Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team will have just one objective on their mind when they kick off the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament: to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Only two nations from the region will meet that objective through the Concacaf semifinals on February 7 in Carson, California in the United States. There will be no second chance.
Canada Soccer have announced their official 20-player squad ahead of the eight-nation Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship that opens for Canada on January 29 in Edinburg, Texas.
The roster includes Vancouver Whitecaps FC BMO Academy system products Jordyn Huitema and Julia Grosso, as well as Jayde Riviere, who spent one year in the program.
Canada will once more be captained by Christine Sinclair who is Canada Soccer’s all-time record holder in goals scored (183) and international appearances (289), including 10 goals in 21 matches at five FIFA Women’s World Cups and 11 goals in 15 matches at three Olympic Football Tournaments. Sinclair is also just two goals back of surpassing the all-time international record of 184.
“The players and everyone around the team cannot wait to get this year started and this qualification going,” said Kenneth Heiner-Møller, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach. “The biggest multi-sport event in the world is only a few months away and we want to deliver a massive performance at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Japan. First we need to qualify, so to do that, we need to focus on the next three weeks and the matches we must perform in to get there.”
Canada has qualified for the Olympic Games three times through the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, defeating Mexico (2008, 2012) and Costa Rica (2016) in the semifinal to earn their Olympic berth. Canada reached the quarterfinals at Beijing 2008 before winning back-to-back bronze medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016. Canada earned the distinction of becoming the first Canadian team to win back-to-back medals at the Summer Olympic Games since 1908 as well as the first-ever Canadian women’s summer team to repeat on the podium.
CANADA AT THE CONCACAF WOMEN’S OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT
Canada will face St. Kitts and Nevis (January 29), Jamaica (February 1) and Mexico (February 4) in Group B after which the top two-nations in the group will cross over to alternate Concacaf semifinals against the top-two nations in Group A. The two winners of those Concacaf semifinals on February 7 will qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as well as advance to the February 9 Concacaf Final. Both the semifinals and final will be played in Carson, CA, USA near Los Angeles.
CANADA
1- GK- Stephanie Labbé | USA / NC Courage
2- FB- Allysha Chapman | USA / Houston Dash
3- CB- Kadeisha Buchanan | FRA / FCF Olympique Lyonnais
4- CB- Shelina Zadorsky | USA / Orlando Pride
5- CB- Rebecca Quinn | USA / Seattle Reign FC
6- F- Deanne Rose | USA / University of Florida
7- M- Julia Grosso | USA / University of Texas at Austin
8- FB- Jayde Riviere | USA / University of Michigan
9- F- Jordyn Huitema | FRA / Paris Saint-Germain
10- FB- Ashley Lawrence | FRA / Paris Saint-Germain
11- M- Desiree Scott | USA / Utah Royals FC
12- F- Christine Sinclair | USA / Portland Thorns FC
13- M- Sophie Schmidt | USA / Houston Dash
14- M- Gabrielle Carle | USA / Florida State University
15- F- Nichelle Prince | USA / Houston Dash
16- F- Janine Beckie | ENG / Manchester City FC
17- M- Jessie Fleming | USA / UCLA
18- GK- Kailen Sheridan | USA / Sky Blue FC
19- F- Adriana Leon | ENG / West Ham United FC
20- GK- Sabrina D'Angelo | SWE / Vittsjö GIK
