Houston Dash goalkeeper Erin McLeod and defenders Allysha Chapman and Lauren Sesselmann have been named to the Canada Women’s National Team 23-player roster for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada by head coach John Herdman, it was announced today.
The trio will be in Houston this weekend and available for selection as the Dash face FC Kansas City at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday (7:30 p.m. CT; TICKETS). All three started in the team’s 1-1 draw at Sky Blue FC on April 18. They return to national team training camp following Saturday’s match.
Canada will play a friendly on May 29 against England at Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton, Ontario before hosting the World Cup. Canada kicks off tournament against China on June 6, then faces New Zealand on June 11 and the Netherlands on June 15 to round out the group stage. The Canadians have qualified for six of seven World Cups. Their highest finish was fourth place in the 2003 edition. In their most recent major tournament, the team earned the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics.
This is the fourth World Cup team for McLeod. The St. Albert, Alberta, native was named to the 2003 squad at age 20 but did not appear in a match. She then started all three group stage matches at the 2007 tournament and two of three matches at the 2011 edition. The 32-year-old was named 2014 Dash Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year while captaining the team during their inaugural season.
Sesselmann and Chapman are set for their first World Cup appearances. Sesselmann, 31, has made 41 international appearances for Canada. The Wisconsin native, who has Canadian citizenship through her father, suffered from a torn ACL in February 2014 and played her first competitive match returning from the injury in a friendly against France on April 9.
Chapman, 26, has earned 11 caps for Canada, with her first coming in October 2014. The LSU graduate scored her first international goal at this year’s Cyprus Cup, where Canada finished runners-up. Chapman was allocated to the Dash by the Canada Soccer Association in January 2015.
The three Canadians join Americans Carli Lloyd, Meghan Klingenberg and Morgan Brian as Dash players scheduled to take part in this summer’s tournament.
2015 Canada FIFA Women’s World Cup Roster By Position
GOALKEEPERS (3): Stephanie Labbé (unattached), Karina LeBlanc (Chicago Red Stars), Erin McLeod (Houston Dash)
DEFENDERS (8): Kadeisha Buchanan (West Virginia University), Allysha Chapman (Houston Dash), Robyn Gayle (unattached), Carmelina Moscato (unattached), Marie-Eve Nault (unattached), Lauren Sesselmann (Houston Dash), Rhian Wilkinson (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Zurrer (unattached)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Jessie Fleming (London NorWest SC), Selenia Iachelli (unattached), Kaylyn Kyle (Portland Thorns FC), Ashley Lawrence (West Virginia University), Diana Matheson (Washington Spirit), Desiree Scott (Notts County Ladies), Sophie Schmidt (unattached)
FORWARDS (5): Josée Bélanger (unattached), Jonelle Filigno (Sky Blue FC), Adriana Leon (Chicago Red Stars), Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns FC), Melissa Tancredi (Chicago Red Stars)
