Canada Soccer has named the 21-player squad for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016 beginning September 30. With experienced players including Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Deanne Rose and youth program veterans Sarah Stratigakis, Anyssa Ibrahim, and Lysianne Proulx in the mix for Jordan, Canada Soccer's National EXCEL 14-17 director and U17 Coach Bev Humphries-Priestman has delivered a well-rounded roster that blends international experience with newly identified talent.
“We believe we have the best roster possible for this tournament,” said Humphries-Priestman. “We had some good performances in China recently with the bulk of this squad, and I know they have worked hard in their respective Regional EXCEL or domestic training environments to be ready and at their best for the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan.”
Of the 21-player roster, 18 were members of the team that recently competed in a CFA four-nation tournament hosted by China PR that provided coach Priestman with some critical insight in the future potential of some new faces, hence their inclusion. The team will face England in a friendly match on September 25, a good opportunity to address some identified gaps against tier one opposition before the beginning of the tournament.
The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Jordan 2016 runs September 30 to October 21, with the 32 matches to be played at four stadiums in Amman, Irbid, and Al Zarqa. Canada will face Cameroon on September 30 in Irbid, Germany on October 3 in Amman, and Venezuela on October 7 again in Amman in the group phase.
“The new faces in the program are blending in well and we will continue to look to our youth team veterans to provide guidance and leadership as we make our way through this competition,” said Priestman. “Players like Stratigakis have 200 plus days, various tournaments (including the previous FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup) in our national youth program and Rose has some great experience with the Women’s National team, so we will rely on them to help spread our culture and show leadership to the new faces.”
Canada’s appearance at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Jordan 2016 will be the fifth consecutive appearance for Canada in the ultimate women’s U-17 event, marking Canada’s position as the only CONCACAF team to have qualified for all iterations of the tournament. Canada opened the inaugural event in 2008 with a 1-0 win over hosts New Zealand and has appeared in the quarter-finals in three of the four previous editions.
“We are going into Jordan with the aim of getting as many games for these players in their journey as possible, which means getting out of the group and really pitching the most talented youth from Canada against some other leading women’s football nations,” said Priestman. “The makeup of the 2016 Olympic Bronze medal team has really inspired this group, with the likes of Jesse Fleming competing for an FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup just two years ago in Costa Rica. The girls not only have their eye on this experience but on the system progression to the Women’s National Team for the FIFA Women’s World Cups in 2019 and 2023. We are really motivated to push these girls to the next level of development on their Women’s National Team journey and this tournament will be a key stepping stone for young talented players to move up the system with their hard work.”
Canada Soccer Women’s National EXCEL Program, presented by Bell, brings together the best with the best at the national youth level. Operating across the U-14 to U-17 and U-18 to U-23 age groups, the program is designed to deliver an aligned talent structure and system that progresses more top players to Canada’s Women’s National Team.
CANADA (inc. position and current club)
GK- Sophie Guilmette, 15, from Montreal, QC (CS Lakeshore)
GK- Lysianne Proulx, 17, from Boucherville, QC (AS Varennes)
GK- Marissa Zucchetto, 17, from Mississauga, ON (Aurora United FC)
CB- Samantha Chang, 16, from Mississauga, ON (Unionville-Milliken SC)
CB- Hannah Taylor, 17, from Edmonds, WA, USA (Eastside FC)
FB- Ashley Cathro, 16, from Victoria, BC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer Rex)
FB- Julia Grosso, 16, from Vancouver, BC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer Rex)
FB- Nadège L’Esperance | CAN / Lakeshore SC
FB- Emma Regan, 16, from Burnaby, BC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer Rex)
M- Marika Guay, 16, from Châteauguay, QC (CS Saint-Lambert)
M- Kaela Hansen, 16, from Vancouver, BC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer Rex)
M- Anyssa Ibrahim, 17, from Repentigny, QC (AS Varennes)
M- Vital Kats, 16, from Toronto, ON (Scarborough GS United)
M- Caitlin Shaw, 15, from Vancouver, BC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer Rex)
M- Sarah Stratigakis, 17, from Woodbridge, ON (Aurora United FC)
F- Mikayla Dayes, 16, from Brampton, ON (Woodbridge SC)
F – Jordyn Huitema, 15, from Chilliwack, BC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer Rex)
F- Florence Laroche, 16, from Mirabel, QC (Lakeshore SC)
F- Lauren Raimondo, 17, from Niagara Falls, ON (Unionville-Milliken SC)
F- Jayde Riviere, 15, from Markham, ON (Markham SC)
F- Deanne Rose, 17, from Alliston, ON (Scarborough GS United)