Canada weathers Chinese storm By Terry Jones, SUN MEDIA

China's Zhou Gaoping, right, battles for the ball with Canada's Rhian Wilkinson during their preliminary-round soccer match in Tianjin, China, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Vincent Yu)

BEIJING – Canada, for the most part, conquered the weather conditions, the crowd and China's famed Steel Roses but settled for a 1-1 draw and a share of first place instead.

A win would have put the Canadians through to the quarter-finals of the Olympic women's soccer tournament.

Instead they move on to the last games of group play tied with China with four points and one ahead of Sweden, who they meet next.

If there was an early example of what it's going to be like taking on the home teams in front of huge crowds in China, this was it as Canada went against the team they last beat on the big stage to get to the medal round of the USA 2003 Women's World Cup.

One weekend after blue skies and sunshine created optimism for improved conditions, the smog was so thick here that you could barely make out fans in the upper deck on the other side of the stadium.

In 34 degree temperatures with 89 per cent humidity, the game here Saturday featured 60,000 fans belting out their national anthem together and chanting 'China! China! China!' The crowd roared when the Iron Roses had the ball and booed when Canada had a chance.

It was a sensational scene in the Olympic soccer stadium in this port city of 11 million as Wei Pu put two high and wide early. But by the 15th minute, Canada had managed to take much of the crowd away by winning most of the races to the ball and spending most of the half with it in China's end.

Three corner kicks in a three minute span and five for the half compared to none by the Chinese, with a 9-4 shots-at-goal edge and 7-2 shots-on-goal differential, told the story.

Canada's Christine Sinclair scored her 93rd career goal for Canada, her first of the Olympics, when Kara Lang chipped a ball over the head of a defender and on to Sinclair's right foot to send it home from about 20 feet out in the 34th minute.

But a breakdown which left Yuan Xu breaking down the right side and Erin McLeod coming way out to challenge her and being beaten, ended up being judged a goal despite Randee Hermus coming up with a sensational effort to fish it off the line.

The northern girls kept coming in the second half with Sinclair putting a chance over the crossbar in the 52nd minute and Diana Matheson just wide on another not long later. But the best chance of the night that didn't end up in the back of the net was Lang's blast from the middle of the box which hit flush on the post.

China sub Yasha Gu put one over the crossbar in the 71st minute and Lang failed on a free kick a minute later. China had another excellent chance in the 78th minute when Xu hit the crossbar

Sweden, who lost 2-1 to the Chinese in their first game, scored a 1-0 win over Argentina in the other game of the group. Canada plays Sweden in Beijing here Tuesday.