Before Canada's preliminary-round soccer win over Germany at the Olympics, veteran striker Melissa Tancredi stirred the troops with a speech about making history.
Ahead of the France game, midfielder Desiree Scott sang the national anthem and the team reflected on the people who helped them get within one win of the Olympic medal podium here.
On Tuesday, coach John Herdman plans to unveil something special in advance of 10th-ranked Canada's semifinal rematch with No. 2 Germany.
"We've got a nice little message from GSP (former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre) which the girls don't know yet," Herdman told reporters after training Monday. "There's always something we do (prior to the match) just to try and connect the group spiritually and emotionally and then clear things up so they've just got one thing in their mind — to go win a football match."
Presumably Herdman felt comfortable letting the semifinal motivational surprise out of the bag a day early because his players have been avoiding reading their clippings.
Herdman said Montreal's St-Pierre, who is reportedly contemplating a comeback after a hiatus from mixed martial arts, knows better than anyone "how to become a world-class athlete and do it the hard way," citing his grit and fighting spirit to grind out wins.
"I've been exposing the girls to the UFC over the last couple of years whether they like it or not," Herdman said with a laugh.
Tancredi, who captained the team in the first game against Germany while Christine Sinclair was rested, said her message to the team was that there was history to be made in Brazil.
"I've never had that opportunity in my career with this team," said the 34-year-old from Ancaster, Ont.
She told her teammates "to take it seriously. And to give it everything."
Tancredi said she also shared some stories about the London Olympics, where Canada won bronze, delivering the message: "We're not here to lose games, we're here to win."
Having talked the talk, Tancredi then walked the walk, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win — Canada's first in 13 tries against the Germans.
The team tradition is someone steps up to speak game-day, often in the locker-room. Tancredi spoke her piece after the pre-match meal before getting on the bus.
"It's whoever wants to speak," said Tancredi. "I was feeling it that day ... Something hit me that day and I spoke my mind."
While Herdman is a terrific motivational speaker, he's also a master at connecting his players. Before France, the team reflected on who helped get them there, what they want to see from themselves in their future and to think about families and friends.
Then it was back to focusing on what needed to be done in the match ahead.
As captain, Sinclair leads by example. But when she speaks, people listen.
Sinclair took matters into her own hands four years ago in London in the immediate aftermath of Canada's crushing 4-3 extra-time loss to the U.S. in the semifinals. Herdman was planning his own speech when, as he approached the dressing room, equipment manager Maeve Glass came out — in tears.
"She said 'Look, you don't need to go in there, it's done … Christine just spoke to the team in a way she's never spoke to them before.' And there wasn't a dry eye in the room," Herdman recalled later.
Said goalie Erin McLeod: "I get emotional every time I think about the speech."
The team huddled up. And Sinclair, who scored all three Canadian goals that night in a memorable performance, spoke from the heart.
"I just remember sitting in the locker-room at Old Trafford," Sinclair recalled later. "Just everyone was heartbroken, rightfully so. Myself included. After a couple of minutes, it sort of hit me that three days from now we're playing for a bronze medal. Just this feeling came over me that I had to say something to this team.
"And I told them I had never been more proud to be their teammate. That the end result didn't happen against the Americans but I've never been more proud to wear that shirt. And that if heading into London, somebody would have said 'You're going to be playing for a bronze medal,' we would have taken it in a heartbeat. And I'm not leaving London without one.
"I don't know. It just had to be said. Cool if it had an impact on people."
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