CANWNT: Pain Points on the Route to Global Glory

The largest-yet Women’s World Cup will be in full swing in less than a year. As the reigning Olympic champions, Canada will be looking to build upon their success at Tokyo 2020 with a podium finish in 2023.

Canada will be looking to build upon their gold medal at Tokyo 2020

As fans of the CANWNT/CANXNT know all too well, the Canadian team is often underrated on the world stage. This may be attributed to the fact that, despite its Olympic success, Canada has underperformed in the World Cup, only making it out of the group stage three times (2003, fourth place; 2015, quarter-finals; 2019, round of sixteen).

A recent drop in the FIFA rankings means that Canada will be in the second pot for the WC draw, which will be held in October. In order for Canada to progress out of the group — and do so convincingly — I have made a list of issues I would like to see addressed before WWC2023.

Youth Experience

Without a domestic league, a more concentrated effort has to be made to bring youth players in and cap them early, giving them more international experience. This can be done at friendlies; this gives players exposure to the senior landscape without risking a major tournament.

While Zoe Burns, a standout at the U-20 level, was selected for this summer’s CONCACAF W Championship, she did not play any minutes at the tournament. Giving her a late substitute role in one of the “easier” matches would have been a great way for her to earn another cap and get a feel for the senior game.

The U-20 Women’s World Cup is set to take place in about a week. This will be a critical tournament for senior manager Bev Priestman to assess talent coming down the pipeline. Some standouts that I would like to see called up at the senior level include:

• Zoe Burns: Call her up, and play her. Canada has a severe lack of depth in the midfield. With Schmidt and Scott nearing the end of their careers, more midfielders are needed to boost Canada’s attack. Burns impressed during her one showing against Nigeria, and more playing time at the senior level will help to bridge the talent gap as others retire.
• Anna Karpenko: With Sheridan and D’Angelo the clear first and second choices for Canada in goal, it is important to give a strong goalkeeper time at a senior camp.
• Maya Ladhani: The only player on Canada’s U-20 roster currently playing professionally, the Avaldsnes midfielder could provide important depth in the midfield, much like Burns.
• Jade Rose: As demonstrated in the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, with centreback Zadorsky unavailable through injury and CB Gilles playing through injury, more depth at the CB role is critical for the team. With two caps — both starts — under her belt, more experience before the WWC can only help develop Rose as a player.
• Olivia Smith: Smith may be the answer to Canada’s scoring problems. At only eighteen, she is consistently on the scoresheet. With two caps at the senior level back in 2019, brining her back into the fold will be crucial for Canada’s development going forward.
• Holly Ward: Ward is powerful down the left wing as a striker. Smart on the ball and good at finding the back of the net, she could push current players on the line-up for a super-sub spot.

Line-up Selection and Roster Competition

Bluntly, there is little competition for Canada’s roster spots. Prior to the Olympics, it appeared that this had changed: the inclusions of Évelyne Viens and Julia Grosso over program regulars Jordyn Huitema and Sophie Schmidt seemed to be an indication that Bev Priestman was willing to make hard choices.

Since the Olympics, however, the roster and Bev’s preferred starting XI have rarely changed. In fact, the omission of Viens — who is in fantastic form as striker in Sweden — from the CONCACAF W Championship squad raised more than a few eyebrows. For a team that struggles to have its front three score, Viens would have been a lock for many fans of the team.

Competition for roster spots seems to be lacking, and yet, that competition also seems to spur players on. Janine Beckie was left off of the WWC 2015 roster, and then worked hard to become an integral part of Canada’s bronze-winning campaign at the 2016 Olympics. As mentioned, Schmidt and Huitema were initially listed as “alternates” for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Since their omissions, the two have worked hard to earn their spots back in the roster. Schmidt is scoring quality goals for both club and country, and Huitema is showing improved movement on and off the ball.

Competition matters, and quite frankly, some of these players need to be scared of losing their spot.

Friendlies Played

Canada has to play more friendlies and win them in a way that makes the world take notice. A 2–2 draw against Nigeria and a 0–0 draw against South Korea earlier this year did little to convince fans and critics alike that Canada is ready for the WWC. Add on to the fact that the talent on show at the Euros this summer was tremendous, and Canada has a tough mountain to climb. Friendlies I’d like to see are:

• Norway: Despite a disappointing performance at the Euros, Norway is still a top-ranked team with quality players up front. It would be a good challenge for the Reds to face a squad with strong offence and lacking defence. Record: 2–3–8
• Morocco: Coming off their first-ever qualification for the WWC, Morocco is a solid team. Canada needs to play new opponents ahead of the WWC, and Morocco would be a relatively untested CAF opponent. Record: 1–0–1
• France: Although Canada beat France en route to successive Olympics bronze medals, France is an extremely hard team to beat. France is a top-ranked team that would test Canada with its pace and skill on the ball. Record: 5–3–6
• Iceland: Iceland is a team that punched above its weight at the Euros. Again, Iceland is a relatively untested team for the Reds, and given that Canada often struggles more against mid-table opponents, a match against Iceland would be a good test. Record: 1–1–0
• Scotland: Scotland is looking to qualify for its second straight WWC. With world class players in Erin Cuthbert and Caroline Weir, this is a team that would make Canada work for a win. Record: 7–0–1

Canada also needs to utilize every single available window, and play at least two friendlies in each window. This will allow Priestman to test new players while working on chemistry on and off the pitch.

Ideal Long Roster (31)

Here is who I would take if I were selecting a long list of players for pre-WWC camp (in no particular order):

1. Kailen Sheridan, GK
2. Sabrina D’Angelo, GK
3. Anna Karpenko, GK
4. Kadeisha Buchanan, CB
5. Vanessa Gilles, CB
6. Jayde Rivière, FB
7. Ashley Lawrence, FB
8. Jessie Fleming, MF
9. Julia Grosso, MF
10. Janine Beckie, FWD
11. Christine Sinclair, FWD
12. Évelyne Viens, FWD
13. Deanne Rose, FWD
14. Nichelle Prince, FWD
15. Quinn, MF
16. Desiree Scott, MF
17. Gabrielle Carle, FB
18. Jordyn Huitema, FWD
19. Jade Rose, CB
20. Shelina Zadorsky, CB
21. Holly Ward, FWD
22. Zoe Burns, MF
23. Adriana Leon, FWD
24. Lysianne Proulx, GK
25. Sophie Schmidt, MF
26. Olivia Smith, FWD
27. Cloe Lacasse, FWD
28. Clarissa Larisey, FWD
29. Sarah Stratigakis, MF
30. Victoria Pickett, MF
31. Bianca St. Georges, FB

Locks for WWC 2023

Here are the few players that I believe absolutely should go to the WWC next year — and quite frankly, the only ones who I believe shouldn’t have to compete for their spots on the roster. Again, in no particular order:

1. Christine Sinclair
2. Kailen Sheridan
3. Kadeisha Buchanan
4. Vanessa Gilles
5. Jayde Rivière
6. Ashley Lawrence
7. Jessie Fleming
8. Janine Beckie

Article written by Laura Bryan (@brylaura11)