Captain Christine Sinclair says the ongoing labour dispute with Canada Soccer has left her and other team representatives 鈥渆xhausted and deflated鈥� as they prepare to face the top-ranked Americans in the opening game of the SheBelieves Cup on Thursday.
At a time when the on-field showdown with their archrival should be front and centre, the women say they are having to fight for equality and transparency off the field.
鈥淎s a team we are just at our wits鈥� end,鈥� Sinclair told reporters Tuesday in a virtual availability from Florida. 鈥淭his could be our most important fight that we ever have as national team players and it鈥檚 one we鈥檙e determined to win.鈥�
Added forward Janine Beckie: 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty disgusting that we鈥檙e having to ask just to be treated equally. It鈥檚 a fight that women all over the world have to partake in every single day but quite frankly we鈥檙e really sick of it. And it鈥檚 something that now I don鈥檛 even get disappointed by any more. I just get angry about. Because it鈥檚 time, it鈥檚 2023.
鈥淲e won the damn Olympic Games and we鈥檙e about to go to the World Cup with a team who could win. So we expect to be prepared in the best way possible to go and win a World Cup.鈥�
The U.S. women, who have already fought this fight, have expressed their support for the Canadian team, Sinclair and Beckie said.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women, upset that their grievances have not been addressed by their governing body, downed tools Friday night and said they would not take part in the four-team tournament. But they reluctantly returned when Canada Soccer threatened legal action against them Saturday.
The women say they will play the SheBelieves Cup in protest, but will boycott the next international window unless progress is made. Sinclair said the team is still 鈥渢alking about any planned protest on the field鈥� at Thursday鈥檚 game.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure there will be something,鈥� she said.
The Canadian women says they want the same preparation for this summer鈥檚 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as the men did before their soccer showcase in Qatar last year. Both teams are also protesting cuts to their programs, as well as the youth national sides, and want Canada Soccer to open its books.
鈥淗ow is it that during a time when both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 programs are at their peak success historically and interest in soccer has not been greater, how are we having budget cuts?鈥� asked veteran Sophie Schmidt. 鈥淣ot to mention budget cuts in a World Cup year.鈥�
Sinclair said the team, which has not been paid for its 2022 national team work, has not been told why the cuts are happening.
The impasse is chasing Schmidt.
The 34-year-old midfielder from Abbotsford, B.C., who has won 218 caps for Canada, announced she will retire from international football after the World Cup.
鈥淚鈥檓 angry, I鈥檓 frustrated, appalled and heartbroken,鈥� said Schmidt. 鈥淭o know that decisions are being made and have been made that bet against our national teams being successful on both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 side is absolutely devastating.鈥�
Schmidt, who plays club football for the Houston Dash, said she was going to retire immediately Saturday and asked to fly home but was asked to sleep on it by coach Bev Priestman.
An emotional Schmidt said Sinclair convinced her to stay and continue the fight. 鈥淪he talked me off the ledge,鈥� said Schmidt, who nevertheless will call it quits later this summer after being 鈥渞ocked to my core by the situations that we鈥檙e currently in.鈥�
Schmidt said the women鈥檚 youth program has only one camp scheduled for this year 鈥� 鈥渁nd that is for all age groups.鈥�
Midfielder Quinn, who goes by one name, says the lack of youth investment will cost Canada on the field in the 鈥渘ear future.鈥�
The four players prefaced their availability by saying they were not 鈥渓egally鈥� able to comment on some topics, including possibly speaking before a parliamentary committee.
In a statement Saturday, Canada Soccer says it is committed to 鈥渁ddressing each of the demands made by the players.鈥� And it promised that the labour agreement, once concluded, 鈥渨ill be a historic deal that will deliver real change and pay equity in Canada Soccer.鈥�
It also said the players 鈥渨ere not and are not in a legal strike position under Ontario labour law.鈥�
Beckie called the legal threat 鈥渧ery disheartening.鈥�
鈥淲e knew we couldn鈥檛 put ourselves or our teammates in that position moving forward. Mostly because we don鈥檛 make millions of dollars. So to be sued would put all of us in a very difficult position.鈥�
The players will be eligible to strike come the April international window, with sufficient time (17 days) having passed from a 鈥渘o-board鈥� notice being issued. That notifies both parties that a board of conciliation will not be appointed.
鈥淲e have said if things aren鈥檛 fixed, we will not be going to that (April) camp,鈥� said Sinclair.
Beckie, who was at the men鈥檚 World Cup in Qatar as a TV analyst, said the women want the same number of staff at their World Cup as the men. The women also want to be active in every international window and to have more players brought into camp.
FIFA covered board and lodging 鈥渇or up to 50 people from each participating member association鈥� at the men鈥檚 tournament.
After the U.S., the Canadian women are due to play No. 9 Brazil on Sunday in Nashville and No. 11 Japan in Frisco, Texas, in SheBelieves Cup play.
Both national teams are currently negotiating labour agreements with Canada Soccer. The women鈥檚 previous deal expired at the end of 2021.
The men are negotiating their first formal agreement in the wake of forming their own players association, the Canada Men鈥檚 National Soccer Team Players Association.
The women have their own group, the Canadian Soccer Players鈥� Association.
The Canadian men boycotted a planned friendly with Panama in Vancouver last June over the labour dispute.
鈥擭eil Davidson, The Canadian Press
