ANALYSIS – The CANWNT Pinatar Cup roster was revealed on Thursday. This roster, the first-ever by Casey Stoney, was relatively large with a 26-player roster eligible to play in the three games in February.
CANWNT Pinatar Cup Roster for February
The Well-Known CANWNT Players
Players that were expected on the roster such as captain Jessie Fleming, 2024 CANWNT Player of the Year, Vanessa Gilles, and goal scorer, Adriana Leon, are all on the team.
Stoney talked about Jessie Fleming, and it seems like she will remain as captain, with what Stoney said (Source: OneSoccer YouTube Account):
Also, it is nice to see Olivia Smith making the roster consistently after missing out on making the Paris 2024 Olympic roster. She is a player that will have a big positive influence on the national team going forward.
Two Northern Super League/Super Ligue du Nord Players on the Roster
There are two midfielders on the roster that are from the NSL/SLN. One of them is not a surprise, Emma Regan, who is with AFC Toronto, and has been making some of the more recent rosters for the CANWNT. This is what AFC Toronto head coach, Marko Milanovic, said about Regan (Source: AFC Toronto Press Release Statement):
“Emma exemplifies the ambition, hunger and leadership we look for in a player. She’s a natural leader who has excelled across national team programs and has continued to rise with a determination to play at the highest level,” said Milanovic, Head Coach of AFC Toronto. “Her versatility in midfield, strong fundamentals, and relentless drive to develop make her a perfect fit for our club’s vision.”
The surprise though is with Samantha Chang, who currently plays for the Vancouver Rise FC as a midfielder. This is what was said on the Vancouver Rise X Account when Chang was signed (Source: HB Køge’s X Account on February 6, 2025):
“Samantha Chang’s leadership and experience are a perfect fit for our midfield.”
These players may not get playing time when facing China and Mexico but do wonder if they both will have substantial minutes against Taiwan, which is the lowest-ranked FIFA team of the four in this competition.
It is important to note that there could have been three NSL/SLN players on the roster, but Quinn of the Vancouver Rise FC was injured.
Four NCAA Players
Four young university players are on the team SMU’s Nyla Rose, who made her debut in the 5-1 win over South Korea on December 3, and also uncapped player, Ella Ottey, who plays for the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was brought up in Toronto, Ontario. There is also Janet Okeke, who is only 18 years old and currently playing for the Florida State Seminoles as a defender.
Nyla Rose’s older sister, Jade Rose, is 21 years old and has earned herself a place with the national team consistently. This is what former CANWNT head coach, Beverly Priestman, said about Christine Sinclair giving the number 12 to J. Rose (Source: She Scores Bangers X Account):
Rose is a fantastic player that can step up in big games such as in the Olympics against France as well as in the SheBelieves Cup Final against the U.S. Unfortunately, she is likely not to play in any of the three games (Source: Laura Bryan) because of injury despite being on the roster.
Injuries on the CANWNT
As mentioned before, Quinn are injured, and they play a big role on the national team. This is what Stoney said about Quinn and their injury according to the Har Journalist:
Other players who did not make the national team because of an injury are Cloé Lacasse and Kadeisha Buchanan. It is really unfortunate for Lacasse as she had an excellent 2024 year, scoring her first-ever Olympic goal for the national team and playing well in the Concacaf W Gold Cup.
Buchanan might be the biggest loss for Canada as her partnership with Vanessa Gilles has helped Canada win lots of games, and it was a big reason why Canada won Gold in Tokyo 2020 as well as getting out of the group stage in the Paris 2024 Olympics. There is also Deanne Rose, who is also currently injured as she played a key role in Canada winning the gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The other player injured is Sydney Collins.
CANWNT Gets Ready to Kick Off 2025
READ MORE: 2024 CANWNT Year Review: So Close, and Yet, So Far
The head coach of the CANWNT, Stoney, is excited about the games coming up for the CANWNT, as the team looks towards 2027 with the FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place in Brazil (Source: Canada Soccer):
READ MORE: CANWNT Head Coach Casey Stoney: Former Lionesses Captain
The CANWNT has some big games coming up this month. Starting on February 19 at 1:00pm EST against China, then February 22 at 1:00pm EST against Mexico, as well as against Taiwan or Chinese Taipei on February 25 at 1:00pm EST. All three games will take place at Pinatar Arena in San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain, with all three games being broadcast live on OneSoccer.
According to FIFA, Canada is the highest-ranked of the four teams at sixth overall. After that, China PR is ranked 17th overall, Mexico 31st overall, and finally Chinese Taipei, which is ranked 41st.
Women’s International Friendly
10 June 2018 (Uploaded on July 19, 2018) – Hamilton, ON, CAN
Canada Soccer by Martin Bazyl
