Canada Soccer have announced their official 23-player squad for the upcoming 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. For the first time ever, the roster includes two products of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC BMO Academy system in Jordyn Huitema and Julia Grosso.
Huitema and Grosso, who are among the 14 debutants on Canada’s World Cup roster, each spent four years with the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Super REX program, in partnership with BC Soccer. Grosso is now playing collegiately with the Texas Longhorns, while Huitema recently signed her first professional contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
At the age of 18, Huitema is the youngest player on Canada’s roster.
Canada’s roster also features nine returning players from the most recent FIFA Women’s World Cup, including Burnaby’s Christine Sinclair. Of note, Sinclair will be making her fifth appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, equaling the national record held by Karina LeBlanc. The 36-year-old striker is now just four goals back of the all-time international record.
“We are going there to win it, but we have been very good at taking things one step at a time,” said Kenneth Heiner-Møller, Canada Soccer’s women's national team head coach and women’s national EXCEL director. “We didn’t look beyond the Algarve Cup and we didn’t look beyond matches against England or Spain; we only looked at what was right in front of us. Right now, there are three group matches in front of us and we are focused very clearly on Cameroon, New Zealand and Netherlands.”
Following Canada’s June 10 opener against Cameroon in Montpellier, Canada will face New Zealand on June 15 in Grenoble and Netherlands on June 20 in Reims. Beyond the group phase, two or three nations from Canada’s group will advance to the Round of 16 with those initial knockout matches to be played from June 23-25. Beyond the Round of 16, the quarter-finals are June 27-29, the semifinals are July 2-3, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final is July 7.
All of Canada’s matches will be broadcast live on TSN and CTV.
CANADA SQUAD
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 | FRA / Paris FC
6- W- Deanne Rose | USA / University of Florida
7- M- Julia Grosso | CAN / University of Texas at Austin
8- FB- Jayde Riviere | CAN / Ontario Super REX & Markham SC
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- W- 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- CB- Shannon Woeller | SWE / Eskilstuna United
21- GK- Sabrina D'Angelo | SWE / Vittsjö GIK
22- FB- Lindsay Agnew | USA / Houston Dash
23- F/FB- Jenna Hellstrom | SWE / KIF Örebro
CANADA AT THE 2019 FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP: GROUP STAGE
- June 10: Canada vs. Cameroon: 12 p.m. PT
- June 15: Canada vs. New Zealand: 12 p.m. PT
- June 20: Canada vs. Netherlands: 9 a.m. PT
