New Canada women's coach Casey Stoney is wasting little time evaluating the talent at her disposal.
The former England captain, who revealed her first squad selection Thursday for the Pinatar Cup later this month, is already in Spain having a look at the Canadian under-17 women while she awaits the senior players who are due to arrive there Feb. 15 to 18.
The U-17 Canadians, preparing to kick off the MIMA Cup against England next Tuesday, are training at the same venue that the senior side will use.
"A great opportunity to see the youngsters in the pathway. I'm a big advocate of young talent and (the youth) pathway and making sure I'm part of that as well," Stoney said in a virtual availability Thursday.
In choosing her 26-player senior roster, Stoney has opened the door to the new Northern Super League by calling up midfielders Samantha Chang from the Vancouver Rise and Emma Regan from AFC Toronto. The 24-year-old Chang, who has one senior cap, and the 25-year-old Regan, who has four caps, both came to the new Canadian league from Denmark's HB Koge.
There would have been a third NSL player in the squad had midfielder Quinn not been injured. The 29-year-old Quinn, who joined the Vancouver Rise from the NWSL's Seattle Reign, has won 104 caps.
The six-team NSL kicks off in mid-April.
"Firstly, for the women's game in Canada, this is a huge step," Stoney's said of the new league. "To professionalize the game and have professional teams is massive."
But while she will pick players "globally," Stoney said "it will be about form."
The Pinatar Cup marks Stoney's debut at Canada's helm.
The sixth-ranked Canadians take on No. 17 China on Feb. 19 before facing No. 31 Mexico on Feb. 22 and No. 42 Taiwan on Feb. 25 at the Pinatar Cup. All three games will be played at the Pinatar Arena in Murcia.
Given there will likely just be one full practice before the China game, Stoney said the focus will be largely on her team.
"We want to make it about us. And it's going to be about what we do with the ball 鈥� and how we can create and score more goals."
Stoney, formerly coach of the Manchester United women and most recently the NWSL's San Diego Wave, was named Canada coach on Jan. 13. She succeeds Bev Priestman, who left Canada Soccer after being sent home as a result of the drone-spying scandal at last summer's Paris Olympics.
Veterans on the squad include captain Jessie Fleming, Kailen Sheridan, Vanessa Gilles, Ashley Lawrence, Shelina Zadorsky, Julia Grosso, Janine Beckie, Jordyn Huitema, Adriana Leon and Nichelle Prince.
Also unavailable due to injury are Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea), Sydney Collins (North Carolina Courage), Clo茅 Lacasse (Utah Royals) and Deanne Rose (Leicester City).
Defender Jade Rose (Harvard University) joins the squad as she continues her injury rehabilitation, but will not see game action, according to Canada Soccer.
In addition to Jade Rose, there are two other NCAA players on Stoney's roster: Ella Ottey from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and SMU's Nyah Rose, both 19.
Nyah Rose, Jade's younger sister, won her first senior cap coming off the bench in the 5-1 win over South Korea on Dec. 3. It's a second senior call-up for the uncapped Ottey.
Angel City defender Megan Reid, a 28-year-old California native who qualifies for Canada through her Ottawa-born mother, is also summoned after making her debut against South Korea.
The injuries have opened up places in camp.
Stoney's roster features seven players with five or fewer caps in Ottey (uncapped), Chang, Reid and Nyah Rose (all with one cap), goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx (two caps), Regan (four) and midfielder Marie-Jasmine Alidou (five).
Stoney's roster includes 20 of the 23 players called in by interim coach Cindy Tye for November-December friendlies against Iceland and South Korea in Spain.
North Carolina State defender Janet Okeke and Sporting CP midfielder Jeneva Hernandez Gray, both part of the last roster, will be away with the under-20 team for CONCACAF U-20 qualifying play in Trinidad and Tobago. Deanne Rose was also part of the November roster.
Canada's under-20 squad features two NSL players in AFC Toronto's April Lantaigne and Kaylee Hunter.
The Canadian roster includes 12 players from teams in Europe and nine from the NWSL. Stoney has retained assistant coaches Andy Spence, Neil Wood and Jen Hurst for the tournament.
The Pinatar Cup was first held in 2020. It's Canada's first time at the competition previously won by Scotland, Belgium, Iceland and Finland.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Sabrina D鈥橝ngelo, Aston Villa (England); Lysianne Proulx, Juventus (Italy); Kailen Sheridan, San Diego Wave (NWSL).
Defenders: Gabrielle Carle, Washington Spirit (NWSL); Vanessa Gilles, Olympique Lyonnais (France); Ashley Lawrence, Chelsea (England); Ella Ottey, University of Wisconsin-Madison (NCAA); Megan Reid, Angel City FC (NWSL); Jayde Riviere, Manchester United (England); Jade Rose, Harvard University (NCAA); Bianca St-Georges, North Carolina Courage (NWSL); Shelina Zadorsky, West Ham (England).
Midfielders: Marie-Yasmine Alidou, Benfica (Portugal); Simi Awujo, Manchester United (England); Samantha Chang, Vancouver Rise (NSL); Jessie Fleming, Portland Thorns (NWSL); Julia Grosso, Chicago Red Stars (NWSL); Emma Regan, AFC Toronto (NSL).
Forwards: Janine Beckie, Racing Louisville (NWSL); Jordyn Huitema, Seattle Reign (NWSL); Clarissa Larisey, Crystal Palace (England); Adriana Leon, Aston Villa (England); Nichelle Prince, Kansas City Current (NWSL); Nyah Rose, SMU (NCAA); Olivia Smith, Liverpool (England); Evelyne Viens, AS Roma (Italy).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2025.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
