Canada Soccer have announced their squad for the Women’s National U-17 Excel camp in Mexico City, Mexico from 25 November to 2 December. The eight-day camp, which will include international matches against Mexico on 29 November and 1 December, will continue Canada’s preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2020.
The Canada squad features Canadian players from across the country, notably through Canada Soccer’s Regional EXCEL Program. The camp features four players making their debuts in Canada colours: goalkeeper Leah Parsons, centre back Sheridan Michel, midfielder Vanessa Frelih, and forward Eden Bretzer.
The Canada squad also features nine players who took part in last year’s Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship led by Wilkinson, a former Women’s National Team Player. That squad finished in fifth place after posting three wins and one loss in four international matches in August 2018. Olivia Smith, who scored in the Concacaf fifth-place match, recently became Canada’s youngest Women’s National Team player by making her international “A” debut on 7 November 2019 in Yongchuan, China PR.
Beyond the two matches in November and December, Canada will compete in the next edition of the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship in 2020, from which the top-three teams will qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020.
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-17 Women's World Cup is held every two years, with the next edition in 2020. For the next edition, only players born 2003 or later are eligible to participate. The CONCACAF Women's Under-17 Championship serves as Canada's qualification route for the FIFA U-17 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
GK- Ann Stéphanie Fortin | CAN / CS Longueuil
GK- Leah Parsons | CAN / Calgary Blizzard SC
CB- Annika Leslie | CAN / Super REX Ontario
CB- Sheridan Michel | CAN / Super REX Ontario
CB- Nyah Rose | CAN / Super REX Ontario
FB- Nyema Ingleton | CAN / Calgary South West United
FB- Mia Pante | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
FB- Taliyah Walker | CAN / Super REX Ontario
M- Florence Belzile | CAN / Super REX Ontario
M- Vanessa Frelih | CAN / Super REX Ontario
M- Florianne Jourde | CAN / AS Monteuil Laval
M- Thaea Mouratidis | CAN / Super REX Ontario
M- Isabella Muzzolini | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
M- Nikayla Small | CAN / Super REX Ontario
F- Eden Bretzer | CAN / REX Alberta FC Edmonton
F- Audrey Chelsie François | CAN / CS Monteuil Laval
F- Nicola Golen | CAN / Super REX Ontario
F- Miya Grant-Clavijo | CAN / Super REX Ontario
F- Olivia Smith | CAN / Super REX Ontario
F- Holly Ward | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
CANADA A-Z
Name | Birthyear | City where she grew up | Active start/first club
Belzile, Florence | 2003 | Winnipeg, MB, CAN & Ottawa, ON, CAN | Winnipeg Bonivital SC
Bretzer, Eden | 2003 | Edmonton, AB, CAN | Highlands Community League
Fortin, Ann Stéphanie | 2003 | Sainte-Julie, QC, CAN | CS Sainte Julie
François, Audrey Chelsie | 2004 | Montréal, QC, CAN | AS Monteuil Laval
Frelih, Vanessa | 2004 | Pickering, ON, CAN | Pickering SC
Golen, Nicola | 2003 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Royal York FC
Grant-Clavijo, Miya | 2003 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Ajax SC
Ingleton, Nyema | 2005 | Calgary, AB, CAN | MSB United SC
Jourde, Florianne | 2004 | Montréal, QC, CAN | CS Boucaniers Montréal
Leslie, Annika | 2003 | Halifax, NS, CAN | Halifax City SC
Michel, Sheridan | 2003 | Ottawa, ON, CAN | Cumberland United SC
Mouratidis, Thaea | 2004 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Scarborough Olympic Flame SC
Muzzolini, Isabella | 2003 | Maple Ridge, BC, CAN | Golden Ears United SC
Pante, Mia | 2003 | North Vancouver, BC, CAN | North Shore GSC
Parsons, Leah | 2005 | Calgary, AB, CAN | North Haven Community Association
Rose, Nyah | 2005 | Markham, ON, CAN | Unionville-Millkien SC
Small, Nikayla | 2003 | Pickering, ON, CAN | Pickering SC
Smith, Olivia | 2004 | Whitby, ON, CAN | Whitby Iroquois SC
Walker, Taliyah | 2003 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Ajax SC
Ward, Holly | 2003 | Portland, OR, USA | Portland Foothills SC