2023 SheBelieves Cup Preview

As the 2023 Women’s World Cup quickly approaches, the Canadian National Women’s/X-Gender Team heads into the SheBelieves Cup looking to gain some competitive experience.

In preparation for this tournament, Soccer Canada announced the roster:

Soccer Canada

A quick scan would show a number of familiar names as the roster has been updated after the pre-tournament camp. This camp fell outside of the official window on the Women’s International Calendar, so the pre-tournament squad featured predominantly North American players. So, there were some additions to this list before the final roster announcement.

Bev Priestmann’s roster includes a few newer faces to the national side, including:
GK Lysianne Proulx (1 cap), MF Simi Awujo (3 caps), and Jenna Hellstrom (3 caps). Priestmann also included FB Sydney Collins as a training player, meaning she will be with the squad, but not on the bench for games.

Here’s the schedule:

U.S. Soccer

Canada plays the US to start the tournament, followed by Brazil and Japan. Expect a bunch of squad rotation for these matches, as 3 games in 6 days is a lot of football. Also, with the recent decision by the team to withdraw their services until an agreement with Soccer Canada is reached, Thursday is still a question mark.

So, what should we expect from these matches?

Feb 16th vs. USA

The US always fields a strong team. Similar to Canada, the roster is composed mainly of domestic players (i.e. - NWSL). It will be a tough challenge for the Canadian squad, as the US is playing in front of a home crowd and will be putting out a strong 11. Look for Priestman to employ a defensive formation, probably a 4-2-3-1, to combat the strong US attack.

Player to Watch - Alex Morgan. She’s scored 120 goals in 201 appearances for the national team. Don’t be surprised if Morgan scores.

Feb 19th vs. Brazil

Brazil was Canada’s most recent opponent, having played a pair a friendlies in Brazil in November. These two teams split the games, with each squad winning 2-1. Brazil will bring an attacking mindset in a likely 4-3-3 formation with build-up play through their experienced midfield.

Player to Watch - Marta. Who else? She just keeps scoring. Marta is coming back from a serious knee injury and probably won’t play the full 90, but she’s still a threat when she’s on the pitch, with 115 goals in 172 national team appearances.

Feb 22nd vs. Japan

The 11th ranked Japanese team started 2022 on a winning note, getting a result in 12 matches and only losing one to China in a penalty shootout. However, this team recorded consecutive losses against England and Spain in November Friendlies. This team is dominant in Asia, and is a perennial strong team to play.

Player to Watch - Mana Iwabuchi. She plays in England for Tottenham (on loan from Arsenal - is that allowed?) She’s a versatile player - usually lining up as a midfielder, but can easily slot in as playmaking striker. She’s fun to watch.

How to Watch

As per usual, OneSoccer/Fubo is the place to catch Canadian National Soccer matches. You’ll be able to watch every CANWNT/XNT match on these streaming platforms. Unfortunately, OneSoccer is not televising the other matches for the tournament.

If you’re lucky enough to live in the US, TNT is broadcasting the matches. If not, you might be out of luck to be able to watch the other matches not featuring Canada.