Defender Sydney Collins has made a comeback from injury, while goalkeeper Emily Burns, midfielder Florianne Jourde, and teenage forward Kaylee Hunter have received their first senior call-ups for Canada’s upcoming matches in the FIFA October international window. Coach Casey Stoney has selected a 24-player squad to take on Switzerland, ranked 24th, on Friday at the Swissporarena in Lucerne and then face the 11th-ranked Netherlands on Oct. 28 at Goffertstadion in Nijmegen.
Collins, who last played for Canada in December 2023 against Australia, has faced injury setbacks lately. She suffered a fractured ankle in February 2024 during camp before the CONCACAF W Gold Cup. Despite returning in time for the 2024 Olympics, she had to withdraw from the squad due to a left leg injury.
Recently traded from North Carolina to Bay FC for $60,000 US, Collins has been a regular starter at centre back for Bay FC. Florianne Jourde, who led Canada in the 2024 FFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, joins the senior team for the first time, along with Burns and Hunter.
Burns, playing for FC Nantes in France, was a top goalkeeper nominee in the French league and has excelled in the French second tier. Jourde, a 20-year-old Canadian from Montreal, signed with Paris Saint-Germain after playing college soccer at USC. Hunter, a 17-year-old forward from Calgary, has been in impressive form for AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League.
Injuries have sidelined familiar faces like goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx, defenders Kadeisha Buchanan and Vanessa Gilles, and midfielder Simi Awujo. Meanwhile, midfielder Kayla Briggs and forward Annabelle Chukwu are unavailable for selection due to mutual agreements with their colleges.
Canada’s squad, with an average age of 25.2, includes a mix of experienced players like Adriana Leon and emerging talents like Hunter. The team has a positive track record against Switzerland and the Netherlands, being unbeaten in five matches against Switzerland and losing only once in 14 encounters against the Netherlands.
Canada’s last match was a 3-0 defeat to the U.S. on July 2 in Washington, D.C. Stoney described it as a reality check and emphasized the need to reset quickly. Under Stoney’s leadership, the Canadian women have a record of 6-2-1.
