Love Canadian soccer? Then you’re in for a treat.
The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and Concacaf Gold Cup are both set to kick off in the coming week, which will put the Canadian women and men’s national teams front and centre over the next month. Here’s what you need to know about both competitions.
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
Canada’s group stage schedule
- Monday, June 10: vs. Cameroon at 12 p.m. PT (TSN/CTV)
- Saturday, June 15: vs. New Zealand at 12 p.m. PT (TSN/CTV)
- Thursday, June 20: vs. Netherlands at 9 a.m. PT (TSN/CTV)
TSN and CTV will air all 52 matches of the month-long tournament, including pre-game shows for every match and 30-minute recap shows through the tournament.
‘Caps connections
Two recent graduates of the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Super REX program, in partnership with BC Soccer, made Canada’s final roster: Julia Grosso (Vancouver) and Jordyn Huitema (Chilliwack).
Grosso and Huitema, who are among the 14 debutants on Canada’s World Cup roster, each spent four years within the BMO Whitecaps FC Academy system. 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.
Also with Canada in France as an assistant coach is Rhian Wilkinson, a longtime Canadian women’s national team defender who is now the head coach of the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite program.
Did you know?
With 181 goals, Christine Sinclair is now just three back back of Abby Wambach for the all-time international women’s goalscoring record. A native of Burnaby, B.C., Sinclair was a member of the Whitecaps women’s side from 2006 to 2008.
GOLD CUP
Canada’s group stage schedule
- Saturday, June 15: vs. Martinique at 4:30 p.m. PT (TSN3)
- Wednesday, June 19: vs. Mexico at 7:30 p.m. PT (TSN)
- Sunday, June 23: vs. Cuba at 3 p.m. PT (TSN)
TSN will air all of Canada’s matches in the group stage with a 30-minute pre-match show. Specific channel designations for the second and third matches will be confirmed in the coming days.
‘Caps connections
The ‘Caps have four players on Canada’s roster: goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, centre backs Derek Cornelius and Doneil Henry, and midfielder Russell Teibert. Also included on the roster is Whitecaps FC Homegrown star Alphonso Davies, who recently won the Bundesliga title in his first season with FC Bayern Munich.
Did you know?
Canada is the only nation other than Mexico and the United States to have won the Concacaf Gold Cup, the premier international competition between the top national teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, having lifted the trophy in 2000.
Mexico has seven Gold Cup titles, and the United States has six.