The Canadian Press
Canada coach Bev Priestman looks forward to ‘baptism of fire’ against powerful U.S.
Bev Priestman calls it a “baptism of fireplace, in a great way.” The 34-year-old English native makes her debut as Canada coach on Thursday towards the top-ranked Individuals on the SheBelieves Cup girls’s soccer match in Orlando. And he or she is doing it with out captain Christine Sinclair, veteran midfielder Diana Matheson, defensive linchpin Kadeisha Buchanan and 4 different gamers who did not make it to camp or needed to depart early as a consequence of harm or pandemic-related points. “Clearly coming into this match it is not how I initially imagined my first match can be, significantly enjoying No. 1 on the planet. However it’s an important alternative for anyone to step up and try to get their title on that Olympic roster,” Priestman informed reporters Tuesday from Florida. “What am I anticipating? I believe in some methods I do not know what to anticipate,” she added. “Like at this time (Tuesday), for instance, it’s going to be a primary session in for (Chelsea midfielder) Jessie Fleming. At present’s the one day we have had the entire group collectively. “In order that first recreation will likely be a baptism of fireplace, in a great way. However I’ve requested the group to be actually courageous and step up and go in direction of the chance in entrance of us. I do know that each participant’s going to place their physique on the road. We will be a tough workforce to beat, that is what I’ve requested of them. And so, yeah, I am actually exited to see how gamers do on that opening recreation.” The 37-year-old Sinclair and 36-year-old Matheson, who’ve 502 caps and 205 worldwide objectives between them, did not make it to camp due to harm. Veteran goalkeeper Erin McLeod and uncapped defender Bianca St-Georges returned to their golf equipment after selecting up accidents at camp. Priestman mentioned she expects Sinclair, Matheson and McLeod to be prepared for an April 13 pleasant towards England. Buchanan (Lyon), fullback Ashley Lawrence and ahead Jordyn Huitema (each Paris Saint-Germain) had been denied launch by their French golf equipment. The match falls throughout a FIFA worldwide window, which might ordinarily require golf equipment to launch gamers for worldwide responsibility. However France not too long ago imposed a seven-day quarantine for travellers as a consequence of COVID-19. FIFA, attempting to restrict participant absences, is permitting golf equipment to maintain gamers in the event that they face a quarantine longer than 5 days. Sinclair, Matheson, McLeod, Buchanan, Lawrence and Huitema have 845 caps and 229 worldwide objectives between them. Sinclair leads the soccer world with 186 worldwide objectives. Clearly trying to see the glass half-full, Priestman sees the match as a possibility to check some expertise. “I consider in these moments really you discover out so much about folks,” mentioned the previous Canadian youth coach and England assistant coach. She’s going to accomplish that towards a workforce that has misplaced to Canada simply thrice in 60 conferences. Canada, at present tied with Brazil for eighth within the FIFA world rankings, is 3-50-7 towards the U.S. The American girls are at present using a 34-game unbeaten streak towards all opposition and have scored two or extra objectives in 30 of these video games. The U.S. is also unbeaten in its final 50 house matches (45-0-5), a run that has seen the Individuals outscore their opposition 179-27. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski has received his first 13 video games on the helm, a report for the workforce. On the plus facet, the final 14 conferences with Canada since 2011 have produced three ties and 4 one-goal wins for the U.S. The Individuals received 3-0 final day out within the Feb. 9, 2020, last of the 2020 CONCACAF Girls’s Olympic Qualifying Event. Sinclair, Buchanan and Lawrence all began that recreation with Huitema coming off the bench. The Canadian girls final performed March 10 in a 2-2 tie with Brazil at a match in France. Priestman took over the workforce in November after Kenneth Heiner-Moller left to take a training job in his native Denmark. Priestman, who labored for Canada Soccer from 2013 to 2018 earlier than becoming a member of the teaching workers of England’s Lionesses, says there will likely be “some tweaks” to the Canadian workforce underneath her path. “It isn’t about me ripping all the pieces up. We’ve not bought the time to essentially do this going into the Olympics. However there’ll completely be some tweaks and I hope that that is evident within the first recreation you see.” She is asking the workforce to play with a bit edge and a number of accountability. “I’ve requested the group to demand extra of one another and maintain pushing and pushing and pushing. as a result of that is what now we have to do. The world’s transferring ahead in girls’s soccer and now we have to do the identical.” Olivia Smith, a 16-year-old ahead, and Victoria Pickett, a 24-year-old midfielder, each missed out on the 23-woman match squad named Tuesday. Lindsay Agnew (North Carolina Braveness), Sarah Stratigakis (College of Michigan) and Pickett (taken by Kansas Metropolis within the second spherical of final month’s NWSL draft) had been late additions to camp. After the U.S., the Canadian girls face Brazil on Feb. 21 and No. 31 Argentina on Feb. 24. The Argentines had been a late addition to the sphere after No. 10 Japan pulled out, citing the pandemic. Whereas the Canadian roster has been ravaged, it nonetheless options 12 gamers who received bronze on the 2016 Olympics in Rio. There are 5 uncapped gamers: goalkeeper Rylee Foster, defender Jade Rose, midfielders Jordyn Listro and Samantha Chang and ahead Evelyne Viens. Priestman mentioned she has chosen a skipper in Sinclair’s absence however declined to establish her presently. CANADA Goalkeepers: Stephanie Labbe, FC Rosengard (Sweden); Rylee Foster, Liverpool FC (England); Kailen Sheridan, Sky Blue FC (NWSL). Defenders: Allysha Chapman, Houston Sprint (NWSL); Jade Rose, Tremendous REX Ontario; Shelina Zadorsky, Tottenham (England); Quinn, OL Reign FC (NWSL); Gabrielle Carle, Florida State College; Jayde Riviere, College of Michigan; Lindsay Agnew, North Carolina Braveness (NWSL); Vanessa Gilles, Girondins de Bordeaux (France). Midfielders: Julia Grosso, College of Texas at Austin; Samantha Chang, College of South Carolina; Sarah Stratigakis, College of Michigan; Desiree Scott, Kansas Metropolis (NWSL); Sophie Schmidt, Houston Sprint (NWSL); Jessie Fleming, Chelsea (England); Jordyn Listro, Orlando Satisfaction (NWSL). Forwards: Deanne Rose, College of Florida; Evelyne Viens, Sky Blue FC (NWSL); Nichelle Prince, Houston Sprint (NWSL); Janine Beckie, Manchester Metropolis (England); Adriana Leon, West Ham (England). — Observe @NeilMDavidson on Twitter This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Feb. 16, 2021 Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
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