Three Sky Blue players named to Canada’s Algarve Cup roster

The 2108 Algarve Cup kicks off on February 28 in Portugal, and three Sky Blue FC players will be competing in the tournament with Canada’s women’s national team.

Second-year goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and new acquisitions Janine Beckie and Adriana Leon were all named to new head coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller’s 23-player roster for the friendly tournament.

Beckie is one of 15 members of Canada’s 2016 Olympic bronze medal-winning squad included on the roster. Although neither Sheridan nor Leon were members of that third-place team, Sheridan has regularly been in camp with the national team since making her debut during the 2016 Algarve Cup, and Leon returned to the team after stellar performances during the 2017 season with the Boston Breakers and was nominated for the Canada Soccer’s player of the year award.

As was often the case with his predecessor John Herdman, Heimer-Møller also named four teenagers to the roster, all of whom have previously been called into camp with the senior national team.

“Once again, we are bringing a young, hungry team, blended with more experienced veteran players to the Algarve Cup as we continue to expand our tournament expertise heading into the CONCACAF Women’s Championship later this year,” said Heiner-Møller in the team’s official announcement, citing the team’s World Cup qualifying tournament, which will take place in October.

Also included on Canada’s Algarve Cup roster are goalkeeper Erin McLeod and Diana Matheson, both of whom have missed multiple national team camps after suffering ACL tears. McLeod tore her ACL in March 2016, sidelining her for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Matheson’s injury happened in 2017 and cause her to miss the entire NWSL season. This is the first official camp back for both players since their respective injuries.

Canada, who were the 2016 Algarve Cup champions and 2017 runners-up, will be competing in the tournament, which kicks off on February 28, for the third consecutive year. They were drawn into Group B, where they will first face Sweden on the tournament’s opening day. The Canadians will then take on Russia on March 2 before closing out group play on March 5 against Korea Republic.

The final day of the tournament, March 7, will consist of six placement matches to determine the tournament’s final standings.

Canada’s full roster for the tournament is listed below.

CANADA ROSTER BY POSITION

Goalkeepers (3): Stephanie Labbé (unattached), Erin McLeod (FF USV Jena), Kailen Sheridan (Sky Blue FC)
Defenders (6): Lindsay Agnew (Houston Dash), Kadeisha Buchanan (Olympique Lyonnais), Allysha Chapman (North Carolina Courage), Ashley Lawrence (Paris Saint Germain), Shannon Woeller (FF USV Jena), Shelina Zadorsky (Orlando Pride)
Midfielders (7): Jessie Fleming (UCLA), Julia Grosso (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite), Maegan Kelly (Utah Royals FC), Diana Matheson (Utah Royals FC), Rebecca Quinn (Washington Spirit), Sophie Schmidt (FFC Frankfurt), Desiree Scott (Utah Royals FC)
Forwards (7): Janine Beckie (Sky Blue FC), Jenna Hellstrom (FC Rosengård), Jordyn Huitema (Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite), Adriana Leon (Sky Blue FC), Nichelle Prince (Houston Dash), Deanne Rose (University of Florida), Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns FC)