Pellerud Chooses His Olympic Team

Canada’s women’s national team has its roster for the 2008 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. Coach Even Pellerud made his selections today in North Vancouver, BC, less than a week before the soccer players and staff depart for Asia. The Canadian soccer team will compete in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament from 6-21 August in Beijing, China.

Canada’s soccer team qualified for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament for the first time in Association history earlier this season. Canada qualified by finishing second at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament in Juarez, Mexico. The clinching victory was a 1:0 win over hosts Mexico in the tournament semi-final. Melissa Tancredi scored the decisive goal while goalkeeper Erin McLeod kept the clean sheet.

Canada will play Argentina, China and Sweden in the opening round of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. Canada plays Argentina on 6 August, China on 9 August and Sweden on 12 August. From the 12 teams in the women’s tournament (three groups of four teams), eight teams advance to the 15 August quarter-finals. Four teams then advance to matches on 18 and 21 August: first the semi-finals and then, depending on the outcomes, either the gold-medal final or bronze-medal final.

Every player has also represented Canada at the national or national-youth level. On the world stage, Canada was most recently ranked ninth in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings. The Canadian team finished second to the world’s number-one ranked United States at the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament. At the youth level, Canada recently won its second CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship, this time defeating the United States 1:0 in the 2008 final.

Goalkeepers
1 Karina LeBlanc … Maple Ridge, BC
18 Erin McLeod … Edmonton, AB

Defender
3 Emily Zurrer … Crofton, BC
5 Robyn Gayle … Mississauga, ON
10 Martina Franko … Squamish, BC
11 Randee Hermus … Langley, BC

Defender/Midfielder
4 Clare Rustad … Salt Spring Island, BC
17 Brittany Timko … Coquitlam, BC

Midfield
6 Sophie Schmidt … Abbotsford, BC
8 Diana Matheson … Oakville, ON
9 Candace Chapman … Ajax, ON
13 Amy Walsh … St-Bruno, QC

Forward
2 Amber Allen … Pitt Meadows, BC
7 Rhian Wilkinson … Baie d’Urfé, QC
12 Christine Sinclair … Burnaby, BC
14 Melissa Tancredi … Ancaster, ON
15 Kara Lang … Oakville, ON
16 Jonelle Filigno … Mississauga, ON

Alternates
Kristina Kiss (D/M) Ottawa, ON
Stéphanie Labbé (G) Stony Plain, AB
Jodi-Ann Robinson (F) Richmond, BC
Amy Vermeulen (F) Saskatoon, SK

Staff
Head Coach … Even Pellerud
Assistant Coach … Ian Bridge
Assistant Coach … Robert Birarda
Goalkeeper coach … Paul Rogers
Scout … Paul James

Team Manager … Les Meszaros
Equipment Manager … Maeve Glass

Medical Lead and Team Doctor … Dr. Andrew Pipe
Physiotherapist … Marc Rizzardo
Physiotherapist … Judy Russell
Therapist … Garret Kusch
Massage Therapist … Nicole Stephen
Strength and conditioning coach … Andrew Clark
Sport Psychologist … Kristen Barnes