Canada Women 1-0 China Women

• Opening match of 2015 Women's World Cup

• Record crowd for Canadian football

• Christine Sinclair scores injury-time penalty

• Match played on artificial pitch

Striker Christine Sinclair scored an injury-time penalty for hosts Canada as they edged out China in the opening match of the Women's World Cup.

The game looked to be heading for a goalless conclusion until China's Zhao Rong was adjudged to have brought down Adriana Leon in the box.

Watched by a record crowd for Canadian football, China's Gu Yasha curled a free-kick against both posts.

Josee Belanger then hit a drive for Canada which rattled back off the bar.

The Netherlands beat New Zealand in the opening day's other match with a curling strike by Lieke Martens from outside the area in the 33rd minute.

The tournament opener between the hosts and China was watched by more than 53,000 inside the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, making it the best attended match in Canadian women's football history, but it was a drab encounter until its dramatic conclusion.

Sinclair, who has now netted 154 goals in 224 international games, sent the fans into ecstasy with a coolly taken late spot-kick as Canada went top of their group.

The 2015 tournament will be the biggest so far after the seventh edition was expanded to include 24 teams.

Japan are the defending champions, while the final will take place on 5 July in Vancouver.

There was controversy in the lead up when 84 players from 13 countries were involved in a lawsuit against the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) and world governing body Fifa over the use of artificial pitches in the tournament - and the ball rolled unevenly on Saturday.

Englishman John Herdman's Canada side went into the event having beaten England 1-0 in their final warm-up game last month.

Kadeisha Buchanan had a shot blocked by China goalkeeper Wang Fei, while star striker Sinclair nicked an effort wide.

Both sides came within inches of grabbing the opening goal, but Gu Yasha and Belanger both hit the woodwork, before Sinclair's late intervention.

Josee Belanger rattled the crossbar from long range for Canada

Just one of the previous six Women's World Cup tournaments have been won by the host nation; USA in 1999