Sophie Schmidt plays on for Canada despite suffering painful facial injury
If Canadian players need inspiration when they take on top-ranked Germany on Sunday, they need only look at Sophie Schmidt.
The 28-year-old midfielder from Abbotsford, B.C., is playing with a protective Zorro-like mask after suffering broken facial bones in a nasty head-to-head collision in a game against Russia last month at the Algarve Cup.
Schmidt collided with a Russian as they jumped for the ball. Both went down, with Schmidt picking herself up and then walking off the pitch for treatment.
“Two broken bones at least,” said Schmidt, who had to sit out the Algarve Cup final. “The cheekbone, the arch closer to the ear has collapsed. And then also a little bit with my eye.