NICOSIA, Cyprus -- It wasnt the result he wanted but John Herdman was pretty happy about how Canada finished the Cyprus Cup womens soccer tournament. Anthony Banda Rays Jersey . Diana Matheson and Sophie Schmidt scored second-half goals as Canada rallied for a 2-1 win over Ireland to secure fifth place. It marked the first time in six years the Canadians hadnt reached the tournament final, but Herdman was encouraged by how his team dealt with that adversity. "The team showed a real resilience and that second-half performance was just phenomenal," he said. "This is a very unique group of women, when the chips are down they really can pull it out of the bag. "You think theyre out and then they come back and keep fighting but I thought the second half wasnt just about fight. They played just some wonderful football. The Irish were on the rocks for 45 minutes and we knew it was just a matter of time." Ireland opened the scoring early in the first half before Matheson tied it at the 56-minute mark. Schmidt highlighted a wild finish, scoring at the 90-minute mark. Canada, ranked seventh in the world, has traditionally fared well in this event. The national team won the tournament three times and was a finalist the last two years. But that streak ended with a 2-0 loss to England on Monday. And considering all the Canadians needed to advance was a draw, Herdman admitted the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow. "Absolutely," he said. "In previous tournaments we dodged the bullet of having England or France in our qualifying group and when we ended up (with England) in our group, we knew that was the game that was going to make the difference. "Getting the girls up for this one was tough because we were pretty devastated. But we tried to focus on this being a World Cup and just losing the final game in our group but still having qualified with another game to play and what strategies wed have to put in place to get things pulled around and in focus. It was a pretty good two days for our team." Despite the fifth-place finish, Herdman said the Canadian team learned many valuable lessons at the tournament. "We struggled, and Ill tell you why we did against the English and Irish defensive tactics," Herdman said. "The English held a really deep defensive block and hit us on the counter-attack, they just preyed on our sloppy play and within seconds were firing shots or crosses and I think that was the real learning this year. "Against a zone or 4-4-2 we did well, we did well against Italys 3-5-2 but against that deep 4-5-1 block, which is also what the Irish did, we struggled. But what was exciting about that last game was we were able to get hold of a tactic and the players really made a big push." The 2014 and 15 seasons are big ones for Canadian womens soccer. In August, the world under-20 tournament will be held in four cities -- Edmonton, Moncton, Montreal and Toronto. Then in 2015, Canada will host the womens World Cup with games in Edmonton, Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver and Winnipeg. And following Canadas stirring bronze medal victory at the 2012 London Summer Games, there will be plenty of expectations on the national teams shoulders in 2015. That fact certainly isnt lost on Herdman, who said the squad has a definite plan in place. "Its always been said Canadians are great in the power phase, theyre good at defending and theyre good at the counter-attack," he said. "But the ability to control and develop possession through the thirds of the pitch, thats the strand thats been missing. "Weve put a massive amount of focus in that and at times it has been to our detriment. We couldve went into the England game and said, Look, well drop a deep block, well launch it from the keeper every time we get it because the only focus is about winning the tournament, but we didnt. We played our way." Herdman said playing their way meant a definite eye to the future and not just another solid Cyprus Cup showing. "If we were going to win the tournament, we were going to win it a certain way that would also help us be more successful against teams in the womens World Cup playing a brand these girls wanted to be recognized for," Herdman said. "Even after we went up 2-1 against the Irish, the girls were still doing things trying to play a certain style of football where normally youd try to kill a game off. "At this stage of our development I think thats OK but when it comes down to the World Cup, well be in a stage where we know how to play those games like we did at the Olympics." So for Herdman, his measurement for success at the Cyprus Cup goes way beyond wins and losses. "I think we definitely got better, our statistics were way better than theyve ever been," he said. "There are things we wanted to work on post-Olympics to get the team ready for 2015 and those have improved. "Its just now chemistry and understanding when we play our way how that fits against the models of other teams. Weve got a year-and-a-half to figure all that out and get the plans ready." Wade Boggs Jersey . -- Floridas smothering defence returned to form just in time for the third-ranked Gators to keep their winning streak going. Yandy Diaz Jersey . - The Kansas City Royals are hoping All-Star catcher Salvador Perez will be back in a few days. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/296i-oliver-drake-jersey-rays.html .com) - The NFL is investigating whether the New England Patriots intentionally deflated balls during Sundays AFC Championship Game against Indianapolis.On Saturday at 3:23am et, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Gregory Malone was arrested on charges of cocaine possession and driving under the influence. Malone was pulled over by a Tampa police officer when his 2014 Chevrolet Suburban struck a curb. A search revealed 1.3 grams of cocaine in Malones right back pocket. Breathalysers recorded blood alcohol content of .112 and .116. Florida law considers a driver impaired at 0.08 so he was well over the limit. Two seasons removed from a 20 goal season, the 34 year old Malone has struggled this season with 15 points in 57 games. Malones arrest report may be viewed here. The charges laid on Malone are very serious, particularly in the case of cocaine possession. In the state of Florida, if a person is convicted of possessing less than 28 grams of cocaine, he can face up to three years in prison, two years of probation and a $5,000 fine. As well, pursuant to Florida Statute 322.055, any person convicted of possession of cocaine will have their drivers license revoked for two years. Its not unusual to see plea deals in these circumstances, which include no jail time and probation. Common defences to cocaine possession include illegal search and seizure as well as Malone saying the cocaine wasnt his. Based on the facts as reported to date, these would seem to be difficult defences to successfully rely on. The cocaine was found in his pocket on a night when he was allegedly intoxicated and driving erratically. Still, while things dont look terribly promising for Malone, we should not assume guilt. As far as the NHL goes, the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program kicks in. Collectively bargained between the NHLPA and NHL, the Program is designed to addreess substance abuse among NHL players. Yonny Chirinos Rays Jersey. The Program contains a graduated treatment plan which is designed to discourage substance abuse among players and to provide players with time away from the pressures of the game while undergoing treatment. Players that have taken part in the Program include Brian McGrattan and Jordin Tootoo. As a first step under the Program, a player must submit to a mandatory medical and psychological evaluation. Based upon the results of this examination, recommendations are made as to the course of treatment, which may include rehabilitation. According to the Program, a player who is convicted of a criminal offence involving substance abuse will be suspended without pay while undergoing treatment. That player would be eligible for reinstatement only upon the recommendation of doctors. If the player doesnt follow through on treatment, he can be suspended without pay for 6 months while undergoing treatment, and reinstatement once again only happens if doctors recommend it. So where are we on Malone? While there are a number of scenarios that could play out here, its possible that we see Malone cut a plea deal to avoid prison time. He could also be suspended without pay by the NHL and enter a rehabilitation program, which would effectively bring his season to a close. However, in keeping with a more unlikely scenario, should doctors conclude that Malone does not need treatment and the charges are dropped, Malone could find his way back on the Lightning. The circumstances as detailed in the arrest report are certainly discouraging and do not bode well for Malone. Ultimately, at this point, the focus should be on helping a young man get better. ' ' '