Canada Soccer have announced the Womens National Team roster ahead of a two-week preparation camp leading into the 2021 SheBelieves Cup presented by Visa. The pre-competition camp will provide Canadas players who are currently out of season an opportunity to connect on the pitch before the four-team international tournament kicks off Canadas 2021 season in the build up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Canadas final 23-player roster for the 2021 SheBelieves Cup will be released in the days leading up to the opening match.
The international tournament takes place 18-24 February at Exploria Stadium in Orlando during the upcoming FIFA international window. Canada Soccer will continue to closely monitor all COVID-19 developments in consultation with the Public Health Agency of Canada and relevant governing bodies through the Canada Soccer Sport Medicine Committee.
The pre-competition camp is designed to provide any players not in season with the chance to get in valuable preparation heading into the SheBelieves Cup, said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccers Womens National Team Head Coach. It also provides us with an opportunity to see where players are ahead of selecting our final 23-player roster for the SheBelieves Cup. The tournament will provide us with a great platform to start our short journey towards Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where we can introduce some new concepts and operate in a tournament setting which replicates the schedule of an Olympic tournament. Were all really excited to get together and get to work as well as to see some new faces amongst the squad.
Canada is scheduled to face USA, Japan, and Brazil at the sixth edition of the international tournament. All four nations competing in the 2021 SheBelieves Cup reached the knockout phase of the last FIFA Womens World Cup France 2019 and have all since qualified for the 12-nation Tokyo 2021 Womens Olympic Football Tournament.
The Canada camp features a mix of established veterans and young players, including 5 players who have earned their first-ever call up to the Womens National Team. Veterans include the worlds all-time international goalscoring record holder Christine Sinclair, and two-time Olympic bronze medallists Diana Matheson, Desiree Scott, and Sophie Schmidt with goalkeeper Erin McLeod earning her first call-up since returning from injury in 2019.
The roster also includes the two most recent Canadian Players of the Year Kadeisha Buchanan (2020) and Ashley Lawrence (2019), as well as the most recent Canadian Youth International Players of the Year Jade Rose (2020) and Olivia Smith (2019).
Rose took part in two camps with the Womens National Team but is one of six players that has yet to make their first international A appearance. Other potential debutants are Evelyne Viens of Sky Blue FC, Bianca St-Georges of Chicago Red Stars, Jordyn Listro of Orlando Pride, Rylee Foster of Liverpool FC and Samantha Chang of University of South Carolina.
The Canada camp will also feature goalkeepers Stephanie Labb and Kailen Sheridan; centre backs Vanessa Gilles and Shelina Zadorsky; fullbacks Gabrielle Carle, Allysha Chapman, and Jayde Riviere; midfielders Jessie Fleming, Julia Grosso, and Quinn; and forwards Janine Beckie, Jordyn Huitema, Adriana Leon, Nichelle Prince, and Deanne Rose.
OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNERS & CONCACAF CHAMPIONS
Canada are two-time Olympic bronze medal winners (2012 and 2016) and two-time Concacaf champions (1998 and 2010). In all, Canada have participated in seven consecutive editions of the FIFA Womens World Cup (1995 to 2019) and three consecutive editions of the Womens Olympic Football Tournament (2008 to 2016). At Rio 2016, Canada Soccers Womens National Team were the first Canadian Olympic team to win back-to-back medals at a summer Olympic Games in more than a century.
Canada Soccers Womens National Youth Teams, meanwhile, have won four Concacaf youth titles: the 2004 and 2008 Concacaf Womens Under-20 Championship, the 2010 Concacaf Womens Under-17 Championship, and the 2014 Concacaf Girls Under-15 Championship. Canada have qualified for seven editions of the FIFA U-20 Womens World Cup (including a silver medal at Canada 2002) and all six editions of the FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup (including a fourth-place finish at Uruguay 2018).
CANADA
GK – Rylee Foster| ENG / Liverpool FC
GK- Stephanie Labb | SWE / FC Rosengrd
GK – Erin McLeod| USA / Orlando Pride
GK – Kailen Sheridan | USA / Sky Blue FC
CB – Kadeisha Buchanan | FRA / FCF Olympique Lyonnais
CB – Vanessa Gilles| FRA / FC Girondins de Bordeaux
CB – Jade Rose| CAN / Super REX Ontario
CB – Shelina Zadorsky | ENG / Tottenham Hotspur
FB – Gabrielle Carle| USA / Florida State University
FB – Allysha Chapman | USA / Houston Dash
FB – Ashley Lawrence | FRA / Paris Saint-Germain
FB – Bianca St-Georges| USA / Chicago Red Stars
FB – Jayde Riviere | USA / University of Michigan
M – Samantha Chang| USA / University of South Carolina
M – Jessie Fleming | ENG / Chelsea FC
M – Julia Grosso | USA / University of Texas at Austin
M – Jordyn Listro| USA / Orlando Pride
M – Diana Matheson| USA / Kansas City NWSL
M – Quinn | USA / OL Reign FC
M – Sophie Schmidt | USA / Houston Dash
M – Desiree Scott | USA / Kansas City NWSL
F- Janine Beckie | ENG / Manchester City FC
F- Jordyn Huitema | FRA / Paris Saint-Germain
F- Adriana Leon | ENG / West Ham United FC
F- Nichelle Prince | USA / Houston Dash
F- Deanne Rose | USA / University of Florida
F- Christine Sinclair | USA / Portland Thorns FC
F- Olivia Smith | CAN / Super REX Ontario
F- Evelyne Viens| USA / Sky Blue FC
MEDIA CONTACTS
Brad FougereCorporate Communications | Communications corporatives
bfougere@canadasoccer.com
m. +1 613.299.1587
Richard Scott
National Teams Program | Programme de l’quipe nationale
rscott@canadasoccer.com
m. +1 613.818.0305