Canada Women Take On China At BMO Field

Canada to host China PR at BMO Field
The Canadian Soccer Association has announced that the Canadian women’s national team will host China PR this 30 September 2010 at BMO Field in Toronto, ON. The Women’s International Friendly match, to be presented by Winners, will kickoff at 19.30 local. Tickets for the match go on sale this Wednesday 1 September via Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.ca / 416.872.5000).

“We are happy to play in front of our fans in Canada,” said national coach Carolina Morace. “We hope our support continues to grow as we work towards our qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”

The Women’s International Friendly match against China PR will be an integral part of Canada’s preparations for the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifier. The eight-team CONCACAF championship runs 28 October to 8 November. That championship will qualify the top two teams for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011. The third-place team will advance to a playoff against the fifth-place team from Europe for an additional spot at Germany 2011.

Also part of Canada’s upcoming schedule is an away Women’s International Friendly match against Germany on 15 September in Dresden, Germany. China PR is a former silver-medalist at the FIFA Women’s World Cup (USA 1999) while Germany is a two-time champion at the FIFA Women’s World Cup (USA 2003 and China 2007).

Canada has an all-time home record of 26 wins, five draws and 17 losses at home. It has a international record of seven wins, three draws and two losses in Toronto.

Canada faced China PR earlier this year on 24 April in Yongchuan, China PR. Canada lost 0:2 in that match. The previous matchup was a 1:1 draw in the group phase at the 2008 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Tianjin, China PR. In Canada, the two sides last met 19 and 22 August 2006 in St. John’s, NL – a 0:0 draw and a 1:1 draw.

As for Canada’s preparations in advance of the 30 September match, Canada is currently in Roma, Italy from 25 August to 12 September. It then moves to Dresden, Germany until 16 September before returning to Canada for a short break. Coach Morace’s Canadian camp will run from 21 September to 1 October. The team will train in Alliston, ON before arriving in Toronto on 28 September.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 runs 26 June to 17 July 2011. It will be the sixth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Canada has qualified for each of the last four editions: Sweden 1995, USA 1999, USA 2003 and China 2007.

Carolina Morace Calls 24 For Italian Camp

Canada announces roster for camp in Italy
Canada’s women’s national team has announced the roster for its upcoming camp in Roma, Italy. The camp runs 25 August to 12 September and precedes the upcoming Women’s International Friendly match in Dresden, Germany.

Coach Carolina Morace has called 24 players into this camp. The team will train up to two times a day, with one session in the morning and one session in the afternoon. The national team will also face Italian league clubs Roma and Lazio on 1 September and 8 September.

Canada faces Germany on 15 September in Dresden, Germany. A few national players still in league play in Women’s Professional Soccer will join the national team in Germany before the Women’s International Friendly match. Some other players were not available for this camp because of university commitments.

Coach Morace says that without the full group, she will use this trip to try a different system of play while also trying some players in new positions. The team is currently building towards next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011, with the qualification phase to take place later this year beginning on 28 October.

Three players have been called into the national team for the first time – goalkeepers Justine Bernier and Gurveen Clair as well as centre back Bahar Sansar. Clair (18 years old) and Sansar (20) have participated in youth camps this year with coach Morace while Bernier (21) is making her first appearance in a Morace camp.

Midfielder Kaylyn Kyle, 21, is also taking part in her first national camp of the 2010 season. She has made 10 appearances with the national team before this year. Already in 2010, Kyle has won a provincial championship with British Columbia’s Surrey United (she scored three goals in the final) and reached the W-League final with Vancouver Whitecaps FC (a 1:3 loss to the Buffalo Flash).

Canada’s national team is preparing for the CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2010 in Cancún, Mexico. That eight-team qualification tournament runs 28 October to 8 November. The top-two teams automatically qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011; the third-place team faces the fifth-place team from Europe for an extra qualification spot.