With preseason just around the corner, we have four players out on international duty. Forward Rachel Daly is competing in the SheBelieves Cup with England while our three Canadians – forward Nichelle Prince, midfielder Sophie Schmidt and defender Allysha Chapman – are competing in Tournoi de France with Canada.
The Canadians kicked off Tournoi de France by taking on the hosts, France. Chapman and Schmidt started the match, while Prince came on as a substitution in the 70th minute. Schmidt played the whole match while Chapman was subbed out at the half. Despite a solid defensive effort, the hosts were able to breakthrough in the 55th minute. Canada was unable to equalize, losing the first match of the tournament 1-0.
Daly and England started their SheBelieves Cup play against hosts, the United States. This was the first time the teams had seen each other after the chaotic World Cup semifinal, where the US took the win. Daly was available off the bench for the match, but England fell 2-0 early in the second half and were unable to answer despite having quite a few chances on goal.
Tournament play continues for both countries this weekend. Canada will take on the Netherlands on Saturday, March 7 at 12 pm CDT. England will face Japan on Sunday, March 8 at 1:15 pm CDT. England’s match will be available on ESPN3.
