Canada begins its quest to qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup this week when it competes in the Concacaf Women’s Championship in Texas.
Here’s what you need to know about the competition…
How does the tournament work?
Eight nations are divided into two round-robin groups, with the top two teams in each advancing to the semifinals.
From there, the two finalists automatically qualify for next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. The winner of the tournament’s third-place game will also qualify for the World Cup.
The fourth-place team will meet Argentina in a playoff at a later time with a World Cup berth at stake.
Who will Canada play?
Canada’s opening match of the group stage comes against Jamaica on Oct. 5, followed by contests versus Cuba (Oct. 8) and Costa Rica (Oct. 11). All of Canada’s group games will take place at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas.
The other group features the U.S., Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Panama. They will play their games in Cary, North Carolina. Following the group stage, all matches will be played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
What are Canada’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup?
Very good. Honestly, it’d be shocking if the Reds didn’t punch their ticket for France during this tournament.
Canada is ranked No. 5 in the world, well ahead of No. 34 Costa Rica, No. 64 Jamaica and No. 88 Cuba. Winning the group won’t be a problem, especially when you consider Canada sports a combined record of 19-0-0 against its three group-stage opponents.
“We are very positive about our chances of getting out of the group … I feel very confident we can get through,” Canadian coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller told Sportsnet.
Beyond that, considering Canada is the second-best nation in the Concacaf region, behind the U.S. (ranked No. 1 in the world) and well ahead of Mexico (No. 24), the Reds should at the very least finish in the top three of the tournament to qualify for next summer’s World Cup.
If Canada wins its group (and it should by all rights), it will face the second-place team (most likely Mexico) from the other group in the semifinals, with a World Cup berth at stake. Canada is undefeated in its last 12 games (with 10 wins) against Mexico dating back to 2004.
“The expectation going in is we see ourselves winning our group, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy,” veteran midfielder Sophie Schmidt told Sportsnet.
Who’s on Canada’s roster?
Heiner-Møller recently released his 20-player roster, which includes captain Christine Sinclair, who at age 35 is the all-time leader in appearances (269) and goals (173) for the women’s team. Sinclair is one of three players on the roster with over 100 caps for Canada, joined by midfielders Diana Matheson (196) and Schmidt (172).
Sinclair is the second-highest goal scorer in the history of international women’s soccer, trailing retired U.S. player Abby Wambach — the current record holder with 184 — by 11 goals. If Sinclair goes on a tear in Texas, she could break Ambach’s record.
Canada’s roster also includes five teenagers in Jordyn Huitema (17), Julia Grosso (18), Emma Regan (18), Gabrielle Carle (19) and Deanne Rose (19). Regan has yet to play for the senior women’s team.
Both Carle and Rose were members of the Canadian team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and have 42 caps between them, while Huitema finished as the top scorer at the 2018 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship earlier this year by scoring five goals.
The average age of on this roster is 24.65, according to Canada Soccer.
Here’s the full roster:
• Goalkeepers: Stephanie Labbe and Kailen Sheridan
• Defenders: Lindsay Agnew, Allysha Chapman, Ashley Lawrence, Emma Regan, Kadeisha Buchanan, Shelina Zadorsky and Rebecca Quinn
• Midfielders: Jessie Fleming, Julia Grosso, Diana Matheson, Sophie Schmidt, and Gabrielle Carle
• Forwards: Jordyn Huitema, Adriana Leon, Nichelle Prince, Deanne Rose, Christine Sinclair and Janine Beckie
Who’s missing for Canada?
There are three notable omissions on the Canadian roster.
Veteran goalkeeper Erin McLeod was originally named to the team. But McLeod, a 35-year-old from Alberta with 116 caps, suffered a foot injury while practising this week with the women’s team in Texas, and the prognosis is that she will be out for four-to-eight weeks.
Heiner-Møller explained the fascia — the flat band of tissue under McLeod’s foot that connects the heel bone to the toes — was overstretched, and the pain became exasperated after she tried to continue training.
“When we tested her again after she tried for a shot, she felt as though she was standing on needles; that’s how she explained the pain. She couldn’t really stretch for it,” Heiner-Møller told Sportsnet.
“She didn’t think she could perform with that pain, so we had to replace her.”
Youngster Kailen Sheridan (five caps) has taken her place in the team. Stephanie Labbe (52 caps) is the other goalkeeper on this Canadian squad, and is expected to be the starter.
Veteran midfielder Desiree Scott (135 caps) is also sidelined with a foot injury she suffered on the first day of training camp in Texas. Defender Shannon Woeller (19 caps) is out after breaking her arm last month.
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