, wins 1-0 to advance to quarterfinals

VANCOUVER – The offence doesn't have to be prolific when the name of the game is survive and advance. Canada is through to the quarterfinals at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup after holding on to beat Switzerland 1-0 on Sunday at B.C. Place with Josee Belanger scoring the game's lone goal in the 52nd minute.

John Herdman started three veterans up front with Belanger and Christine Sinclair flanking Melissa Tancredi and Canada controlled play for the first 10 minutes of the game but didn't create any real scoring chances.

Swiss star striker Ramona Bachmann made her first of many dangerous drives into the box in the 11th minute, forcing Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod to make a save. Switzerland should have gone up 1-0 a few minutes later when Bachmann whiped in a cross from the right side toward Lara Dickenmann but Dickenmann whiffed on the shot. Canada countered immediately and Belanger launched a long range effort that looked like a cross that hit the inside of the post and stayed out.

The back-and-forth continued without a breakthrough by either team and the sides went into halftime tied at 0-0.

Just like at the start of the game Canada came out on the attack to kick off the second half, but this time they capitalized. Belanger put Canada ahead 1-0 with a strong left-footed strike near the top of the box in the 52nd. Right back Rhian Wilkinson crossed a ball into the area that Sinclair poked to Belanger's feet and she fired the ball into the back of the net.

Though Canada gained confidence with the goal, the Swiss didn't go quietly. McLeod made a diving stop in the 78th minute to keep Vanessa Bernauer from equalizing for Switzerland. Then she punched away a swerving corner kick from a swarm of players inside the box.

Herdman used all three of his substitutions in the second half, putting on Jonelle Filigno for Tancredi in the 69th minute and replacing midfielder Ashley Lawrence with Kaylyn Kyle in the 76th. In the 88th minute Marie-Eve Nault came on for Wilkinson at the back.

"We knew it was going to be tight against Switzerland. That's a good team," Herdman.

For the fourth straight game it was tight, but Canada got a goal and that was enough on this day. Canada's quarterfinal match is on June 27 at B.C. Place and their opponent will be the winner of Monday's England-Norway round of 16 game.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr