Breaking down Canada's Concacaf W Championship team

Canada is going all in at this month’s Concacaf W Championship. 

The continental competition — which runs from July 4-18 in Monterrey, Mexico — serves as a qualifying tournament for the 2023 FIFA World Cup. 

With this in mind, Canadian coach Bev Priestman has assembled a squad rich in international experience. Of the 23 players on the roster, 18 were on the team that struck gold at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. With so many Olympic returnees, you’d have to consider Canada as one of the favourites going into this competition. 

Canada faces Group B opponents Trinidad & Tobago (July 5), Panama (July 8) and Costa Rica (July 11). Group A consists of the United States, Mexico, Jamaica, and Haiti. The four semi-finalists will clinch World Cup berths, while the tournament winner will also automatically qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. 

 Here's a breakdown of the Canadian team ahead of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship. 

GOALKEEPERS (Sabrina D'Angelo, Lysianne Proulx, Kailen Sheridan)

Veteran goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé dropped a bombshell in January when she announced her plans to retire in the spring. With Labbé now out of the picture, Kailen Sheridan has been tabbed as Canada’s new No. 1 by Bev Priestman, with Sabrina D’Angelo serving as her backup. 

Sheridan is expected to carry the workload this month, although Priestman could decide to throw D’Angelo into the mix for a group stage match just to give her some reps and keep her sharp.

For Sheridan, a 26-year-old from Pickering, Ont., this moment has been a long time coming after being Labbé's understudy for the past six years. Priestman has said she has high expectations of Sheridan now that she’s Canada’s starter.  

"I wouldn't say it adds any pressure, but honestly it gives me a lot of confidence that someone like Bev would say that and be really confident in her own mind about that," Sheridan told Sportsnet. "Ultimately, as much as I always want to perform and be the best I can be, now I want to put it out there for her and for the team. 

"Bev going out on a limb for me, it makes me want to play harder for her."

DEFENDERS (Kadeisha Buchanan, Allysha Chapman, Vanessa Gilles, Ashley Lawrence, Jayde Riviere, Bianca St-Georges, Shelina Zadorsky)

The core of the stingy defence that helped guide Canada to Olympic glory is in place for this tournament. Five-time UEFA Champions League winner Kadeisha Buchanan anchors the back line as the team’s defensive quarterback, and will likely play alongside Vanessa Gilles in the middle of defence — although, Shelina Zadorsky could also get the odd start. 

Fullbacks Ashley Lawrence and Jayde Riviere will be counted on to contribute to the attack by making runs down their respective wings and linking up with Canada’s wide players up front. If Priestman wants to go with a steadier defensive presence on the left side, veteran Allysha Chapman will come in for Riviere. 

With one cap to her credit, centre back Bianca St-Georges is back in the Canadian team for the first time in over a year after enjoying a strong start to the 2022 NWSL season with the Chicago Red Stars. This is a big opportunity for the 24-year-old Québec native to impress Priestman and make a case for herself that she deserves more chances to play for her country. 

MIDFIELDERS (Zoe Burns, Jessie Fleming, Julia Grosso, Quinn, Sophie Schmidt, Desiree Scott)

Priestman made an interesting move in calling up Zoe Burns from the University of Southern California at the expense of Sarah Stratigakis, who plays for Swedish club Vittsjö GIK. But other than that, it’s a straight-forward midfield corps that will likely see the trio of Jessie Fleming, Quinn and Desiree Scott eat up the majority of minutes. 

With a game every three days during the group stage, Priestman will have to rotate through her squad, so look for veteran Sophie Schmidt and youngster Julia Grosso to earn some starts, as well as serve as the first options coming off the bench. 

Priestman could also opt to go with four players in midfield — she prefers playing with three in the middle of the park. If she does, look for right fullback Ashley Lawrence to move into midfield, but still be asked to bomb forward with her penetrating runs down the wings in support of the attack. 

FORWARDS (Janine Beckie, Jordyn Huitema, Cloé Lacasse, Adriana Leon, Nichelle Prince, Deanne Rose, Christine Sinclair)

With the exception of Cloé Lacasse (seven caps), this is an experienced bunch of forwards who were all in Tokyo last summer, led by iconic captain Christine Sinclair and Janine Beckie. One notable omission from the Olympic squad is Évelyne Viens. 

Assuming that Priestman will go with three up front in attack, you’d have to think that Sinclair will play through the middle while being flanked on either side by Janine Beckie and Nichelle Prince. Adriana Leon and Deanne Rose could also get some starts, and both are excellent options off the bench. Lacasse and Jordyn Huitema are like-for-like options to come on as a replacement for Sinclair when she starts. 

Sinclair was an unused substitute in Canada’s recent 0-0 draw against South Korea in a friendly in Toronto, as she watched the game from the bench after dealing with a minor injury issue in training. On Monday, Priestman revealed she planned to manage Sinclair's minutes over the course of the tournament. 

"It will just be a case of, over the course of the group stage, having Christine ready for when it really matters. I think that's the important part," Canada's coach said. 

She later added: "I'm pleased to say that people will see Christine in this first game." 

John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.