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.

A total of 45 players were selected — and every one of them carried American citizenship. And three teams passed on making sixth-round picks.

While the four members of the Canadian women’s national team who were in Edmonton Monday will all soon head Stateside to report to their NWSL teams, they still dream of playing pro soccer in their home and native land.

“We were in China (for the Yongchuan Cup), so we didn’t find out live,” said LeBlanc, who was on a media conference call Tuesday promoting her upcoming visit to Edmonton with national teammates Christine Sinclair, Rhian Wilkinson and Diana Matheson. “But we all looked at our e-mail to find out where we were going, and then the trash talking started right away.”

Christine Sinclair, Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer and perennial automatic for the national Women’s Player of the Year award, will be going to Portland Thorns FC.

Maybe the biggest surprise on the list is the inclusion of Bryanna McCarthy, the University of West Virginia product who has played in just four senior national-team matches so far in her career.

“The Whitecaps are investing younger,” he said. “They are using the funding they had and were using on W-League and using it on players who are 14 to 17. Strategically, it makes a lot of sense.”