Calgary Herald from Calgary, Alberta, Canada • 45

Section How Stamps plan to turn up heat on defence PageD3 Why Slovak's atnome a on volleyball court PageD4 Editor: Tom Maloney 235-7578 Calgary's Best-Read Sports Package Thursday, September 25, 2003 Sport IK A Single match to dee ide I Canada's soccer fate Canucks have to work to beat Argentines GEORGE JOHNSON 0 PINION Flames enforcer likes to see stars JOHN KOROBANIK CanWest News Service COLUMBUS, OHIO As expected all along, Canada's chances of advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals will come down to a single game, Saturday in Boston against Japaa The winner will advance, the loser will be eliminated. Draw and goals differential will decide and, after Japan lost 3-0 to Germany and Canada struggled but got past Argentina 3-0 Wednesday, Japan would advance on the strength of its 6-0 beating of Argentina earlier. Canada got the win it needed Wednesday but not the margin of victory it wanted. The Canadians looked shaky and nervous the first 10 minutes Imagine, a hockey heavyweight who enjoys seeing stars. "It's such a release," explains Krzysztof Oliwa.

"It's night. It's dark. Quiet. Peaceful. And you're by yourself, gazing up at the heavens.

It's so soothing, so relaxing. I'd recommend it to anyone." Customarily, the only stargazing tough guys get a kick out of is when some and didn't get a good scoring change until Also See I Barcelona 15th red-faced no-hair-out-of-place, artsy-fartsy 50-goal scorer is hanging limply off the end of their stick blade like a wet dish towel. And Oliwa is a tough guy. Not a the minute. D5 ll Krzysztof Oliwa Also See Flame wants green light D2 0 0 small boy's idea of the product, mind, but the genuine article.

His is a face that comes at you not in profile, but at odd, sharp angles reminiscent of Picasso. He looks as if he'd somehow survived a full 15 in there with Smokin' Joe Frazier (and lived to regret the experience). At six-foot-five, his massive upper body could've been created by cartooning legend Stan Lee; seems forged from tungstun. See JOHNSON, Page D2 1 Matt Sullivan, Reuters Canada's Christine Sinclair, 12, battles Argentina's Clarisa Huber during FIFA World Cup women's soccer match Wednesday. BASEBALL They got their only goal of the half on Charmaine Hooper's penalty kick in the 17th minute after Christine Latham was taken down in the box.

Rather than inspire the Canadians to more offensive pressure the goal seemed to set them back. Although Canada had a couple more chances in the half, Argentina showed more determination and their pressure created two good chances to tie the game. Coach Even Pellerud had said he would go with a more offensive gameplan but Argentina's tight play in the midfield and Canada's lack of cohesiveness and effort on offence wrecked that strategy. Canada came into the tournament wanting to make a statement about how much the team has improved since it went win-less in the 1999 World Cup. Instead it struggled against the weakest team in its group until Latham ensured the win with two goals late in the game.

See WIN, Page D5 Have your say What do you think of Darryl Sutter's Calgary Flames so far this NHL pre-season? What must the Flames do to make the playoffs? The World Cup of women's soccer is enjoying success at a time when other endeavours a TV network and a U.S. pro soccer league collapsed. Why don't more people watch women's sports? If Canada gets to host Davis Cup World Group play, why should it be played in Calgary? Letters to the Sports Editor appear most Saturdays with a Dave Elston cartoon. Send e-mails to: Cy Youngs may have Canadian flavour Toronto Blue Jays' Roy Halladay The Canadian Press. NEW YORK innings this season, over Esteban Loaiza of the Chicago White Sox and Pedro Martinez of the Boston Red Sox.

Going into Wednesday's games, Gagne had 53 saves in 53 opportu- Canada may get a piece of both Cy Young Awards, ac cording to Sports 1 to nities this season and had struck out almost half of the bat- ALSO SEE ters he faced. Jason toon Schmidt of the San Fran-P cisco Giants was Si's In its Sept. 29 issue, the magazine predicts Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay will win the American League 1 Los Angeles 1 ll si (Jiauc i nc choice as the runner-up. Cy Young Dodgers Eric Gagne while Los Angeles closer Eric Texas Rangers slugger Alex Rodriguez was pegged to take the AL MVP Award with the NL honours going to Barry Bonds of San Francisco. Gagne of Montreal will take the Na tional League version Blue Jays star Carlos Delgado was fourth on the AL MVP list The issue hit newsstands Wednesday.

of the award. SI picks Halladay, who has 21 victories and 195 strikeouts in 257 l-j) Av ll 7 CAME CANAOIANA PACKS LIMITED PACKS AVAILABLE STARTING AT 1 PJPP.