Canadians arrive in Toronto for final preparation
Team will be in city until tournament opens in June
The Canadian women’s soccer team touched down in Toronto Thursday night, their next-to-last stop before kicking off this summer’s World Cup in little more than two weeks. Coach John Herdman and the 23 players who were officially selected to Canada’s roster in late April arrived at Pearson International Airport en route from Mexico, where they spent the last week undergoing heat training in Cancun.
Before heading south, the team spent a few days practising in Santa Monica, Calif. That camp saw Canada pitted against fellow CONCACAF competitors Mexico in a training match.
Jessie Fleming, the 17-year-old wunderkind from London, touted as the next Christine Sinclair, scored the only goal to give the Canadians a 1-0 win.
The team’s stay in the Golden State also included a friendly closed-door match against their fiercest rivals, the United States.
Back on Canadian soil, the host squad will remain in the Toronto area until days before the tournament’s opening game against China in Edmonton June 6.
Their last couple weeks of training include two match days: Canada is expected to meet Nigeria on Monday before heading to Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton for their final pre-tournament game against England Friday, May 29.
Canada last faced the English women in the final of the Cyprus Cup in early March. The Canadians, who hoisted the trophy in 2008, 2009 and 2011, lost by a score of 1-0.
Captain Sinclair told the Star in late April that the team is more prepared for this World Cup than they’ve been for tournaments past.
“I think over the past couple of years we’ve shown that we can compete and beat any team in the world; it’s just a matter of us doing it for seven straight games when it matters most.”