Team Canada will begin play at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday (Friday in Sydney) against Nigeria. The Canadians will be a medal contender as in the last major women’s soccer tournament, Team Canada won the gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Canada defeated Sweden in the gold medal game 3-2 on penalty kicks after the game went to penalties deadlocked at one goal apiece.
The Canadian team is comprised of 18 players who won the gold medal at the Olympic Games two years ago. They are goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan of Pickering, Ontario, defenders Allysha Chapman of Oshawa, Ontario, Kadeisha Buchanan of Toronto, Ontario, Shelina Zadorsky of London, Ontario, Jayde Riviere of Markham, Ontario, Ashley Lawrence of Toronto, Ontario, Vanessa Gilles of Chateauguay, Quebec, and Gabrielle Carle of Quebec City, Quebec, midfielders Quinn of Toronto, Ontario, Julia Grosso of Vancouver, British Columbia, Sophie Schmidt of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Jessie Fleming of London, Ontario, and forwards Deanne Rose of New Tecumseth, Ontario, Jordyn Huitema of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Evelyne Viens of L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, Christine Sinclair of Burnaby, British Columbia, and Nichelle Prince of Ajax, Ontario, and Adriana Leon of Mississauga, Ontario. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo of Welland, Ontario, Chapman, Buchanan, Zadorsky, Quinn, Rose, Lawrence, Sinclair, Schmidt, Prince and Fleming won a bronze medal for Canada at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, while Sinclair and Schmidt won the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The other four players on Team Canada are goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx of Longueuil, Quebec, midfielder Simi Awujo of Atlanta, Georgia, and forwards Cloe Lacasse of Sudbury, Ontario, and Olivia Smith of North York, Ontario. After playing Nigeria this week, Canada plays Ireland on July 26 and Australia on July 31.
