Herdman has high praise for Huitema playing in U17 women’s World Cup
John Herdman knew there were big things ahead for Jordyn Huitema.
He had the Chilliwack native train with the Canadian women’s senior team at age 14. He gave her a senior team debut at 15. And he watched with pride as the 17-year-old scored the winner that lifted Canada into its first women’s World Cup semifinal.
In the 83rd minute against Germany last Sunday in Montevideo, Uruguay, the 5-foot-9 striker — who missed the previous game because of a red card — converted a cross after a sublime run by Caitlin Shaw, her Whitecaps FC Girls Elite REX teammate, to score the game’s only goal.
“I played Jordyn as a 15-year-old at the Algarve Cup final against Spain to ready her for moments like that … so she has the composure to score a goal like that, of that quality,” Herdman, the former women’s national team coach, said Monday in Vancouver, where he was in town to announce a March 28 men’s game at B.C. Place Stadium. “It’s just fantastic to see. We as a country need to celebrate these moments.”
Two other Caps products — Andersen Williams and Ariel Young — played in the game for Canada, which is coached by longtime national team defender Rhian Wilkinson.
Canada faces Mexico in the semis on Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast on TSN.
Mexico beat Ghana in a penalty shootout to make the semifinals, while New Zealand takes on Spain in the other game. Canada was the only semifinalist to make it through without having to go to a shootout.
The Super REX program has players from across Canada who live with billets, but attend school, train and play together in Burnaby.
“That whole system has produced 18 players to the women’s national team, and now it’s produced a team that’s made a semifinal of a World Cup and made history,” said Herdman. “I’m just so proud of what our system has produced. This country can do things no one had believed.”