Columbus, OH (My Sportsbook) - Germany and Canada were knotted at 1-1 at halftime of Saturday's Group C World Cup clash at Crew Stadium.

Canada got on the board early, but Germany stuck around and finally leveled the score minutes before the break.

With time ticking down in the first half Bettina Wiegmann blasted home a spot chance past Karina LeBlanc in the 39th minute to level the score. Germany won the penalty when Charmaine Hooper handled the ball on a cross from Birgit Prinz.

The penalty was the first awarded of the competition.

Two minutes later, buoyed by Wiegmann's finish, Prinz cracked a shot at the right post that LeBlanc did well to turn away for a corner.

Barely out of the gate, Canada made its mark early when 20-year-old Christine Sinclair, still a collegian, netted her 41st international goal in just the fourth minute of play when she sent home a header on a free-kick offering from Kristina Kiss.

Canada nearly doubled their pleasure in the 12th minute, but Hooper's corner, which found the back of the net, which disallowed after Sinclair was called for a foul on German 'keeper Silke Rottenberg.

The Canadians kept Germany pushed back on its heels through the first 25 minutes, but the German veterans fought back. Prinz botched a 20th minute chance clear in front of the net on a cross from the right from Wiegmann.

MATCH NOTES: Germany are five-time champions of Europe. Canada had only managed one point from each of its two previous World Cup appearances. German Bettina Wiegmann has played in all four of FIFA's World Cups, including 1991, 1995 and 1999. Sinclair was the top scorer at last year's inaugural FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship with 10 goals.