Canada WNT 2009 [R]

Carolina Morace is set to give a news conference tomorrow. An idea of what might be asked and what she might say can be gathered from these highlights of an interview she gave on radio in Italian. http://www.insidesoccer.net/?p=2453

 

Notice that the three Canadians are receiving much attention at http://www.piteaif.se/dam/. It's surprising given that they're beginning pros and Kaylyn Kyle has come straight out of the U20s and the W-League.

 

An article on recently capped James Madison forward Christina Julien: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/Ca...un.html?SPSID=62358&SPID=6827&DB_OEM_ID=14400

 

Canada announced their roster: http://canadasoccer.com/news/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=3634

Anyone know why Sophie Schmidt isn't there?

 

Finally some news of the Canadian U-20s. A report on the Colorado Buffaloes thread (http://www.buffzone.com/news/2009/jul/02/soccer-hempens-buffs-to-host-national-soccer/) says that they will hold a camp in Colorado and meet the American U-18s and U-20s. The Canadians are apparently going to arrive July 6. This will be the first time this team has come together and the first time they have trained under their new coach, Carolina Morace.

 

The CSA announces the U-20 camp that's already underway http://canadasoccer.com/tourney/FIFA_U20WWC/national.asp

I happen to think this is a promising group. It's partly demographics. The 1988 group didn't seem to have that much talent. This time they have seven returnees on the list (and Paige Adams who is injured), and most of them were regular starters last year. Most of the other names on the list are last year's U-17s. I wonder about a couple of names, Angelika Uremovich and Robyn Dutton. Are they injured or otherwise unavailable? The former U-17s bring talented forwards like Lamarre and Tiffany Cameron to join Filigno and McCarthy looked strong whether playing defense or midfield. The biggest hole to fill is probably goalkeeper. I'm not sure any of the invitees is an obvious choice to replace McNulty.

An interesting question is how will this team adjust to Morace compared with the senior NT. You might wonder whether, being younger, they might adapt to new ways faster.

 

Not sure if anyone posted the Canadian roster for the U.S. friendlies. http://canadasoccer.com/news/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=3728

Maybe it's a bit disappointing that she hasn't brought more new players into the squad, and the new players she has brought in are almost all youngsters. However she does seem to be methodical. In the first camps she looked at players that had been with the residency program and graduates of the U-20 squad. She selected from those players with only one exception for the first U.S. game. Now she's called in some players from the just finished U-20 camp. No Nonen or Latham but that's no longer a surprise. The inclusion that I do find surprising is Lagonia who has barely gotten on the field for her W-League side (unless she's had some injury).

 

The Rochester game was, I thought, more heartening than not. It didn't bother me that they were playing a soft defense. In the past they haven't been successful doing that. Hopefully, they'll soon learn a high pressure defense and can switch from one to another when the situation demands.

In the next game I'd like to see Julien play. She hasn't been on television in Canada. If not her as forward then Robinson. Robinson isn't a midfielder at this level. In my opinion they would be better off switching Filigno and Robinson. I'd like to see Timko in midfield. That would mean, I suppose, one of Nault or Gayle moving up the depth chart. Both have made clear errors in the past. I would lean towards Gayle's athleticism. They're playing without a natural defensive midfielder right now. That will have to wait until Schmidt recovers from her knee injury. Lang seems to me to be too slow for her position. She does provide low hard crosses but Timko and Filigno are capable as well. It'll be interesting to see Stewart get the start. Hopefully Morace gets the most out of her talent, which I don't think we've had a chance to see with her other teams. Wilkinson looks awkward at left back. She plays defense for her Norwegian team but that's because of their injury situation. However I don't know who on this roster could fill in for her.

 

Pitea of the Swedish league is announcing that Canadian players Kyle and Timko will not be back in August but Labbe will be. This is apparently mainly because of financial constraints.

 

An article on Sharolta Nonen's return to professional soccer: http://goal.com/en-us/news/66/unite...99719/la-sols-nonen-is-living-the-dream-twice

 

The Hermann trophy watch list has been released for 2009 and there are three Canadians on it, not counting Sydney Leroux: Alysha Bonnick of Missouri, Christina Julien of James Madison and Sophie Schmidt of Portland.

 

The W-League has released the list of the first 30 invitees to their combine. http://wleague.uslsoccer.com/home/355014.html

I recognize the following Canadians: Sasha Andrews, Josee Belanger, Sari Raber, Jasmine Philips, Marie-Eve Nault. Good luck to them.

 

Brief interview of midfielder Chelsea Stewart of Vanderbilt: http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/081709aab.html

 

On the Voyageurs board it was posted, by someone who probably has inside knowledge, that the Canadian U-20 team will have a camp at the end of this month in Mexico. The timing is certain to upset NCAA coaches. If the CSA waited until the end of November most of the players would be finished with their college season.

 

Announcement of the U-20 camp at UTEP and two games with Mexico.

 

Canada and Mexico U-20s play to a 3-3 draw last night in Juarez. http://canadasoccer.com/tourney/FIFA_U20WWC/game_profile.asp?gameId=1783

 

Now an announcement of a senior team camp for next week.

I'm delighted to see Josee Belanger rejoin the national program. Her last appearance was in 2004 when she was about 18. Genevieve Richard, future Wisconsin Badger from last year's U-17s, gets to be the third goalkeeper. I guess they decided to leave Labbe in Sweden and McNulty at Florida St. Sophie Schmidt was also not named. If there was any CIS player who I thought deserved another look from NT coaches it would be Desiree Scott who was with the U-20s in 2006. She might not be able to play her usual midfield or forward position at an international level but she was at left back for the U-20s.

 

Mexico wins the second game in the U-20 series with Canada 1-0 with a couple of controversial calls on apparent Canadian goals. CSA report.

From the starting lineup it appears Morace was using a 3-5-2 formation, which would be an adjustment for most of the Canadian players.

Morace brought in a number of high-schoolers, which is a good thing, but she probably discovered, if she didn't know already, that there's a considerable difference between impressing in U-18 play in Canada and doing the same in the NCAA.

I guess some of the players will be scrambling to get back for college games on Sunday.

 

Congratulations to former U-20s Allysha Chapman and Justine Bernier for their All-SEC honors and to current U-20s Chelsea Stewart and Amy Harrison for being chosen to the All-Freshman team.

 

The wrap-up report for the recently completed U-20 camp. I think Morace agrees with the point I made earlier that, although it's a good idea to broaden the pool, many of the younger players don't have the experience or understanding of the game to play at this level yet. If they're 17 they'll still be eligible for the next U-20 cycle.

Earlier, I thought it was quite a risk to have so many new players in camp with qualifying looming in January but then I realized that some nine players had been called to both the Colorado and this camp, not including two injured players who likely would have been. I count one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and one forward in that nine, or, in other words, almost all of a starting line-up (depending on formation).

 

Meanwhile, for the Big East, honorees on teams of the year and freshman team of the year include Nicole Mailloux, Tina Romagnuolo, Caroline Szwed, and Taylor Patterson.
http://www.bigeast.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19400&ATCLID=204827302