Canada Breaks Open Toronto Camp

Canada’s women’s national team opens camp today in Toronto under the watchful eye of head coach Carolina Morace and her staff. The team breaks camp this Wednesday afternoon at Frank Lamport Stadium from 15.00-17.00. The first 16 of 22 players are in camp today while the remaining six players arrive later tonight before the team’s first full session on Thursday.

Canada is in town to prepare for this coming Monday’s international friendly match against USA. The two sides meet Monday 25 May at BMO Field (19.00 kickoff). Tickets to the match, which is presented by Winners, are on sale via Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.ca / 416.872.5000).

Canada will have daily training sessions in the leadup to match. The Wednesday session features players arriving from local, college and European clubs. The remaining six players, all from Women’s Professional Soccer clubs in the United States, will be in gear for the first full session on Thursday. Canada practices Thursday and Friday in Vaughan: 21 May at 10.00 (Father Bulfon) and 15.00 (Vaughan Grove) and 22 May at 10.00 (Father Bulfon) and 15.00 (Father Bulfon).

Canada announces roster for USA match
Canada’s women’s national team has announced its roster for this week’s camp and upcoming international friendly match against USA . Carolina Morace has called upon 22 players for what will be her first home match as Canada’s national head coach. Canada faces USA this coming May 25 in Toronto .

The Canada-USA match kicks off at 19.00 at BMO Field. Tickets to the match are available via Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.ca / 416.872.5000). For those fans outside the Toronto area, the match will also be broadcast live on Sportsnet.

The May 25 match will be the 45th meeting between the two nations, but the first since last year’s quarter-final stage at the 2008 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in China . Canada pushed the eventual-Olympic champions into extra time before USA ‘s Natasha Kai scored the knock-out goal.

This is also USA ‘s first appearance in Canada in eight years. The world’s number-one ranked country made four trips to Canada between 1990 and 2001 (USA has three wins and a draw). As for Canada, it is currently riding a six-game unbeaten streak at home (three wins and three draws). Its last home match was a 1:1 draw with Brazil last 10 July 2008 at BMO Field.

Canada’s 22-player roster features seven players from the newly-formed Women’s Professional Soccer league, including Canadian captain Christine Sinclair. Sinclair was named WPS Player of the Week after scoring her second goal of the year in a 1:0 win over Chicago Red Stars this past weekend. At the international level, captain Sinclair and USA counterpart Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom) both enter the 25 May match with 99 career goals.

Canada’s May 25 opponent was originally scheduled to be Japan . Just this past week, Japan canceled its North American trip to USA and Canada . The two sides worked quickly to bring USA to Toronto for the May 25 match. USA, reigning Olympic champions, are already scheduled to host Canada on 19 July (Rochester, NY) and July 22 (Charleston, NY).

View Roster

Women’s team to sign autographs at Winners College Park store
Fans will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the stars of the Canadian women’s national team on Saturday May 23 at the Winners store at College Park (444 Yonge Street). The team will be in store from 10.00 to 12.00 to sign autographs and meet Canadian soccer fans.

Winners Chief Operating Officer Doug Mizzi will be on hand to welcome the team and to speak to Winners significant involvement in Canadian soccer. Winners, as title sponsor, provides valuable support to the Canadian women’s national team.

Soccer fans visiting the College Park Winners store will get to meet some of the best players in the world, including FIFA World Player of the Year finalist Christine Sinclair. The lineup features many of the stars that helped Canada qualify for it’s first-ever Women’s Olympic Football Tournament berth in 2008.

The first 75 youth to arrive will be presented with an adidas soccer ball. Kids can then get their soccer ball signed by their favourite players. In addition, fans can collect a free team picture card commemorating the team’s visit to Toronto. Each picture card measures 4′ x 6′ and is limited to 250 copies.

Canada is set to begin a new era for women’s soccer in Canada as new head coach Carolina Morace leads her Canadian squad into the first home match of her tenure against the 2008 Olympic champions USA. Canada will take time out from their preparations for their May 25 match against the USA to visit the Winners College Park location.