women’s soccer Archive

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Quon’s stunning switch highlights Canada roster for June 2 BMO friendly

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/22/2013

Rachel Quon

Rachel Quon

For months, Canadian national team coach John Herdman has been lamenting the women’s national team’s lack of wing players, and how he needs to find young players who can bring width to the side.

Enter Rachel Quon. In what has to be described as a surprising, maybe even a shocking switch, the former U.S. national team prospect is changing shirts. Quon, ironically, could be set to make her Canada debut in June 2‘s friendly against the U.S. at BMO Field — pending FIFA approval. On Wednesday, she was named to the roster for that June 2 game.

Quon, a fullback, was a standout with Stanford University, a regular for the Chicago Red Stars, played for the Americans at the U-20 World Cup in 2010, and started every game for the U.S. that same year at the CONCACAF U-20 Championships. She has been part of the U.S. national-team program since she was 14. She was born in Illinois. On the surface, you’d find nothing that links her to Canada.

“I am hoping that she can give us that little something different in the fullback position,” said Herdman in a conference call.

The Canadian Soccer Association is now working with FIFA to ensure that Quon is eligible to play. Herdman said that a national coach needs to invite a player to camp before the FIFA process can begin.
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Pedersen’s name not on list of 40 “potential candidates” for 2015 WWC ref assignments

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/15/2013

The 40 candidates pose with FIFA president Sepp Blatter. PHOTO: FOTONET

The 40 candidates pose with FIFA president Sepp Blatter. PHOTO: FOTONET

On Wednesday, FIFA released the names of 40 referees who are “potential candidates” for inclusion in the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Canadian referee Carol Anne Chenard’s name is on the list. Norwegian official Christina Pedersen’s name is not.

The 40 officials are in Zurich this week, attending medicals and a seminar that begin the planning stages for the Women’s World Cup, which opens in Edmonton and closes with the final game at Vancouver’s B.C. Place.

“This is an incredibly important seminar,” Sonia Denoncourt, Head of Women’s Referees at FIFA, was quoted in a release. “It is the first real step towards choosing candidates for the Women’s World Cup 2015 in Canada. The event is two-and-a-half years away and we are starting off with a large group of female referees. We’ll be testing them and then selecting the best at the end.”
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Three great moments from three great players: Hall of Famers Helland, Devos and Peschisolido

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/19/2013

Paul Peschisolido in 1997.

Paul Peschisolido in 1997.

When players I’ve covered over the years earn major awards, I don’t think about the stats they’ve accumulated over the courses of their careers. I think about the moments I remember the most vividly, the marks that these athletes made on my brain. It’s what makes sport so special, the connection between athlete and spectator.

And in the end, that’s what we in the sports journalism business are — spectators, albeit spectators who bring laptops to the games.

In the cases of Janine Helland, Jason DeVos and Paul Peschisolido, they were all part of moments that remain fresh in my mind. All three were named as inductees into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame on Friday.

In the case of Helland, the bio tells us that the University of Alberta grad played for Canada in two World Cups — in 1995 and 1999, and was twice considered for the Female Player of the Year award. But I remember a lot of chilly spring afternoons in 2004, talking with Helland after Aviators’ practices. She was the team’s head coach, and the team was an extension of the optimism about women’s soccer in Alberta after Edmonton nearly sold out Commonwealth Stadium for the 2002 U-19 final.
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England gets late goal to earn well-deserved win over the Canadian women

By
Steven Sandor
– 04/07/2013

Ellen White

Ellen White

England got an injury-time header from Ellen White, giving the home side a 1-0 win over Canada in a friendly in Rotherham.

But, troubling for followers of the Canadian women’s program, is that this scoreline clearly flattered the visitors. It used to be that a match against the English was pretty well in the territory of “automatic win” for Canada. But the English beat the Canadians in the Cyprus Cup final and dominated Sunday’s friendly. That’s right — dominated. Sure, the English left it late, but the truth is that the English bossed the match by a wide margin. And, if not for the heroics of Canadian Erin McLeod and some help from the woodwork, the score would have (deservedly) been far more severe.

Now, before we smack a bunch of red warning buttons, some context: Canadian coach John Herdman is in the midst of teaching his team a new way to play, a passing game that, like fruit on the vine, needs time to mature. The maturation date for the Canadian new system is 2015 — when we host the Women’s World Cup.

And, the English side is an older, experienced team that’s played together for years. And, in a telephone conference held before the Canadian team left to play its friendlies in France and England, Herdman warned that the English side isn’t working in young players — and has yet to show it has a new generation of footballers who can pick up from the likes of veterans White and Rachel Yankey.
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Herdman still searching for young female players who fit his team’s changing philosophy

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/27/2013

Kadeisha Buchanan

Kadeisha Buchanan

Canadian national women’s team coach John Herdman is trying to introduce a new formation and is attempting to change the DNA of our soccer program from one of counterattack to useful, dangerous possession.

On Wednesday, he named his roster for two upcoming friendlies — April 4 in France and an April 7 rematch of the Cyprus Cup final, which will see Canadians travel to Rotherham to face an English side that beat Big Red 1-0. Each game will give Herdman the chance to assess the work in progress.

The roster Herdman named for the two friendlies features more veterans than each of the previous two tournaments — the Yongchuan Cup and the Cyprus Cup — in which the Canadian women have participated. But defenders Ashley Lawrence, who played for Canada’s U17 and U20 teams in 2012, is on the roster. And Kadeisha Buchanan, who played in this year’s Cyprus Cup at the age of 17, keeps her place.

“Kadeisha Buchanan has grabbed a hold of a shirt and she hasn’t given it back,” said Herdman.

But, despite what he’s seen from Buchanan and Lawrence, Herdman is concerned that there simply aren’t enough Canadian youngsters who will be technically able to keep up with the improving standards of play in the international game. Read the rest of this entry »

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Edmonton and Vancouver the big winners out of Women’s World Cup announcement

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/21/2013
IMG_1064

(L-R) Richard Starke, Stephen Mandel, Peter Montopoli and John Herdman at Edmonton’s City Hall., Thursday.

In 2002, Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium welcomed more than 45,000 fans for the final of the then-named FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship. It still stands as the high-water mark for attendance at a women’s youth match.

Eleven years later, and that achievement still resonates with FIFA. On Thursday, the Organizing Committee for the 2015 Women’s World Cup announced that Commonwealth would host the June 6 opening ceremonies and Canada’s first two group-stage matches. Canada’s third Group A match would be played in Montreal.

The final is set for BC Place in Vancouver. If Canada finishes first in Group A, it will advance to a round of 16 match in Vancouver. If it advances, the quarterfinal will go in Vancouver. If Canada wins that match, it advances to a Canada Day semifinal at Commonwealth and, hopefully, the final, July 5 at B.C. Place.

The third-place game is set for Edmonton. The Alberta capital will host more matches (11) than any other host city.
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1

Damn Yankey! England beats Canada in Cyprus Cup final

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/13/2013

Rachel Yankey

Rachel Yankey

Rachel Yankey, the most capped women’s player in English team history, got the winner in Wednesday’s Cyprus Cup final. Her 69th-minute half-volley ensured that, for the second year in a row, the Canadian women’s would have to settle for the “finalist” tag for their efforts at the Cyprus Cup.

Yankey, who plays for Arsenal, gave England the 1-0 win over Canada in the final. The two sides will meet again for a friendly April 7 in Rotherham, England.

Jess Clarke played in a cross from the left and Yankey was able to smash home the winner from 12 yards out.
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Canadian women finish Cyprus Cup group stage with perfect record

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/11/2013

Erin McLeod

Erin McLeod

Canada will go into Wednesday’s Cyprus Cup final against England with the confidence of having a perfect record at the tournament.

Even though the members of the Canadian national women’s team knew that they’d already qualified for the final before they took the field for Monday’s Group B finale against the Netherlands, they didn’t slip. Christine Sinclair’s 145th career international goal was the difference as the Canadians beat the Dutch by a 1-0 scoreline. Canada finished the group stage with 3-0-0 mark.

Erin McLeod, who saved a penalty in the 15th minute, got her fifth consecutive clean sheet.
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Sinclair’s penalty kick clinches Canada’s spot in Cyprus Cup final

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/08/2013

Christine Sinclair

Christine Sinclair

Christine Sinclair came back from suspension, and promptly scored a winning goal.

Sure, it was on a penalty kick, probably won’t make her career-end highlight reel, but it was the winner as Canada beat Finland 2-1 at the Cyprus Cup Friday. Canada is 2-0-0 at the tournament. The goal was the 144th international marker for Sinclair.

With the win, Canada has already clinched top spot in Group B and a spot in the Cyprus Cup final. That means the final group-stage match, against the Netherlands, will be a glorified friendly — and gives the chance for coach John Herdman to rotate players.
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Canadian women win their Cyprus Cup opener

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/06/2013

Diana Matheson

Diana Matheson

As all-time Canadian leading goal-scorer Christine Sinclair sat out the last game of her FIFA-ordered post-Olympic suspension, her teammates dispatched the Swiss in the opening game of the Cyprus Cup.

Goals from Sophie Schmidt and Diana Matheson gave Canada a 2-0 win over Switzerland on Wednesday. Schmidt, playing her 100th game for Canada, gave her team the lead just two minutes into the match.

“We actually started the game at 1-0, not 0-0,” Switzerland coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was quoted on the Swiss Football Association’s website.
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