Canada returns for final week of training in Vancouver

Canada’s women’s national team returns to Vancouver this week for its last week of training on home soil. The team departs for Asia in one week to begin its final preparations before the 2008 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. Canada’s tournament begins 6 August against Argentina in Tianjin.
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​Just last week, Canada played to a 1:1 draw against Brazil at BMO Field in Toronto. It was the team’s 18th match of the 2008 season. Canada has a record of eight wins, five draws and five losses heading into Beijing.
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​Canada will train Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning and afternoon, and then Thursday morning. The team trains Monday to Wednesday at Kinsmen Field in North Vancouver and then Thursday at Peach Arch Elementary in South Surrey. The Thursday morning session features an exhibition match against a local club. Canada will not train Friday through Sunday.
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​Also this week, Canada will nominate its roster for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. The roster announcement will take place Tuesday at Kinsmen Field.
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​Canada, whose title sponsor is Winners and whose presenting sponsor is Teck Cominco, has one of the top women’s programs in the world. Along with the national team’s trip to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (a first in Association history), Canada hopes to have its two youth teams compete in FIFA tournaments this year. The U-20 team has already qualified for Chile 2008 while the U-17 team is currently in Trinidad & Tobago hoping to win a berth in the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup New Zealand 2008.
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​Highlights of the 2008 season thus far include a second-place finish at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament and a second-place finish at the 2008 Peace Queen Cup. The highlight of the CONCACAF tournament was a 1:0 win over Mexico in the semi-final, thus earning Canada its first-ever berth to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. At the youth level, Canada’s U-20 team won its second CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship.