It’s been a year full of change and disappointment for Canadian soccer.
Captains Christine Sinclair and Atiba Hutchinson have ended their respective prestigious international careers. John Herdman left his post as head coach of the Canadian team to lead Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.
The Canadians, the reigning Olympic champions, disappointed at the FIFA World Cup in Australia as they failed to advance in the preliminary round. However, Bev Priestman’s team bounced back in September by eliminating Jamaica, ranked 40th in the world, while also securing a ticket to next summer’s Paris Olympics.
On the men’s side, the Canadian team lost to Jamaica (number 55) in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Nations League in November. They can still hope to qualify for the Copa America and secure a clash against reigning world champions Argentina next summer, provided they win a playoff clash against Trinidad and Tobago (96) in Marche on the world stage.
“All eyes will be on our team. “It will be a great game for our players,” agreed Team Canada interim coach Mauro Biello about the clash against Trinidad and Tobago, which will allow the winning team to advance to Group A of the Copa America, consisting of No. 1 seed Argentina and Peru to be included (number 35) and Chile (number 40).
Nevertheless, the men’s and women’s teams dream of better days.
“It’s obviously going to be a tough year. “It will be a year of transition,” said FC Porto midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, who was named Soccer Canada’s player of the year. Everyone is aware of this… We are in a transition process, but I believe we are in a good position. Our team is strong. »
“I think we realized that we’re not going to have the best year in the team’s history every year,” continued midfielder Chelsea Fleming, named Soccer Canada’s Player of the Year. It was a very disappointing summer for us. But since the summer, I think things have been much more positive for our group and I think we’ve managed to find a good rhythm for next year. »
The fact is, 2023 will end like 2023, with a dark cloud hanging over the heads of Soccer Canada and its two flagship teams.
Hutchinson, 40, hung up his boots after the Concacaf Nations League final in Las Vegas in June, having come on as a substitute at 76:00 in the game that ended 2-0 for Canada over Panama in the semifinals of the competitione minute of play. It was his 104the Presence on the international stage, a record.
Sinclair, for her part, ended her illustrious 23-year international career in early December after picking up two friendly wins against Australia in her native British Columbia. The 40-year-old from Burnaby, British Columbia, ended her career with a world record of 190 goals and 331 caps – with 354, she was second behind American Kristine Lilly.
Unlike Hutchinson, Sinclair plans to play one final season with his professional club, the Portland Thorns, in the NWSL.
Her teammates Sophie Schmidt (226 caps) and Erin McLeod (119 caps) also announced their retirement from the international stage.
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