Seven players from the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Super REX program – four from the most recent season, and three graduated – have been called up to Canada's U-20 women's national team for a three-match international series to be played in England from July 9-16.
Representing the 'Caps on the squad are Tanya Boychuk, Ashley Cathro, Aleisha Ganief, Emma Regan, Caitlin Shaw, Joanna Verzosa-Dolezal, and Andersen Williams. An eighth player, Aaliyah Scott, also spent a year in the 'Caps REX program from 2017 to 2018. The team, featuring players born 2000 or later, will face England twice at St. George’s Park in Burton, and Northern Ireland once at Harrison Park in Staffordshire.
Canada will face England on July 9, Northern Ireland on July 11, and England again on July 16. Camp coverage will be featured across Canada Soccer’s digital channels including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to follow Canada Soccer’s women’s U-20 national team every step of the way by using their social media handle, #canw20.
Canada are preparing for next year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, with the venue and dates to the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship yet to be finalised. This will mark Canada’s first series of international matches in preparation for the qualifiers.
The Canada squad features 20 players all currently registered in Canada’s Regional EXCEL Program across the country. Thirteen of the 20 players have previously featured at a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, 10 of whom helped Canada finish fourth at last year’s edition at Uruguay 2018. Fifteen of Canada’s 20 players have previously featured at a Concacaf youth tournament.
CANADA SOCCER’S WOMEN’S EXCEL PROGRAM
Canada Soccer’s Women’s EXCEL Program brings together the best with the best at the national youth level from the U-14 to U-20 age groups. The program delivers an aligned talent structure that produces more gold-medal standard players that progress to the Women’s National Team. Across Concacaf, FIFA, and other youth competitions, players develop the Women’s EXCEL Program Playing Model and benefit from invaluable tournament expertise.
Additionally, Canada Soccer’s most talented U-14 to U-18 players are offered a specialised daily training environment through the Women’s EXCEL Centres. The program delivers Canada Soccer’s national curriculum through a two-tiered talent system, with three EXCEL Super Centres in British Columbia, Ontario, and Québec supported by smaller Regional EXCEL Centres positioned across the country.
FIFA TOURNAMENTS & CONCACAF CHAMPIONSHIPS
The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is held every two years, with the next edition in 2020. For the next edition, only players born 2000 or later are eligible to participate. The CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship serves as Canada's qualification route for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Canada Soccer’s women’s national youth teams have won four Concacaf titles: the 2004 and 2008 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, the 2010 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship, and the 2014 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship. Canada have qualified for seven editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (including a silver medal at Canada 2002) and all six editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (including a fourth-place finish at Uruguay 2018).
Canada are two-time Olympic bronze medal winners (2012 and 2016) and two-time CONCACAF champions (1998 and 2010). In all, Canada have participated in seven consecutive editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup (1995 to 2015) and three consecutive editions of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (2008 to 2016). At Rio 2016, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team were the first Canadian Olympic team to win back-to-back medals at a summer Olympic Games in more than a century.
CANADA
1- GK- Anna Karpenko | CAN / Vaughan SC & Ontario Super REX
2- FB- Emma Regan | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
3- FB- Ashley Cathro | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
4- M- Marika Guay | CAN / CS Lakeshore
5- CB- Maya Antoine | CAN / Vaughan SC & Ontario Super REX
6- CB- Jade Rose | CAN / Unionville Milliken SC & Ontario Super REX
7- F- Shana Flynn | CAN / Unionville-Milliken SC & Ontario Super REX
8- M- Caitlin Shaw | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
9- F- Jessica De Filippo | CAN / CS Lakeshore
10- F- Tanya Boychuk | CAN / FC Edmonton REX / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
11- F- Kaila Novak | CAN / FC London Academy & Ontario Super REX
12- M- Lara Kazandjian | CAN / CS Lakeshore
13- FB- Julianne Vallerand | CAN / AS Varennes
14- FB- Élisabeth Tsé | CAN / CS Phénix des Rivières de Québec
15- F- Aaliyah Scott | CAN / Markham SC & Ontario Super REX
16- FB- Joanna Verzosa-Dolezal | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
17- F- Andersen Williams | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
18- GK- Kayza Massey | CAN / Ottawa South United SC & Ontario Super REX
19- M- Chloe Minas | CAN / CS Monteuil Laval
20- F- Aleisha Ganief | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
CANADA A-Z
Antoine, Maya | 2001 | Vaughan, ON, CAN | Vaughan SC
Boychuk, Tanya | 2000 | Edmonton, AB, CAN | McLeod Community League
Cathro, Ashley | 2000 | Victoria, BC, CAN | Prospect Lake SC
De Filippo, Jessica | 2001 | Montréal, QC, CAN | CS St-Lazare Hudson
Flynn, Shana | 2000 | Maple & Brampton, ON, CAN | Vaughan SC
Ganief, Aleisha | 2002 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | SurDel Girls SA
Guay, Marika | 2000 | Châteauguay, QC, CAN | AS Châteauguay
Karpenko, Anna | 2002 | Richmond Hill, ON, CAN | Richmond Hill SC
Kazandjian, Lara | 2002 | Kirkland, QC, CAN | CS Lakeshore
Massey, Kayza | 2001 | Ottawa, ON, CAN |
Minas, Chloe | 2002 | Montréal, QC, CAN | CS Villeray
Novak, Kaila | 2002 | St. Thomas, ON, CAN | St. Thomas SC
Regan, Emma | 2000 | Burnaby, BC, CAN | Burnaby Girls SC
Rose, Jade | 2003 | Markham, ON, CAN | Markham SC
Scott, Aaliyah | 2001 | Pickering, ON, CAN | Pickering SC
Shaw, Caitlin | 2001 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | Coquitlam SC
Tsé, Élisabeth | 2002 | Québec, QC, CAN | CS Phénix des Rivières de Québec
Vallerand, Julianne | 2001 | Terrebonne, QC, CAN | CS Terrebonne
Verzosa-Dolezal, Joanna | 2002 | Delta, BC, CAN | SurDel Girls SA
Williams, Andersen | 2002 | Calgary, AB, CAN | Calgary South West United SA
