This is essentially the western hemisphere (North & South America) version of the Olympics. Women's Soccer is included as one of the sports, along with all the other Olympic sports. The Pan Am games are being held in Toronto, Canada, from July 10 - July 26. It appears ESPN3 is broadcasting all the women's soccer matches. All the top nations in CONCACAF and CONMEBOL are in this tournament, with the exception of USA. Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, T&T and Ecuador are in this tournament. The US should have sent a college (amateur) team at the very least. Oh well. Does anyone know what rosters these nations are sending to this tournament? Didn't Canada send many of their key players including Sinclair to the 2011 Pan Am Games? I don't expect Canada to send any NWSL players to this tournament this time around. I know Brazil sent Marta and crew to the 2007 version of the tournament, and they won it.
ESPN3 will carry 580 hours of Pan American Games programming, with live access to almost every competition in more than 15 different disciplines, including basketball, gymnastics, swimming, diving, soccer, volleyball, karate, taekwondo, track and field, and many others. ESPN and ESPN2 will present live 66 hours. ESPN’s telecasts will kick off with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. – marking the first English-language live presentation of the ceremony in 30 years – and wrap up with a five-hour live window on July 26 for the closing day of the Games, starting at 1:00 p.m. Between July 11 – July 25, ESPN2 will present two to six hours of daily live coverage focused on Men and Women’s hoop and volleyball, diving, swimming, gymnastics, boxing, track and field, and soccer. The network will also present daily highlights of all medal winners and the action across every venue. Longhorn Network will present 44 live hours dedicated to diving, swimming and Women’s Volleyball. The network will follow Team USA’s performance in these disciplines including some lifetime and rising Longhorns: In diving, Texas head coach Matt Scoggin will be in Toronto along with diving rising junior Murphy Bromberg, lifetime Longhorn Maren Taylor and rising senior Cory Bowersox. In swimming, lifetime Longhorn Jimmy Feigen will represent Team USA. In addition, lifetime Longhorns Lauren Paolini and Rachael Adams will be part of the Women’s Volleyball team. *LINK* (I still can't find the rosters for any of the soccer teams) http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-r...nto-2015-on-espn-and-espn-deportes-platforms/
Interesting roster that Canada is fielding for this tournament. No Sinclair, and a lot of other veterans missing, but some quality younger players. Marie Levasseur was a quality player from the previous U17 tournament. She may break out. Pretty much every top player that Canada has under the age of 21 is in this tournament. *LINK* (Canada Roster) http://www.canadasoccer.com/canadian-women-s-team-nominated-for-toronto-2015-pan-am-games-p157878 F- Janine Beckie | Littlejohn, COL, USA | USA / Texas Tech University D- Kadeisha Buchanan | Brampton, ON | USA / West Virginia University F- Gabrielle Carle | Lévis, QC | CAN / AS Armada Chaudière-Est F- Nkem Ezurike | Halifax, NS | USA / Boston Breakers M- Emma Fletcher | Victoria, BC | USA / University of California M- Jessie Fleming | London, ON | CAN / London Nor’West SC M- Sarah Kinzner | Calgary, AB | CAN / Calgary Foothills SC GK- Stephanie Labbé | Stony Plain, AB | Unattached M- Ashley Lawrence | Toronto, ON | USA / West Virginia University F- Marie Levasseur | Stoneham, QC | CAN / CS Haute St- Charles D- Kinley McNicholl | Oakville, ON | USA / University of Wisconsin D- Victoria Pickett | Barrie, ON | CAN / Glen Shields Soccer Club F- Nichelle Prince | Ajax, ON | USA / The Ohio State University D- Rebecca Quinn | Toronto, ON | USA / Duke University GK - Kailen Sheridan | Whitby, ON | USA / Clemson University D- Chelsea Stewart | Highland Ranch, CO, USA | USA / Western New York Flash M- Danica Wu | Edmonton, AB | GER / Herdorfer D- Shelina Zadorsky | London, ON | SWE / Vittsjö
Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Costa Rica will use almost the same players who participated in the WWC, Brazil with with a full team except Marta. . On the other hand, Argentina, T&T will play with their best pool of players. I will be a very even tournament. Difficult for Canada to defense its gold medal. We´ll see...
Thanks for the update. Good to see that pretty much all the best players will be there from each of the 8 teams, with the exception of Marta and Sinclair.
I like this Canadian team; Zadorsky on D was part of the Perth Glory that broke league records. Ezurike got more playing time with the Boston Breakers than most of her Canadian vet counterparts. Prinze was the fastest player at last year's u20, she subsequently suffered an injury and couldn't do much on her Ohio St. fall season. but if she's back on full tilt, well then, watch out! If Prinze & Ezurike can perform and bring back the gold, maybe that horror show of Sinclair & Tancredi will finally be put to pasture(but not Sesslemann, you leave my Sesslemann alone!)
I know this is the Canada thread, but what is the story behind the US not fielding teams at the Pan Am Games, neither men nor women (but especially women)? Was there any qualification involved, or was it their decision based upon the proximity to the Gold Cup and WWC? This is one of the few sports I'm caring about at the Pan Ams, partially due to it coming so close on the heels of the WWC.
I also like this roster. Great chance to see what the younger players can do with an eye on seeing just whom will move up for consideration for the Olympic qualifier squad. It will be difficult to make that squad as I believe it only allows 18 players down from 23 at the WWC. Sinc will be around and be valuable. John will have to break some hearts of some of the older player if they decide not to quietly walk away. Anyway looking forward to watching this team play at the Pan-Am games. Great opening ceremonies last night.....and yes I will leave Sesselmenn alone. After all, it was the turf that caused her to slip, eh
This isn't Canada's best team ex Sinclair. This is the team of the next generation of which 4 have already made it but most have only shown promise at youth levels. This will be their chance to show if they can step up and be considered to be in the senior team for Rio. For someone like Buchanan, this is an opportunity to show leadership and take her game to another level especially in terms of offensive contribution.
For men, I'd guess its because of overlap with the Gold Cup, which is much more significant than the PanAm Games for the MNT. For the women, its just not a tournament that the USSF has been interested in fielding a team. Even when they have sent one, its been a youth team (like in 2007). For this year, I would guess its not only due to the proximity to the WWC, but it would be taking players away from their NWSL season.
What the heck is the Pam Am Games? A poor mans Olympics? Never heard of such tournament and is this why Toronto didn't want to host the WWC? Lame on their part. Anyways we should have just sent our U-17 USWNT there, there would be no interference since it's summer break and they aren't in the NWSL.
The USA must have heard of the Pan-Am Games as they have sent over 600 athletes to compete. 41 countries, almost 7000 athletes and you have not heard of the Pan Am Games???? LOL. That sounds pretty lame to me. It is the largest multi-country event ever held in Canada. For many of the sports, this is your Olympic qualifying event. For other sports it is a stepping stone development event leading to Olympics prep.
Seriously!!? You've never head of the Pan American Games? What, do you live under a rock? These Games have been held since 1951!
Probably you are correct. 18 of 18 roster spots for Costa Rica and Equador and 17 of 18 for Brazil were at the WWC. In comparison Canada has 4 of 18. Brazil just beat Costa Rica 3-0 in an overpowering performance. It is Brazil's tournament to lose. With Brazil hosting the Olympics next year it is not a surprise that they have brought a huge contingent here and in many sports their main players. They are all business getting ready for 2016.
Pretty crazy game between Canada and Ecuador. Canada looked good, at least before the red card, but it was Ecuador. Watching their striker in net wearing the pinney made it seem like I was watching some youth house-league game. Pretty funny. Canada needs to work on their defensive walls, couldn't form one to save their lives and was one of the only weak points tonight.
Round 1 of group stage: Group A: Mexico 0-1 Colombia (Usme) Argentina 2-2 Trinidad & Tobago (ARG: Larroquette, Potassa; T & T: Shade, Johnson) Group B: Costa Rica 0-3 Brazil (Fernandes, Rosa de Moraes, Formiga) Canada 5-2 Ecuador (CAN: Beckie 2, Zadorsky 2, Fletcher; ECU: Moreira 2)
here's some highlights of the Colombian/Mexican & Canadian/Ecuador games. Some really nice crowds at these games, though that sometimes helps because you got athletes or even parents from other sports that come help support their respective countries
As usual, I was impressed with the level of support Columbia received. Obviously they weren't going to match Canadian fans in numbers, but they outshone everyone else in quantity and atmosphere.
full game replays can be watched at Espn 3 Canada vs Ecuador http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/id/2602911/ Colombia vs Mexico http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/id/2602887/ Brazil vs Costa Rica http://espn.go.com/watchespn/player/_/id/26028981/ if it's geo blocked, go download the app at http://hola.org and follow instructions, you might have to download it for every single event
People in Canada can watch replays through the CBC website: http://panam.cbc.ca/online-listing/index.html
The next generation of Canadian players looks pretty good. Unlikely they ever find another striker as dominant as Sinclair, but it might be a stronger overall group once these younguns develop together. Do the Pan Am Games count as official FIFA caps and everything?
If you call yourself a sports fan, you should know about the Pan Am games. If you follow a sport that is in the Pan Am games, then you should care to watch some of the action. For many sports, it is watching the next generation develop. For some sports, it is an auto qualification to the Rio Olympics if you win. If you're not a sports fan, asking the what the heck is the Pan Ams is probably a valid question. And many who fall under this segment in Toronto have been asking this question given the overkill in traffic restrictions as if it was the Olympics. For yesterday's matches, Labbe looked rusty. She wasn't set on the first free kick even though the ref took plenty of time to whistle it in. She seemed bored for the rest of the match and was wandering outside her box quite a bit and yet didn't get to the ball in time and got an embarrassing red card. Wall was shambolic as it parted both times. Otherwise, team looked good but it is only Ecuador. Brasilian WC team 17/18 over time beat down Costa Rica WC 18/18 and in a more easier fashion than seen in the WWC. In another WC rematch, Colombia looks to be incrementally improving while Mexico is standing still. After Canada, Colombians came out in good numbers and were louder than the Canadian crowd. Argentina T&T was a matchup of two weaklings with Argentina being better skilled but T&T had the better athletes. Based on round 1 and roster make up, it will likely be Brasil vs Canada final with Brasil the favourite. Colombia could upset one of them but likely to play Costa Rica for bronze.