Scott ‘fired up’ for national team’s return to Winnipeg

WINNIPEG — Canada’s Olympic soccer heroes are headed back to Winnipeg.

The national women’s soccer team, with bronze medals in the last two Olympic Games, will play Costa Rica as part of a two-match Canadian set in June.

The Winnipeg game is scheduled for June 8 at Investors Group Field with Toronto’s BMO Field the venue on June 11.

“I’m very fired up,” Team Canada’s Desiree Scott of Winnipeg said at the announcement Tuesday. “Anytime I’m coming back to Winnipeg, I’m excited. The fan support that was here the last time we played was incredible and I expect even better this time around.”

Canada, ranked No. 4 in the world, last played here against the rival U.S. in May 2014, a 1-1 draw that drew 28,255 fans, then the second-largest Canadian crowd to watch a national women’s team game.

The 2015 World Cup games in Winnipeg, headlined by the U.S., drew well, too, even though Canada played its games elsewhere.

And while the U.S. might be a bigger attraction than Costa Rica, organizers say Canada is now the draw after its back-to-back Olympic successes.

Scott, 29, hopes to stick around for one more shot at an Olympic gold.

The road to the 2020 Games begins with an upcoming tournament in Portugal, followed by games in Sweden and Germany in April, then the Canadian matches.

“It’s the start of a new quad, a new four-year process up to the next Olympics,” Scott said. “So this is just a stepping stone in the journey. We’re talking about not taking any steps back.”

Group tickets for the Winnipeg match went on sale Tuesday, while general sales launch March 8 on International Women’s Day.