Six uncapped players invited to Canuck soccer camp
Bev Priestman has named six uncapped players in her first roster as coach of the Canadian women’s team.
The 34-year-old Priestman, who took over the team in November after Kenneth HeinerMoller stepped down to take a coaching job in his native Denmark, has named a 29-player squad for a two-week camp ahead of next month’s SheBelieves Cup in Orlando.
The roster will be reduced to 23 for the four-team tournament, scheduled for Feb. 18-24. The Canadian women, tied for eighth with Brazil in the FIFA rankings, are taking part with the topranked U.S., No. 10 Japan and Brazil.
Potential debutantes includes goalkeeper Rylee Foster (Liverpool FC), defenders Bianca StGeorges (Chicago Red Stars) and Jade Rose (Super REX Ontario), midfielders Samantha Chang (University of South Carolina) and Jordyn Listro (Orlando Pride), and forward Evelyne Viens (Paris FC).
Rose, who turns 18 on Feb. 12, has attended two senior camps but has yet to earn a cap. All but Viens worked with Priestman in her previous role as Canadian youth coach. It’s the first time Canada Soccer has summoned Viens, a prolific goalscorer at the University of South Florida who is currently on loan to Paris FC from Sky Blue FC of the NWSL.
Veterans include captain Christine Sinclair (296 caps), Diana Matheson (206 caps), Sophie Schmidt (199 caps), and Desiree Scott (157 caps). Goalkeeper Erin McLeod (118 caps) earns her first call-up since returning from injury in 2019.
The 37-year-old Sinclair goes into the Florida tournament with a world-record 186 international goals to her credit.
“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,” Priestman.
“It also provides us with an opportunity to see where players are ahead of selecting our final 23-player roster for the SheBelieves Cup.”