Canada To Replace Nigeria And Play USA

Ottawa, Ontario – Canada’s Women’s World Cup Team will play the United States on Saturday, April 26 at Washington’s RFK Stadium as a last minute replacement for Nigeria, who are unable to travel to the United States. Nigeria was scheduled to play Canada in a two game series in South Carolina last weekend but failed to show up. The Canadians played two exhibition games before returning to Canada on Sunday.
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​Head Coach Even Pellerud was to spend Wednesday reassembling his roster for the friendly and attempting to secure the release of his players from WUSA teams. Kristina Kiss and Randee Hermus will not be available as they have flown to Norway to join their club team Floya. Sharolta Nonen (Atlanta), Christine Latham (San Diego), Charmaine Hooper (Atlanta), Breanna Boyd (Carolina) and Karina LeBlanc (Boston) all have WUSA games on the weekend. The Atlanta Beat is scheduled to play the Washington Freedom following the US-Canada game in the second game of a doubleheader at RFK Stadium.
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​“The best, but also toughest, way to develop a team is playing against the best,” said Pellerud. “Every game against the US is a big game. On short notice it had been a scramble to put up a roster, but this game will under any circumstance become a great experience for my young squad.”
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​The game will mark the second meeting between the two countries in 2003, after the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw in the opening game the Algarve Cup in Portugal. In the last seven meetings, Canada is 2-3-2 (two wins, three draws and two losses).
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​The Canadian roster will be announced once it is finalized. The team is scheduled to travel to Washington on Thursday. Kick-off on Saturday is at 12:00 p.m.
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