Team Canada unveils 18-player roster for Paris Olympics

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After receiving the Rubik’s Cube of an 18-player Olympic squad, coach Bev Priestman and her staff head to Spain on Tuesday for a training camp in preparation for the tournament.

The Canadian women, who are ranked eighth, will play two final warm-ups in Europe against yet-to-be-named opponents during the July 8-16 FIFA international consultation period leading up to the Olympic tournament.

“I’m super, super excited,” Priestman said Monday after her selection was announced. “I think I couldn’t get excited until I had some really tough (selection) conversations and this happened. And then you start working with the team that you have.”

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Sydney Collins, Nichelle Prince and Quinn won their injury battles to join a squad of 13 players who won gold in Tokyo, including six — captain Jessie Fleming, Janine Beckie, Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence, Prince and Quinn — who also won bronze in Rio in 2016.

The six veterans have a combined total of 717 caps to their name, ranging from 149 for Buchanan to 97 for Prince.

Fifteen members of the Olympic squad were in the 23-player World Cup squad last summer. Former captain Christine Sinclair and veteran midfielder Sophie Schmidt have since retired from international football.

Beckie and Jade Rose missed the World Cup due to injuries. Collins was not selected.

Canada will defend its Olympic title on July 25 against No. 28 New Zealand, before playing No. 2 France on July 28 and No. 22 Colombia on July 31. The first two matches in Group A will be played at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, with the third at the Stadium in Nice.

The top two teams from each of the three groups, along with the top two teams in third place, advance to the knockout rounds.

The 24-year-old Collins, a defender/wingback who made her debut for Canada in March 2023, is part of the Olympic squad after breaking her ankle in February during Canada’s CONCACAF W Gold Cup training camp. The 29-year-old Prince suffered a calf injury during the tournament and was substituted in the 44th minute of a 4-0 win over El Salvador.

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Quinn, 28, is back from a knee injury. Their last appearance for Canada — marking a century of Canada caps for the veteran midfielder — came in the penalty shootout loss to the United States at the W Gold Cup on March 6.

Teams have until Wednesday to announce their Olympic selection.

“It came down to the last minute and it was a really difficult decision,” Priestman said.

“When I was making these (selection decisions), every player was picking up the call and was nervous on the other end of the phone,” she added.

That’s partly because the Olympic squad has just 18 players and four reserves, compared to 23 for the World Cup.

The four alternates who train and travel with the Olympic team — in case of injuries — are goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx, defenders Gabby Carle and Shelina Zadorsky and forward Deanne Rose. It is the fourth consecutive Olympic selection as a reserve for the 25-year-old Carle.

The three outfield alternates are veterans, with 100 caps for Zadorsky, 84 for Rose and 46 for Carle. Proulx has no caps, but has been a regular at recent camps. All four were on the World Cup roster.

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The absentees are midfielder/forward Olivia Smith, midfielder Emma Regan and forward Clarissa Larisey, who did take part in the practice matches in June.

The 19-year-old Smith, who can play both midfield and forward, was seen as a likely candidate because of her versatility and success in her rookie season as a professional in Portugal, where she was named best newcomer after scoring 16 goals for Sporting CP. But she and Larisey appear to be victims of the numbers game up front.

Priestman opted for the attackers Beckie, Jordyn Huitema, Cloe Lacasse, Adriana Leon, Prince and Evelyne Viens.

“It was the front line where we had the most discussions as a staff group. It was the area where we dug into the statistics the most. And it was certainly the toughest (decision),” Priestman said.

Collins’ return probably decided Carle’s place among the alternates. Priestman eventually chose Zadorsky as the alternate because Collins, Lawrence and Quinn can cover the centre-back if needed,

There is also no place for veterans Desiree Scott and Allysha Chapman. Scott, 36, a defensive midfielder with 187 caps, missed the 2023 season with a knee injury, while Chapman, 35, a full-back with 99 caps, had a baby in February.

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“Desi was a very difficult conversation and decision,” Priestman said. “I felt we didn’t need the midfield cover and that’s what it came down to in the end.”

Collins, Lacasse, Simi Awujo and Jade Rose make their Olympic debuts.

The 20-year-old Awujo, a midfielder who plays college soccer at USC, has played his way onto the team with strong performances this year. Jade Rose, a 21-year-old from Harvard who was the 2023 Canada Soccer Young Player of the Year, has established herself in Canada’s defense alongside Buchanan and Vanessa Gilles.

Canada is the only country to have reached the podium in women’s soccer at each of the last three Olympic Games.

Canada qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris in September by defeating No. 42 Jamaica 4-1 over two legs in the CONCACAF W Olympic Play-In.

Canada is 10-1-4 since a disappointing 1-1-1 performance at last summer’s World Cup that saw Priestman’s team fail to reach the knockout round. Two of the draws since then have resulted in shootout losses to the U.S., while one was a shootout win over Brazil, which was also Canada’s only loss in regulation time since the World Cup.

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Canadian selection

Goalkeepers:

• Sabrina D’Angelo, Welland, Ontario, Arsenal (England)
• Kailen Sheridan, Whitby, Ontario, San Diego Wave (NWSL)

Defenders:

• Kadeisha Buchanan, Brampton, Ont. Chelsea (England)
• Sydney Collins, Beaverton, Oregon, North Carolina Courage (NWSL)
• Vanessa Gilles, Ottawa, Olympique Lyonnais (France)
• Ashley Lawrence, Caledon East, Ont., Chelsea (England)
• Jayde Riviere, Markham, Ontario, Manchester United (England)
• Jade Rose, Markham, Ontario, Harvard (NCAA)

Midfielders:

• Simi Awujo, Atlanta, USC (NCAA)
• Jessie Fleming (capt.), London, Ont., Portland Thorns (NWSL)
• Julia Grosso, Vancouver, Single
• Quinn, Toronto, Seattle Government (NWSL)

Attackers:

• Janine Beckie, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Portland Thorns (NWSL)
• Jordyn Huitema, Chilliwack, BC, Seattle Reign (NWSL)
• Cloe Lacasse, Sudbury, Ont., Arsenal (England)
• Adriana Leon, King City, Ontario, Aston Villa (England)
• Nichelle Prince, Ajax, Ontario, Houston Dash (NWSL)
• Evelyne Viens, L’Ancienne-Lorette, Que., AS Roma (Italy)

Alternatives

• Gabrielle Carle, Lévis, Que., Washington Spirit (NWSL)
• Lysianne Proulx, Boucherville, Quebec, Bay FC (NWSL)
• Shelina Zadorsky, London, Ont., West Ham (England)
• Deanne Rose, Alliston, Ont., Leicester City (England)

Staff

• Head Coach: Bev Priestman
• Assistant Coaches: Jasmine Mander, Andy Spence, Neil Wood
• Goalkeeping and Standard Game Coach: Jen Herst

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