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Canada 1-0 China: Late Sinclair penalty wins it for hosts

Despite being frustrated by a defensively disciplined China, host Canada opened the Women's World Cup with a late, but valuable, 1-0 victory in Edmonton.

A stoppage-time penalty by captain Christine Sinclair gave Canada a valuable 1-0 victory over China in its opening Group A match at the Women’s World Cup in Edmonton on Saturday.

Having been frustrated for much of the game by a defensively-minded Chinese side, Zhao Rong’s foul on Canadian substitute Adriana Leon allowed Sinclair to convert from the penalty spot and give the tournament host all three points in front of a record crowd of 53,058 at Commonwealth Stadium.