The Canada Women's National Team named its 20-player roster for the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship at BBVA Compass Stadium today. Included in the team are Houston Dash defender Allysha Chapman and forward Janine Beckie.
Chapman, 27, was part of the Canada squad that finished in sixth place at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, starting every match. The Courtice, Ontario, native was allocated to the Dash prior to the 2015 NWSL season and made five appearances (four starts). Chapman has earned 21 caps with Canada.
Beckie was selected by the Dash with the eighth pick at the 2016 NWSL College Draft out of Texas Tech University. The 21-year-old has been capped nine teams for the Canada senior team and has scored three times, including two at the Women's International Tournament in Brazil this past December. Beckie finished her career at Texas Tech as the school's all-time leading goalscorer, with 57.
Canada will compete in Group B of the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship at BBVA Compass Stadidum, and will open against Guyana on Feb. 11, then face Trinidad and Tobago on Feb. 14 before finishing the group stage against Guatemala on Feb. 16. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the semifinals, with the two nations advancing to the final also securing a spot at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both semifinals and the final will also be played at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Tickets for all of Canada's matches as well as the semifinal and final are available now at BBVACompassStadium.com.
Canada’s CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship 2016 roster by position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Erin McLeod, Stephanie Labbé, Sabrina D'Angelo
DEFENDERS (6): Shelina Zadorsky, Kadeisha Buchannan, Rebecca Quinn, Rhian Wilkinson, Allysha Chapman, and Josée Bélanger
MIDFIELDERS (5): Diana Matheson, Sophie Schmidt, Desiree Scott, Ashley Lawrence, and Jessie Fleming
FORWARDS (6): Janine Beckie, Christine Sinclair (Captain), Nichelle Prince, Deanne Rose, Gabrielle Carle, and Melissa Tancredi
