Canada’s women’s national team has announced its roster for the upcoming the 2013 Torneio Internacional Cidade de Sao Paolo, held in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia.
The 20-person squad includes 10 former Vancouver Whitecaps FC Women’s players as well as defender Kadeisha Buchanan, who’s been a revelation for Canada this year has been otherwise unavailable the last few months due to commitments as a member of the West Virginia University Mountaineers.
It will also be a first camp with the senior national team for midfielder Jessie Fleming. Fleming most recently captained Canada in their runners-up performance at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship, where Canada managed to qualify for next year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup set to take place in Costa Rica.
“The mantra still is, if you’re good enough you’re old enough,” Canada head coach John Herdman said of Fleming. “It’s for Jessie to see a new level and work with some of her heroes and give her a chance to see if she’s someone who can impact the squad.”
Canada kicks off the action against Scotland on December 11. They’ll follow that up four days later against Chile before closing the round robin portion of the competition against the hosts on December 18. A final classification game will take place on December 22, which will conclude the calendar year for Canada.
“This group that we’ve got gives you a picture of what you could have in 2015 in the opening round (of the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015),” said Herdman. “So it’s a chance to rehearse certain processes and learning from the event.”
This will be the four-country tournament’s fifth year of existence. Canada last participated in the 2010 edition of the tournament and came away as tournament champions.
CANADA
GK- Stephanie Labbé | SWE / KIF Örebro DFF
GK- Karina LeBlanc | USA / Portland Thorns FC
GK- Erin McLeod | USA / Chicago Red Stars
D- Kadeisha Buchanan | USA / West Virginia University
D- Robyn Gayle | USA / Washington Spirit
D- Carmelina Moscato | USA / Seattle Reign FC
D- Marie-Eve Nault | SWE / KIF Örebro DFF
D- Lauren Sesselmann | USA / FC Kansas City
D- Rhian Wilkinson | USA / Boston Breakers
D- Sura Yekka | CAN / Brams United
D- Emily Zurrer | USA / Seattle Reign FC
M- Selenia Iacchelli | CAN / Edmonton Victoria SC
M- Jessie Fleming | CAN / Norwest Soccer Club
M- Kaylyn Kyle | USA / Boston Breakers
M- Diana Matheson | USA / Washington Spirit
M- Sophie Schmidt | USA / Sky Blue FC
M- Desiree Scott | USA / FC Kansas City
M- Brittany Baxter (née Timko) | unattached
F- Adriana Leon | USA / Chicago Red Stars
F- Christine Sinclair | USA / Portland Thorns FC
