Canada Soccer announced today that Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer REX forward Jordyn Huitema has been called up to the senior women’s national team ahead of two matches against Costa Rica on June 8 in Winnipeg and June 11 in Toronto.
Huitema, a 16-year-old from Chilliwack, B.C., is the youngest player on the roster.
The roster also includes former Whitecaps FC women’s players Sophie Schmidt, Desiree Scott, Christine Sinclair, and Shannon Woeller.
The June matches will mark the first meetings between Olympic Bronze Medalist Canada, ranked fifth in the world by FIFA, and upcoming CONCACAF rival Costa Rica since the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February 2016, which secured Canada’s spot at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
“It’s great to be back in Canada and the players are really looking forward to this series against Costa Rica,” said head coach John Herdman. “They have two world class players in Raquel Rodriguez (Sky Blue FC) and Shirley Cruz (Paris Saint Germain) and as a team they’ve been improving over the years. It’s important that our team are continually exposed to CONCACAF opponents, who offer a very different challenge to what we’ve just experienced in Europe with Germany and Sweden. With the critical upcoming 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which is the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 qualification tournament, we will draw on this experience in our planning and preparation.”
With many of the Rio 2016 stars set to return to the pitch in Canada including Sinclair, Canada’s preliminary roster is stocked with world-class talent. Fans in Winnipeg will welcome home two-time Olympic Bronze Medalist Scott, while fans from the Toronto area will get the chance to cheer on southern Ontario locals Rebecca Quinn, Kailen Sheridan, Lindsay Agnew, Allysha Chapman, Ashley Lawrence, Kadeisha Buchanan, Shelina Zadorsky, Jessie Fleming, Nichelle Prince, Deanne Rose, and Adriana Leon.
At the upcoming Toronto match, Canada Soccer will honour women’s national team players Josée Bélanger and Kaylyn Kyle, who announced their retirement from international play earlier this month. Additional retirement announcements are expected prior to the June 11 home match, and fans will have the opportunity to celebrate these players in Toronto as well.
Canada Soccer's women's national team earned the honour of being the first Canadian team to win back-to-back Summer Olympic medals since 1908, and the first-ever women’s Canadian team to repeat on the Summer Olympic podium, when it captured bronze this past summer. With an eye to continue as Canada’s most successful summer Olympic team, the team is now focusing on the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Canada Soccer women’s national team v Costa Rica roster (by position)
GK Stephanie Labbé, age 30, from Edmonton, AB/ Washington Spirit (NWSL)
GK Sabrina D'Angelo, age 24, from Welland, ON/ North Carolina Courage (NWSL)
GK Kailen Sheridan, age 21, from Whitby, ON/ Sky Blue FC (NWSL)
FB Lindsay Agnew, age 22, from Kingston, ON/ Washington Spirit (NWSL)
FB Allysha Chapman, age 28, from Courtice, ON/ Boston Breakers (NWSL)
FB Ashley Lawrence, age 21, from Caledon, ON/ Paris St-Germain FC (Division 1 Féminine)
CB Shannon Woeller, age 27, from Vancouver, BC/ FF USV Jena (Bundesliga)
CB Kadeisha Buchanan, age 21, from Brampton, ON/ FCF Olympique Lyonnais (Division 1 Féminine)
CB Shelina Zadorsky, age 24, from London, ON/ Washington Spirit (NWSL)
M Jessie Fleming, age 19, from London, ON/ UCLA (NCAA)
M Rebecca Quinn, age 21, from Toronto, ON/ Duke University (NCAA)
M Sophie Schmidt, age 28, from Abbotsford, BC/ FFC Frankfurt (Bundesliga)
M Desiree Scott, age 29, from Winnipeg, MB/ FC Kansas City (NWSL)
F Nichelle Prince, age 22, from Ajax, ON/ Houston Dash (NWSL)
F Deanne Rose, age 18, from Alliston, ON/ Scarborough GS United
F Adriana Leon, age 24, from King City, ON/ Boston Breakers (NWSL)
F Jordyn Huitema, age 16, from Chilliwack, BC/ Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer REX
F Janine Beckie, age 22, from Highlands Ranch, CO/ Houston Dash (NWSL)
F Christine Sinclair, age 33, from Burnaby, BC/ Portland Thorns FC (NWSL)
