The Canada women's under-20 national team (pictured) was present for Canada Soccer's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup roster announcement on July 16, 2014, in Toronto. (Photo courtesy of Canada Soccer)
TORONTO -- Canada Soccer announced Wednesday its roster for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which it will host August 5-24 in four cities across the nation.
Head coach Andrew Olivieri selected 21 players, five of whom possess senior women’s national team experience -- Kadeisha Buchanan, Jessie Fleming, Ashley Lawrence, Rebecca Quinn and Sura Yekka.
It is Canada’s youngest-ever side at the competition, containing four members of the squad -- Fleming, Yekka, Rylee Foster and Sarah Kinzner -- that competed at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup earlier this year in Costa Rica.
“The objective for these young ladies isn’t to grow the interest in the game (in Canada) because that’s been done,” said Olivieri in regard to the team’s World Cup goals. “It isn’t to grow the membership because we have a wonderful membership across our country.
“Their objective now is to start growing the quality in which we play the game and the ambition we have a as a soccer nation to excel on the world stage.”
Canada opens on August 5 in Toronto against Group A rival Ghana and will then face Finland (Toronto, August 8) and Korea DPR (Montreal, August 12).
CANADA UNDER-20 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER
(FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014: August 5-24, 2014)
GOALKEEPERS: Rylee Foster (Woodbridge SC), Kailen Sheridan (Clemson University/USA), Marie-Joëlle Vandal (Dynamo de Québec)
DEFENDERS: Lindsay Agnew (Ohio State University/USA) Kadeisha Buchanan (Ottawa Fury FC), Jordane Carvery (Glen Shields), Kylie Davis (Comètes de Laval), Kinley McNicoll (University of Wisconsin/USA), Victoria Pickett (Glen Shields), Rebecca Quinn (Duke University/USA), Sura Yekka (Brams United)
MIDFIELDERS: Ashley Campbell (Toronto Lady Lynx), Jessie Fleming (London NorWest SC), Emma Fletcher (Louisiana State University/USA), Vanessa Grégoire (Comètes de Laval), Sarah Kinzner (Calgary Foothills), Ashley Lawrence (Ottawa Fury FC)
FORWARDS: Janine Beckie (Texas Tech University/USA), Amandine Pierre-Louis (Comètes de Laval), Nichelle Prince (Toronto Lady Lynx), Valérie Sanderson (Comètes de Laval)
