With only a few players retiring, defending Olympic women’s soccer champion Canada appears set for Paris 2024. The next wave of talent will be more evident in 2028 when it comes crashing into Los Angeles.
That group includes attacking centre-midfielder Ashley Roberts of Victoria and begins its quest this weekend in the CONCACAF championship for the 2022 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in India.
Canada is coached by Whitecaps FC women’s soccer director Emma Humphries and is looking to nab one of four sports into the World Cup. Canada opens in Group F against the host Dominican Republic on Sunday and continues group play Tuesday against Bermuda and next Thursday against Jamaica. Three teams from each pool will advance to the knockout stages.
The 20-player Canadian team roster contains four B.C. players — Roberts, defender Clare Logan of Vancouver, midfielder Jeneva Hernandez-Gray of Coquitlam and striker Jaime Perrault of Pitt Meadows.
Roberts, out of Glenlyon Norfolk School and the Island Wave program, began playing in the Bays United system and is currently in the Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite program. The Islander was also selected for a recent U-17 tour of Spain and impressed in her first appearance in a Canada jersey.
“It was a fantastic experience and everything I have dreamed about since I was a kid. To actually live it out was thrilling,” said Roberts.
Roberts said her favourite moment from Canada’s gold-medal game against Sweden last summer in the Tokyo Olympics was goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé’s final save in the shootout.
“This [Olympic-champion] team has inspired a whole new generation,” said Canada senior team head coach Bev Priestman.
Among this is Roberts, who is in the process of having the torch passed to her generation.
It looks to be a good one. Canada placed third in the recent CONCACAF women’s U-20 championship in Dominican Republic to qualify for the 2022 FIFA U-20 World Cup this summer in Costa Rica.
Canada has qualified for eight FIFA U-20 women’s World Cups, including winning silver when Victoria, Burnaby and Edmonton hosted in 2002, and for all six editions of the FIFA U-17 women’s World Cup, placing fourth in 2018 at Uruguay.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
