Sophie Schmidt said she hadn’t thought about the emotions that would surface when she puts on the Canada jersey for the last time in a friendly against Australia on Tuesday in Vancouver.

“I hope it won’t be a big mess,” said the midfielder happily on Thursday. But it will definitely be a special occasion and I am so grateful to be able to share this moment with him [Christine Sinclair et Erin McLeod].

“It will be a special moment for me, for the team, but also for the country. I can’t wait to be there. »

Selected 224 times, Schmidt will join Sinclair and McLeod in the spotlight at BC Place. The game will mark Sinclair’s swansong on the international stage as McLeod, who will be a spectator at 40, announced her retirement from the national team in January. She played in 119 games for Canada.

Schmidt was only scheduled to play in the second game of this short two-game series against the Australians, but an injury to Julia Grosso forced head coach Bev Priestman to call on her services for Friday in Langford, Colombia.

The 35-year-old from Abbotsford, British Columbia, had just returned from Houston, Texas, where she was playing for the NWSL’s Dash when she got the call from Priestman.

Schmidt arrived at the camp with her dogs Leia and Oats.

“Luckily we were in a dog-friendly hotel,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt has long been part of the core of the Canadian soccer team.

“Sophie is one of the most genuine and authentic people I have ever met,” said striker Janine Beckie, who is in camp despite recovering from a knee injury. It was nice to have her back in that environment. It brings experience and peace. She is so positive. And at the same time she is a fantastic player. »

“It’s so incredible for the players who are playing right now to see them back on the field. Everyone missed his character and personality. »

Schmidt announced his intention to retire after last summer’s World Cup while Canada Soccer was in the midst of a dispute with its players, both men’s and women’s.

“I am angry, frustrated and heartbroken,” she said at the time.

Schmidt, who represented his teammates at the negotiating table, originally wanted to resign on a whim in February, on the eve of the SheBelieves Cup.

Schmidt, who said she was “shattered to the core” by the labor dispute, said Sinclair convinced her to stay and continue the fight.

“She advised me against it [de partir] said Schmidt, who hasn’t played in the World Cup since a 4-0 loss to Australia on July 31. However, she does not regret her decision to retire.

“I always thought about retiring after the World Cup, considering how quickly the World Cup went downhill [Canada Soccer] and all that, I just pulled the trigger. For me personally it was the right decision. »

Like Sinclair, who wants to play one last season with the Portland Thorns, Schmidt is continuing his professional career.

After stints in Sweden and Germany, she has been playing for Houston since 2018 and has a contract that runs until the end of 2024.

And even if Canada has to play in the preliminary round of the Gold Cup in Houston in February, Schmidt won’t change his mind.

“I will be in the stands and supportive,” she said. I will be excited to see them at work in my garden. »