When you look at it through their eyes, victory was won for Canada women's soccer entry in Beijing before the game even started Tuesday night.

 

When you look at it through the eyes of a nation that -- only four days into these Olympic games -- has already had its fill of, "Gee, I was sure happy to make a final," it might not look quite the same.

 

Nonetheless, the ninth-ranked Canadians have accomplished something in Beijing, advancing to the final round of eight. They will meet the world's No. 1 ranked team, the United States, in a quarter-final match to be played Friday night in Shanghai.

 

That they were outplayed by the No. 3 Swedes Tuesday, losing their final preliminary round game 2-1 before roughly 50,000 people at Workers' Stadium in Beijing, is something that will be more easily forgotten with a banged up Team USA on tap.

 

"It all hit me at once," midfielder Rhian Wilkinson said. "I was still annoyed about the loss. I didn't think we played our best soccer. But it's a mix of emotions. I'm thrilled we're through, but..."

 

For a team ranked ninth in the FIFA world rankings, it's hard to punch a lot of holes in the fact they've made the final eight here. But 14th ranked China also made the quarter-finals, as did No. 10 Japan.

 

Only Canada was so unfortunate as to draw the best team in the world. The good news is, the United States has some injuries.

 

"We've become rivals," Wilkinson said. "Since I've been on the team we have not beaten or tied the U.S., so I look forward to the games against them. Every time it's, ‘This is the time, this is the time...'"

 

If this were the time, it would be an awfully sweet win for Canada, whose two most recent games against the U.S. were described by Team Manager Les Meszaros as "90th minute losses."

 

The U.S. has owned Canada in recent years, but generally Canada can stay close. "Every now and then they give us a good spanking to remind us we have a long way to go," Wilkinson said.

 

It might not have been described as a spanking, but Sweden was the better team on the pitch Tuesday to be sure. They scored first in the game's 20th minute, a goal that had been building since about the seven-minute mark of the game.

 

Captain Victoria Svensson hit the brakes on a rush near the top of the Canadian crease, then leaked a bell through to an oncoming Lotta Schelin. The Canadians were flat-footed, and she easily chipped a shot past Erin McLeod and into the Canadian net.

 

In the 51st minute a through ball found a streaking Jessica Landstrom, who sent a pass across to Schelin. She tapped in an easy goal, her second of the game, from about one yard off the line.

 

Canada made it interesting in the 64th minute, when one of the team's many crosses finally paid off. Melissa Tancredi dove to nicely head home a low, bullet pass from Amy Walsh. It was a fine bit of finishing, though on the whole the Canadian's percentage was too low for victory Tuesday.

 

"We played very well," head coach Evan Pellerud said. "It was a high-level soccer game played by two strong teams."

 

Germany had beaten North Korea on a late goal in a game that wrapped up while Canada and Sweden were in their warm-ups. Korea's loss ensured Canada a quarter-final spot, and Pellerud had no hesitation in informing his girls that their initial mission had been accomplished before their games kicked off against Sweden.

 

"It is a fantastic accomplishment," he said. "But I don't think the players were satisfied with it."

 

That's the scary thing for Canada fans, heading into a game against the world's No. 1. Sweden did not have a lot of trouble with Canada -- so the Canadians will have to raise their game if they hope to be close Friday in Shanghai.

 

"It's never boring," Pellerud said of the many Canada-U.S. encounters. "It's another game between two teams that don't like each other very well."