In an exciting development for Canadian women’s Soccer, Cindy Tye, currently in charge of the under-20 team, has been named interim coach for upcoming friendlies against Iceland and South Korea.
This leadership transition comes following Canada Soccer’s recent decision regarding former coach Bev Priestman, who will not return following an independent investigation related to the Olympic drone surveillance scandal. Alongside Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi are serving a one-year suspension from FIFA, with Lombardi having resigned from Canada Soccer.
Tye, a distinguished former international player and currently assistant athletic director and head women’s coach at Dalhousie University, will benefit from the support of Neil Wood, who returns as assistant coach. Other members of the coaching staff are Katie Collar (interim assistant coach), Jen Herst (goalkeeping and set-piece coach) and Maryse Bard-Martel (interim performance analyst).
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Although assistant coach Andy Spence, who has previously led the team at major tournaments including the Olympics, is unable to join this camp, he is expected to return for the next FIFA international window.
The coaching staff has gained additional experience recently, with former Canadian international Diana Matheson, now head of growth for the new Northern Super League, and Collar, who manages the Vancouver Whitecaps FC elite women’s team, actively engaging with the media during the previous match against Spain.
With the Canadian women ranked sixth in the world, they will face Iceland (ranked 13th) on November 29 and South Korea (ranked 19th) on December 3, with both matches taking place at the Arena Pinatar in Murcia, Spain .
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The roster features 23 players, highlighting several young talents from Tye’s under-20 team, including North Carolina State University defender Janet Okeke and SMU, Nyah Rose, both of whom will earn their first senior caps. Okeke, an 18-year-old from Laval, and Rose, a 19-year-old from Markham, recently represented Canada at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia.
Unfortunately, Nyah’s older sister, Jade Rose, a defender with 26 senior caps to her name, will miss this trip due to injury.
Other notable inclusions include second caps for 18-year-old midfielder Jeneva Hernandez Gray of the Vancouver Whitecaps and 28-year-old defender Megan Reid of Angel City, who has a unique story of transitioning from a career paramedic to that of professional soccer.
The FIFA international window, running from November 25 to December 3, represents Canada’s final training camp this year, as North American players enter the offseason while their European-based counterparts prepare for club engagements.
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Historically, Canada has faced Iceland twice in the Algarve Cup, with a scoreless draw in February 2019 and a narrow 1-0 victory for Canada in March 2016. The Canadian women have a strong record against South Korea with a score of 7-1-1, their last meeting ending in a scoreless draw in Toronto in June 2022.
The average age of the announced roster is 23, but some key players like Kadeisha Buchanan, Sydney Collins, Cloé Lacasse and Quinn will be out due to injuries.
Notably, Chelsea’s Buchanan suffered a significant ACL injury, while Seattle Reign forward Jordyn Huitema is unavailable due to personal reasons.
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Earlier this month, Nyah Rose gained attention by being named to the Atlantic Coast Conference third-team all-star, marking a historic achievement for Southern Methodist University. As a freshman, she led the American Athletic Conference with 11 goals before the university moved to the ACC.
In his first tournament, Rose caused a sensation by scoring Canada’s first goal against France in a thrilling match ending 3-3, and had seven shots on target in their 9-0 victory. 0 against Fiji.
Before the start of the 2024 season, Rose was also selected to the 44-player candidate list for the Hermann Trophy, honoring the best female soccer player in the NCAA.
The Canadian roster promises exciting potential, including Leicester City’s Deanne Rose, who is not related to Nyah.
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This season, Okeke played 11 games for North Carolina State University, while Hernandez Gray was part of Colombia’s under-20 team and led the Whitecaps to the inaugural CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
The Canadian lineup for the upcoming friendly matches is as follows:
Guardians: Sabrina D’Angelo (Aston Villa); Lysianne Proulx (Juventus); Kailen Sheridan (San Diego Wave).
Defenders: Gabrielle Carle (Washington Spirit) ; Vanessa Gilles (Olympique Lyonnais) ; Ashley Lawrence (Chelsea) ; Janet Okeke (North Carolina State) ; Megan Reid (Angel City) ; Jayde Riviere (Manchester United) ; Shelina Zadorsky (West Ham).
Midfield: Marie-Yasmine Alidou (Benfica) ; Simi Awujo (Manchester United) ; Jessie Fleming (Portland Thorns) ; Julia Grosso (Chicago Red Stars) ; Jeneva Hernandez Gray (Vancouver Whitecaps) ; Emma Regan (HB Køge).
Attackers: Janine Beckie (Racing Louisville) ; Adriana Leon (Aston Villa) ; Nichelle Prince (Kansas City Current) ; Deanne Rose (Leicester City) ; Nyah Rose (Southern Methodist University) ; Olivia Smith (Liverpool) ; Evelyne Viens (AS Roma).
Stay tuned for this gripping saga as Tye leads the Canadian women into their upcoming international matches.
