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Goalkeeper:
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Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
The only two-time CONCACAF champion in Canada’s history, having been part of the championship teams in 1998 and 2010.
Participated in four FIFA Women’s World Cups and two Women’s Olympic Tournament, where she helped lead Canada to a bronze medal win. She is the longest serving player in Canadian soccer history.
In 2012, became the first women’s goalkeeper to make 100 appearances for Canada.[1]
Defenders:
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Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
Represented Canada at two FIFA Women’s World Cups, including their first participation at Sweden 1995. In 1995, she played as a starting centre back against England, Nigeria, and Norway, helping hold the Norwegians (who would go on to win the title) to its lowest goal total of the World Cup.
A two-time runner-up for Canadian Player of the Year honors, she won silver medals at two CONCACAF tournaments.
Played in 17 consecutive matches for Canada between 1995 and 1998, and 47 total throughout the duration of her career.[2]
Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
Has represented Canada at two FIFA Women’s World Cups and one Women’s Olympic Tournament. In 2008, she scored the first goal of the entire tournament with a 27th minute strike against Argentina. 4 years later, she won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2012 games when Canada defeated France 1-0.
She has appeared in 108 matches for the Canadian Women’s National Team.
At the professional level, she won back-to-back Women’s Professional Soccer titles in 2010 and 2011 for the Western New York Flash.[3]
Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
Debuted for the Canadian team in 1995 at the age of 19 and played for her country a total of 85 times over an 11-year span.
Played in three Women’s World Cups, and was known as a tenacious and relentless central defender who served as a leader.
Was an All-Conference, All-American, and All-Academic player for the University of Nebraska from 1996-1999, before playing professionally in the W-League for 5 years.[4]
Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
Has represented Canada at three FIFA Women’s World Cups, including the fourth-place finish at USA 2003.
In 2011, became just the eighth women’s footballer to make 100 appearances for Canada.
An offensively-minded right fullback, she has been known to carry the ball forward with good pace and make accurate crosses in the attacking zone.
Loved for her tenacious style of defense, Wilkinson won the Canada Soccer Fans’ Choice Award in 2007 along the Senior Excellence Women Player award.[5]
Midfielders:
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Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
An original member of Canada’s national team, Donnelly made her international debut for Canada at the tender age of 21 against the United States in Blaine, Minnesota.
Went on to score the first two goals ever scored by Canada’s national women’s team.
Played in two World Cups, scoring three total times combined in China and Sweden.
Helped Canada win their first ever CONCACAF Women’s Championship in 1998 and left international football at the time as Canada’s all-time leader with 71 appearances.[6]
Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
Over an 18-year career, she set a national record by making 132 appearances and won four CONCACAF Silver medals. Additionally, she is the first Canadian to have featured in four Women’s World Cups (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007), including the women’s national team’s best ever fourth place finish in the US.
She was also the leader in games played, minutes played and assists for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, contributing to two W-League championships in 2004 and 2006. [7]
Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
Represented Canada at two FIFA Women’s World Cup and one Olympic tournament.
A national team captain, she was just the fifth women’s football to make 100 appearances for Canada.
Attended the University of Nebraska, where she was named All-Conference and All-Central Region before playing professionally for 10 years.
From 1998 to 2001, played in 43 consecutive matches for Canada, acting as an anchor in the central midfield role, an appeared in 102 matches overall over a 13 year span.[8]
Forwards:
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Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
Represented Canada at three FIFA Women’s World Cups, and played professionally in Norway (FK Donn), Italy (Lazio), and Japan (Prima Ham FC).
An original member of Canada’s national team in 1986, she went on to set national records for appearances (129) and goals (71).
Played in three FIFA World Cups and scored the match-winning goal against China that propelled Canada to its best ever finish at a Women’s World Cup.[9]
Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
A winner of 11 consecutive Canadian Women’s Player of the Year awards and 12 overall, she is Canada’s all-time leader in appearances and goals scored at this point, with 222 games played and 153 goals scored.
She has participated in three FIFA Women’s World Cup (and is the captain for this year’s squad), and has been nominated by them as a nominee for World Player of the Year six times.
She scored all three goals against the United States in their 4-3 loss in the 2012 Olympic semifinal that is considered by many to be the greatest women’s soccer game ever.
Won back-to-back Women’s Professional Soccer titles, winning MVP honors in 2011 as well.[10]
Picture courtesy of canadasoccer.com
Represented Canada at three FIFA Women’s World Cups, winning Canadian Player of the Year honors in 1998, the same year she won MVP honors at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. She did in fact score eight goals in one single game, as Canada won 21-0 over an under-matched Puerto Rican squad.
She was a two-time winner of the CONCACAF Top scorer award and scored 38 goals over 76 appearances for Canada in her career.[11]
With that, we have our Ultimate XI:[12]
How to cite this page: “Canada All Time XI” Written By Harrison Kalt (2015), World Cup 2015, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/world-cup-guides/world-cup-2015-guide/why-canada/canada-all-time-xi/ (accessed on (date)).
Bibliography
[1] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Karina LeBlanc’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=1843
[2] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Janine Helland’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=1457
[3] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Candace Chapman’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=670
[4] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Isabelle Morneau’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/?t=roster&pid=2267
[5] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Rhian Wilkinson’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=3349
[6] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Geraldine Donnelly’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=1011
[7] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Andrea Neil’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=2341
[8] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Amy Walsh’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=3295
[9] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Charmaine Hooper’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=1509
[10] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ‘Christine Sinclair’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=2971
[11] Canadasoccer.com,.2012. ’Silvana Burtini’. Accessed April 14 2015 http://www.canadasoccer.com/index.php?t=roster&pid=557
[12] LineupBuilder.com,.2014. ‘Canada All-Time XI’. Accessed on April 14 2015. LineupBuilder.com
