Photo courtesy Ryan Remiorz/AP

They couldn’t quite find a satisfactory answer.

The Canadian women’s national team did not look outmatched in their Olympics debut against Japan, but couldn’t overcome the 2011 Women’s World Cup winners where it counted: possession and control.

The match started well, with the Japanese team looking uncomfortable and not incredibly confident. While they are the world champions, scuttlebutt had been that they came into this tournament feeling more vulnerable; a 2-0 shellacking in a friendly against the US did nothing to dispel that notion.

Canada replied to this by using a very physical defensive style, with more bruising tackles. (Kaylyn Kyle really should have picked up a penalty.) And it worked, for a time, in terms of putting them off their game offensively. But Canada were playing an incredibly cautious style when Japan didn’t have much going, and so found it a challenge to create anything.

That’s not to say that Japan didn’t have it together on the defensive side of the ball. They spent the match essentially marking Christine Sinclair out of existence, and what really made their game rock-solid was their midfielders’ ability to defend high up the pitch.

Japan’s second goal, just before half-time, is what put the game out of reach in terms of a group-stage win. (This was Canada’s true low-point, as it served as punishment for blowing a defensive assignment.) But Canada, through Melissa Tancredi, did well to score a goal in the second half; because only the best two of the three groups’ third-placed finishers advanced, Canada has got to keep games tight against higher-seeded Japan and Sweden.

And just pummel South Africa on Saturday.

Stats after the jump.

Goals

33′ – JPN – Nahomi Kawasumi
44′ – JPN – Aya Miyama
55′ – CAN – Melissa Tancredi

Cards

None, surprisingly.

Numbers

Shots: Canada 4 – Japan 11
Shots on Goal: Canada 3 – Japan 5
Fouls: Canada 6 – Japan 4
Offsides: Canada 1 – Japan 0
Corners: Canada 0 – Japan 3
Possession: Canada 43% – Japan 57%

Lineups

Canada women’s national team: Erin McLeod; Carmelina Moscato, Rhian Wilkinson (Robyn Gayle 71′), Candace Chapman, Lauren Sesselmann (Chelsea Stewart 71′); Kaylyn Kyle (Kelly Parker 76′), Diana Matheson, Desiree Scott, Sophie Schmidt; Christine Sinclair, Melissa Tancredi
Unused Subs: Karina Leblanc, Jonelle Filigno, Brittany Timko

Japan women’s national team: Miho Fukumoto; Yukari Kinga, Azusa Iwashimizu, Saki Kumagai, Aya Sameshima; Mizuho Sakaguchi, Aya Miyama, Nahomi Kawasumi, Homare Sawa; Shinobu Ohno (Kozue Ando 65′), Yuki Ogimi
Unused Subs: Ayumi Kaihori, Kyoko Yano, Asuna Tanaka, Karina Maruyama, Mana Iwabuchi, Megumi Takase