Algarve, Cyprus Cups Open Play

USL Alums Prep for International Play
40 W-League vets set for Algarve, Cyprus Cups

TAMPA, FL – Current and former USL players will have a busy day Wednesday when the international calendar heats up. Forty W-League players are set to kick off tournaments in Europe Wednesday when the US Women open play at the Algarve Cup and the Canadian and English Women begin play in the Cyprus Cup.

England beat Canada for last year’s Cyprus Cup (TheFA.com)

The action begins Wednesday in the Eastern Mediterranean with England playing South Africa and Canada facing Switzerland on the first day of play in the Cyprus Cup. England heads into the tournament as the defending champions, featuring six players with W-League experience including star Kelly Smith, who has crossed the Atlantic to play USL soccer on two occasions.

Canada, which will be looking to avenge their loss in last year’s Final, will face England in the second game of group play Friday. The Canadian squad features 22 players with an amazing total of 89 seasons of W-League experience.

In a warm-up for the tournament, Canada played Poland Sunday and came away with a 3-0 victory. In the match, former Vancouver Whitecap Christine Sinclair netted her 100th career international goal as well as became the all-time leader in appearances with her 133rd, passing current assistant coach and fellow former Whitecap Andrea Neil. Also scoring were Kelly Parker, who netted the first of her career, and Diana Matheson.

Canada wraps up group play Monday against South Africa with England taking on Switzerland.

On the Western side of Europe, the US Women will look to make up for a heartbreaking penalty kick loss against Germany in last year’s final. Winners of five of the past seven tournaments, the US features 12 players with 33 seasons of W-League experience. The Americans open against Iceland Wednesday before facing powerhouses Norway and Sweden on Friday and Monday, respectively.

Both women’s tournaments will conclude Wednesday, March 3 with placement games.

Rosters (USL experience)
CANADA: Dayle Colpitts, Stephanie Labbe (Western Mass 05, Edmonton 04), Karina LeBlanc (New Jersey 05-06, Montreal 04), Erin McLeod (Vancouver 03-04, 06); Sasha Andrews (FC Indiana 09, Pali 08, Vancouver 03-06), Myriam Bouchard (Quebec City 09, Vancouver 08, Richmond 08, Laval 06-07), Candace Chapman (Atlanta 05, Toronto 01, 03), Laura Chenard (Quebec City 09), Kendra Flock (Edmonton 04), Robyn Gayle (FC Indiana 09, Ottawa 04-06, Toronto 03), Christina Julien (Laval 09, Ottawa 07-08), Diana Matheson (Ottawa 04-06, Vancouver 01), Caley Miskimmin, Carmelina Moscato (Vancouver 03-04, 09, Ottawa 02, 05-07), Marie-Eve Nault (Chicago 09, FC Indiana 08, Ottawa 03, 05-07, Montreal 04, Laval 00-01), Kelly Parker (FC Indiana 08, Ottawa 03-07), Sari Raber (Ottawa 08-09, Vancouver 07), Jodi-Ann Robinson (Vancouver 05-09), Desiree Scott (Vancouver 06), Christine Sinclair (Vancouver 01-02, 06, 08), Brittany Timko (Vancouver 04-06), Cindy Walsh (Vancouver 07-09, Laval 06, 01, Western Mass 04-06, Toronto 02), Rhian Wilkinson (Ottawa 03-06), Emily Zurrer (Chicago 09, Vancouver 05-08)

ENGLAND: Karen Bardsley (Pali 08), Rachel Brown, Siobhan Chamberlain; Alex Scott, Dunio Susi, Rachel Unitt (New Jersey 05), Casey Stoney, Faye White (Ottawa 07), Laura Bassett (New York 06), Lindsay Johnson, Jill Scott, Fara Williams, Emily Westwood, Katie Chapman, Kelly Smith (New Jersey W 04, New Jersey LS 99-00), Dani Buet, Sue Smith, Lianne Sanderson, Eniola Aluko, Rachel Yankey (New Jersey 05), Jess Clarke, Jody Handley

UNITED STATES: Hope Solo, Nicole Barnhart, Jillian Loyden (Jersey 07-08); Heather Mitts (Central Florida 05, Tampa Bay 00), Cat Whitehill (New Jersey 05), Lori Lindsay (Washington 07-08, Indiana 97-00), Amy LePeilbet (Pali 08, Arizona 03, 05, Chicago 00-02), Shannon Boxx (Boston 99), Amy Rodriguez, Heather O’Reilly (New Jersey 05-06, New Brunswick 00, Central Jersey 99), Lauren Cheney (Pali 09), Yael Averbuch (New Jersey LS 02-04), Megan Rapinoe, Stephanie Cox, Casey Nogueira (Cary C 09, Cary R 08, Jersey 07), Meghan Schnur, Abby Wambach (Rochester 98), Rachel Buehler