{
    "title": "WNT: Gayle makes birthday appearance",
    "modified_at": "2026-05-05 18:00:40",
    "published_at": "2010-11-01 09:00:00",
    "url": "https://news.canadasoccer.com/wnt-gayle-makes-birthday-appearance",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/AAFd",
    "culture": "en",
    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "By having all 20 of her players see action in the first two matches, head coach Carolina Morace added to a subtle stat in Canadian women\u2019s team history: players who have made an appearance on their birthday. In Canada\u2019s big 8:0 victory over Guyana on Sunday 31 October, right back Robyn Gayle celebra\u2026",
    "slug": "wnt-gayle-makes-birthday-appearance",
    "body": "<p>By having all 20 of her players see action in the first two matches, head coach Carolina Morace added to a subtle stat in Canadian women&rsquo;s team history: players who have made an appearance on their birthday. In Canada&rsquo;s big 8:0 victory over Guyana on Sunday 31 October, right back Robyn Gayle celebrated her 25th birthday by coming on as a second-half substitution for starter Rhian Wilkinson.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200bIt was Gayle&rsquo;s fourth appearance this year and 31st of her career in the Sunday night victory. She already has significant experience for Canada, having first played at age 20 in a win over Italy at home in Toronto. She has since represented Canada at one FIFA Women&rsquo;s World Cup (China 2007), one Women&rsquo;s Olympic Football Tournament (Beijing 2008), and three CONCACAF qualification tournaments (2006, 2008 and 2010). She has also won silver (2003) and bronze (2007) medals at the Pan American Games.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200bGayle is the first birthday girl to play for Canada since, well, since Wilkinson played for Canada on 12 May 2007. Wilkinson was also 25 in her birthday appearance, a 2:6 loss to the world&rsquo;s number-one ranked USA in an international friendly match. Wilkinson was one of two Canadian goal scorers on that day.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200bOther birthday appearances have been Christine Sinclair at age 20 in a 4:0 win over Mexico (Sinclair scored the opening goal); Breanna Boyd at age 19 in 2000 (5:1 over Japan) and a year later at age 20 in 2001 (2:5 loss to Sweden); Janine (Wood) Helland at age 21 in a 6:0 win over Trinidad and Tobago (CONCACAF Championship); and goalkeeper Sue Redepenning-Simon at age 26 in an 0:2 loss to Sweden.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200bAfter two matches, Canada is the only team at the 2010 CONCACAF Women&rsquo;s World Cup Qualifier with all 20 players to have seen action. Canada, Mexico, USA and Costa Rica have all qualified for the semi-final stage, with match ups to be determined after the Monday (USA v Costa Rica) and Tuesday (Canada v Mexico) group matches.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<em>Canada, whose title sponsor is Winners and presenting sponsor is Teck, is taking part in the 2010 CONCACAF Women&rsquo;s World Cup Qualifier from 28 October to 8 November. Canada has qualified for each of the last four FIFA Women&rsquo;s World Cups and hopes to make it five straight with a qualification to Germany 2011.</em></p>",
    "author": {
        "first_name": "Integration",
        "last_name": "Integration"
    },
    "format_version": 5
}