Canadian women’s coach takes massive task in stride
Bev Priestman knew taking over the Canadian women’s national team during a pandemic with a short runway heading into the Tokyo Olympics was going to be a challenge.
The new head coach, however, could not have anticipated the initial scope of work, with Canada going up against the best team in the world without a handful of key veterans and not having played in a year.
Such is what Priestman is facing in her head coaching debut with Canada, taking on the United States on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, One Soccer) at the Shebelieves Cup in Orlando, Fla., without regulars Christine Sinclair, Diana Matheson, Erin Mcleod, Kadeisha Buchanan, Jordyn Huitema and Ashley Lawrence.
The United States squad, meanwhile, features a full complement of stars, has played three times since March, and is unbeaten in its last 34 games, spanning over two years.
“I think obviously coming into this tournament, it’s not how I originally imagined how my first tournament would be, in particularly playing No. 1 in the world,” Priestman said Tuesday. “But I sort of talked to the fact that it’s a great opportunity for anybody to step up and try and get their name on that Olympic roster.
“It gives me a great chance to assess any new players, a current crop of players that maybe wouldn’t see as much game time. But I think it’s the U.S., that’s the first thing; I think any Canadian who puts on the jersey when they’re playing the U.S., I don’t think you have to motivate them.”
Canada will play three games at the four-team tournament. They face Argentina on Sunday and conclude the event against Brazil on Feb. 24. Canada has an exhibition game scheduled with England in April and will then head into its fourth consecutive Olympic Games tournament looking for a third straight medal.
“That first game (Thursday) will be a baptism of fire in a good way,” Priestman said. “But I’ve asked the group to be brave and step up and go toward the opportunity in front of us. I know that every player is going to put their body on the line. We’re going to be a hard team to beat, that’s what I’ve asked of them, and so I’m really excited to see how players do on that opening game.”
Priestman, 34, took over the job in October from Kenneth Heiner-moller, who stepped down to take a position in his native Denmark with its soccer association.
Heiner-moller originally intended to step aside after the 2020 Olympics, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to postpone the Games to this upcoming summer, leading him stepping down before the tournament and Priestman named his successor.
Canada goes in against the United States not having played in nearly a year. The last time the Canadians stepped on the field for a competitive match was at the 2020 Tournoi de France last March, in a 2-2 tie against Brazil.
“We have to have that hard-to-beat mindset, we can’t lose that,” Priestman said. “The reality of the roster at the moment, that’s going to be a crucial cog in the wheel.”
Heading into the Shebelieves Cup, Priestman named five national team rookies to the roster in striker Evelyne Viens, midfielders Jordyn Listro and Samantha Chang, defender Jade Rose and goalkeeper Rylee Foster.
Priestman will also have a number of regulars at her disposal in goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe, defenders Allysha Chapman, Shelina Zadorsky, Quinn, midfielders Desiree Scott, Jessie Fleming, along with forwards Janine Beckie, Adriana Leon and Nichelle Prince.
“There will absolutely be (new) players that will get an opportunity, whether that’s in the U.S. game or the games to follow that,” Priestman said. “Absolutely we’ll put out a team to try and win, that’s the first thing, we have to be smart with that, but inadvertently in the situation we’re in and the realities of the roster, there will be opportunity.
“I believe in these moments, actually, you find out a lot about people. I’ve asked individuals to be brave and the team to be brave and it’s going to take that for us to get past that hurdle.”
Priestman expects the majority of her missing veterans to be back later this year and to be available when the Olympic tournament commences. Sinclair, Matheson and Mcleod are injured, while Buchanan, Huitema and Lawrence were not released by their European clubs for the Shebelieves Cup.
In the meantime, Canada will have to make do with what they have, and the tournament will provide an opportunity to see what the next generation of talent brings.
“I think any player coming in who is uncapped (no international appearances) and who is new to the environment, blended with a group of players who have been in the environment and have known what it takes to win for Canada, that’s the recipe for success,” Priestman said. “I don’t know what I’m going to get, but I do know what I’m going to get when the put that (Canadian) jersey on; they’re going to give everything and I actually think with adversity sometimes you see another level in people that you didn’t know was there, so hopefully, that’s what I see on Thursday.”