With just over a month remaining until Canada welcomes the world for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, the host team is ramping up their preparations on the West Coast as their time on the international soccer stage draws near.
Head Coach Andrew Olivieri has summoned 23 players into this camp at the team’s base in Burnaby, BC for a Women’s National EXCEL Program camp, presented by Bell, that will extend into next month. The team assembled on Tuesday, June 24 with training starting the day after. They’ll work on all aspects of their game until their final day of training on Wednesday 9 July.
Included in the group are current Whitecaps FC Girls Elite players Chelsea Harkins and Sessen Stevens, who is making her official debut in the national team program, as well as Girls Elite graduate Emma Fletcher.
Fans of Canada’s women’s national teams program will also recognize names like Kadeisha Buchanan, Rebecca Quinn, Ashley Lawrence, Sura Yekka, and Jessie Fleming, who were all involved at the senior level earlier this month as Canada played Germany in a women’s international friendly.
After this camp, the team will continue their preparations with two friendlies against Mexico in Mexico City in a camp that goes from July 16-21.
In just 40 days, Canada will walk onto the pitch at BMO Field in Toronto to start play at the U-20 Women’s World Cup against Ghana. They’ll remain in Toronto for their second game three days later against Finland before heading to the Olympic Stadium in Montreal to wrap up their play in Group A against Korea DPR on Tuesday, August 12.
As part of Canada’s Women’s EXCEL Program, the Canada Soccer Women’s National EXCEL Program, presented by Bell, brings together the best with the best at the national level. Operating in six-year cycles across the U-14 to U-17 and U-18 to U-20 age groups, it is designed to deliver an aligned talent structure and system that progresses more top players to Canada’s women’s national team more often.
CANADA
GK- Rylee Foster | CAN / Woodbridge SC
GK- Kailen Sheridan | USA / Clemson University
GK- Marie-Jöelle Vandal | CAN / Dynamo de Québec
D- Lindsay Agnew | USA / The Ohio State University
D- Kadeisha Buchanan | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC
D- Jordane Carvery | CAN / Glen Shields
D- Kinley McNicoll | USA / University of Wisconsin
D- Victoria Pickett | CAN / Glen Shields
D- Rebecca Quinn | USA / Duke University
D- Sura Yekka | CAN / Brams United
M- Kylie Davis | CAN / Comètes de Laval
M- Jessie Fleming | CAN / London NorWest SC
M- Emma Fletcher | USA / Louisiana State University
M- Vanessa Gregoire | CAN / Comètes de Laval
M- Sarah Kinzner | CAN / Calgary Foothills
M-Ashley Lawrence | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC
F- Janine Beckie | USA / Texas Tech University
F- Ashley Campbell | CAN / Toronto Lady Lynx
F- Chelsea Harkins | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
F- Amandine Pierre-Louis | CAN / Comètes de Laval
F- Nichelle Prince | CAN / Toronto Lady Lynx
F- Valerie Sanderson | CAN / Comètes de Laval
F- Sessen Stevens | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
