Team Canada looking to Finnish the job
Senior Women’s National Team
WE’RE BACK: The Football Canada Senior Women’s National Team is back in action for the first time since 2017, as they head to the Women’s World Football Championship in Vantaa, Finland. The championship will run from July 30 to August 8. Canada’s first game is on Saturday at 1 p.m. local time (6 a.m. Eastern)
SILVER LININGS: Canada has won silver at each of the first three Women’s World championships, in 2010, 2013 and 2017. In all three cases, they lost to the USA in the gold-medal game. The USA comes into this event as the top seed, while Canada is No. 2.
EIGHT IS GREAT: For the first time, this year’s championship is scheduled to have eight teams taking part. Joining Canada, the USA and the hosts Finland are Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Mexico and Sweden. The previous three championships were six-team events. With the move to eight teams, the tournament is now fully bracketed, which makes the first day all-important for medal hopes.
AUS-SOME: Canada’s first opponent is No. 7-seeded Australia, who are on their second trip to the event. Canada won their only previous meeting by a 31-6 score on June 24, 2017 in Langley, B.C.
SHE’S SEEN IT ALL: Defensive lineman Trina Graves is making her fourth appearance at the Women’s Worlds. The Saint John Storm stalwart will be the only Canadian to play in all four Women’s World Championships.
BAKER’S DOZEN BACK: Team Canada returns 13 players from the 2017 squad that won silver in Langley, B.C. In addition to Graves, Rose-Amélie Brunet, Annabelle Chevrier, Joanie Duches-neau, Alyssa Funk, Alex Kowalski, Maude Lacasse, Emilie P.Belanger, Laurence Pontbriand, Virginie Roberge, Virginie Roussel, Ashley Viklund and Breanne Ward are all making repeat appearances in Red and White.
HE’S THE BOSS: Ryan Clutterbuck will be making his debut as head coach of the Senior Women’s National Team. He was the offensive co-ordinator for Team Canada at the 2017 World Championship, led Team Ontario at the International Bowl in 2015 and 2017, and was offensive coordinator of the London Beefeaters from 2012-14. Clutterbuck is a professor in Sport Management at Brock University.
THEY’RE PIVOTAL: Canada’s two quarterbacks are Maude Lacasse and Reed Thorsten. Lacasse is making her second trip to Worlds, while Thorsten impressed by being named offensive MVP of the Red-White Game in May.
ALL THE SASKIE LADIES: 17 members of the team are from Saskatchewan, the most of any single province. Quebec has 11 representatives, while Manitoba has seven. There are three New Brunswickers, two each from Alberta and B.C. and one each from Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories.
ON THE WEB: Team Canada’s games will be carried on the Olympic Channel, which is available in Canada on CBC Gem. The stream will also appear on Football Canada’s YouTube channel.
UP NEXT: Canada will meet either Mexico or Great Britain on Wednesday, August 3 in the second round of the tournament. Game time for that matchup is to be determined. The final day of games is Saturday, August 7.
Watch Games Here: Youtube.com/footballcanada1884
