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NATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM PLAYERS HEAD HOME TO REST. BUT SOCCER DOES NOT STOP From CSA & FIFA Articles 14 March 2011

The players of the National Women's Soccer team have have returned home for a short break following a successful championship in the 2011 Cyprus Women’s Cup. The players have less than two weeks at their homes before returning to Europe for their next camp in advance of this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011.

Of note, goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc made a special appearance at the Manitoba Soccer Association Annual Awards Banquet in Winnipeg. She served as a keynote speaker for the event on Saturday 12 March. The following morning, she lent her skills in a Karina LeBlanc Goalkeeping Clinic on Sunday 13 March.

From 15-18 March at the Oakville Soccer Club, six national players offered player Training Sessions for girls aged 11-14 (from 15-16 March) and girls ages 15-18 (from 17-18 March). The player sessions, which included both on field (morning) and in the classroom (for one hour in the afternoon) segments, were led by Diana Matheson, Carmelina Moscato, Melissa Tancredi, Robyn Gayle and Melanie Booth. Special Goalkeeper Training Sessions, led by Erin McLeod, were offered 17-18 March for girls aged 11-18.

Some players joined up with their professional clubs for pre-season training before the 2011 Unites States Women’s Professional Soccer season. These included Christine Sinclair, who moved to her new digs in Buffalo, NY where she will join the expansion Western New York Flash after this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany.

Canada has achieved its highest ever FIFA word ranking. This ranking takes into account the results, the importance of matches, the strength of the opponent, the regional strength, the time period, and the number of matches per year. The ranking comes out four times a year.

Canada is now one of six countries with 2,000 or more points on the ranking. Canada (2,028) joins USA (2,191), Germany (2,153), Brazil (2,098), Japan (2,062) and Sweden (2,043) in the top group of six nations. This marks the first time ever that Canada has passed the 2,000-point milestone.

Canada had previously ranked as high as 9th overall several times over the last four years. Canada and China PR played the most matches of any nation in the most recent quarter, 11 matches from December to early March. Canada’s 54-point jump nearly doubled its previous biggest jump of 28 points in November 2010. Canada has gained 82 points and jumped seven places on the ranking (from 13th to 6th) in the last six months.

Since 30 September 2010, Canada’s international record is 14 wins, two draws and one loss. Canada finished first at the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifier, first at the 2010 Torneio Internacional in Brazil, second at the 2011 Yongchuan Cup Four-Nation Women’s Tournament in China PR, and first at the 2011 Cyprus Women’s Cup in Cyprus.

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP RANKING
1 USA 2,191
2 Germany 2,153
3 Brazil 2,098
4 Japan 2,062
5 Sweden 2,043
6 Canada 2,028
7 France 1,997
8 Korea DPR 1,995
9 Norway 1,989
10 England 1,962

Free Kick magazine brings attention to the Women’s National Team who will be competing in the FIFA World Cup in Germany in June. Largely due to the leadership of coach Carolina Morace, the women have enjoyed extraordinary success, having adopted tighter ball control tactics and imaginative play.

Writer Mike Toth gives a closer look at the financial challenges and battles the team has endured in trying to work with the CSA, the very body that should be promoting and supporting their ambitions.

Recently, Canada was given the opportunity to host the FIFA World Cup in 2015, and while this sounds glamorous and exciting, we don’t deserve to play such a role when we have not supported our athletes adequately for the last 20 years. Undeniably though, this will be a tremendous chance for women’s soccer to be catapulted into the limelight and Canadians can be expected to passionately support their national side.

Soccer Suffragist