National women’s team makes Vancouver home to prep for London
Two- week training camp scheduled for here next month; Whitecaps offer to help coach Herdman get ready for the world
Vancouver will be home sweet home for the Canadian national women’s soccer team this spring as it prepares for the Summer Olympics in London.
The Canadian Soccer Association announced Monday the team will hold a two- week training camp in Vancouver from April 13 to 27, with the likelihood of at least one more camp in the city before the 2012 Olympic tournament in July.
A CSA representative said the timing and details of future residency camps depends on the confirmation of future international friendlies, but the national team will hold camps in other Canadian cities. The team will play Sweden in an away friendly on March 31 and is nearing an agreement to play Brazil in Boston.
Having the team train extensively in Canada before a major global tournament differs dramatically from recent practice, as former head coach Carolina Morace held an extended camp in Italy last year before the World Cup.
The extended residency- camp concept under coach John Herdman will keep unaffiliated national team players busy during the crucial run- up to the London Games.
The idea was hatched after the top- tier North American women’s league — Women’s Professional Soccer — suspended play this year, with plans to return in 2013.
The surprise move left Canadian national team players such as Karina Leblanc and Christine Sinclair without club teams this year, so the Canadian Soccer Association scrambled to come up with an alternative.
Vancouver Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said the club will help the national team when it’s in Vancouver and may provide competitive opponents for exhibition games.
“We’ve had discussions with them and are quite happy to do whatever we need to do to ensure they have the best preparation possible,” he said.