Canada coach Bev Priestman found herself having to address her future. Her players had to explain why they were wearing their training tops inside-out.
Just another not-so-normal day for Canada Soccer under the cloud of a bitter labour dispute that has pitted players against their governing body, which had to threaten legal action on the weekend to get the Olympic champion women back on the job.
Rather than discussing Thursday鈥檚 showdown with the top-ranked U.S. at the SheBelieves Cup, the talk has largely been on the emotional turmoil off the pitch.
With the players reluctant to talk about the major labour issues, presumably on the advice of legal counsel, a smaller gesture cast a big shadow at their final training session at Exploria Stadium.
Veteran midfielder Sophie Schmidt, who announced Tuesday she will retire from international football after this summer鈥檚 World Cup, offered a succinct explanation for the fashion statement.
The Canada Soccer crest normally sits on the side of the heart, she noted.
鈥淎nd we are so proud and honoured to play for Canada. But right now we feel as though our federation has let us down,鈥� said Schmidt, who has won 218 caps for Canada. 鈥淎nd that is the reason why we have it the other way around.鈥�
Priestman wore her top with the crest in the right place. But she was clearly sympathetic.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e fighting to push for things that should be there 鈥� For them it鈥檚 representing the greater cause they鈥檙e going after,鈥� the coach said.
The players are demanding the same backing ahead of their World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as the men got ahead of their soccer showcase in Qatar. Both teams want a look at Canada Soccer鈥檚 books and an explanation for why both their programs are being cut this year.
The four team representatives 鈥� captain Christine Sinclair, Janine Beckie, Schmidt and Quinn (who goes by one name), met the media after Wednesday鈥檚 session. The scrum with the four players, who held their own virtual availability Tuesday, lasted 6 1/2 minutes before it was forcefully shut down by the team media attach茅.
Another topic of conversation Wednesday was Priestman鈥檚 future.
Some two weeks after men鈥檚 coach John Herdman was linked to a move to New Zealand, The Guardian newspaper reported that Priestman was considering her options after the World Cup and is pondering a move to club football with a number of teams interested.
鈥淥bviously post- (Olympic) gold medal there鈥檚 been regular opportunities put in front of me,鈥� Priestman told a virtual availability earlier Wednesday when asked about the English report. 鈥淏ut I think that the biggest thing is I鈥檓 committed to this group of players and I鈥檝e shared some incredible moments with them. And I want those moments to continue.
鈥淚t is a really difficult circumstance, we can鈥檛 hide from that. But my aim is to be with this group of players and to share more incredible moments.鈥�
The Herdman report prompted a brief period of uncertainty before he and Canada Soccer put out a statement pouring cold water on the report.
Priestman said she had reached out to Herdman about how best to navigate the labour dispute. Herdman lived through it last June when the Canadian men boycotted a friendly against Panama in Vancouver.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure either of us are experts, I鈥檓 not sure a lot of coaches are out there 鈥� But what I do know is I鈥檓 not doing my job if I don鈥檛 prepare this group to go out and perform. And that鈥檚 everything I鈥檝e tried to do,鈥� said Priestman.
Both teams are negotiating labour agreements with Canada Soccer. The men are doing it formally for the first time. The women鈥檚 existing deal expired at the end of 2021.
Other than the fashion switch, the start of Wednesday鈥檚 practice was the same as any other. Music blared and players tossed an NFL football around before headed off to warm up. A butter-fingered Priestman showed, for all her coaching skills, that a role as wide receiver is not in her future.
鈥淚 think ultimately we all get along so well,鈥� said Sinclair, asked about the relaxed on-field vibe. 鈥淲e鈥檙e obviously fighting for something bigger than ourselves but out there we鈥檝e got to enjoy ourselves.鈥�
Concentrating on soccer is not easy, Quinn conceded.
鈥淚 think the reality is we are in the thick of it,鈥� they said. 鈥淯nfortunately for us, we can鈥檛 just focus on football right now. We have to focus on things that are bigger than our team, bigger than ourselves and what we鈥檙e fighting for.鈥�
It鈥檚 hardly a recipe for success against a U.S. team that holds a 52-4-7 record against its northern rival.
Despite the stress of the labour divide, Priestman said all her players will be available Thursday.
But she admitted that her conversation with Schmidt was 鈥渁 little bit soul-destroying for me.鈥�
鈥淭o have Sophie talk about retirement in floods of tears, that for me, more importantly for me as a coach working with players, that was really really difficult,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just so thankful that that鈥檚 been on hold. That鈥檚 the sort of emotional turmoil that鈥檚 in there.鈥�
Priestman said she was 鈥渋ncredibly proud and honoured to represent the group of players I have in front of me 鈥� (and) what they stand for.鈥�
She said her team is working to ensure the future of the next generation of players.
鈥淲hat comes out loud and clear to me is this group, they鈥檙e not just fighting for themselves in the next six months,鈥� she said.
Priestman made her personal position clear.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e asking me as a woman, do I believe in equality? Absolutely,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have a little boy and I want him to know that I get the same opportunity as anybody else in this world to perform and do the things I need to do.鈥�
The Canada Women鈥檚 Soccer Alumni Association added its voice to those in support of the players.
In a statement Wednesday, the association said the current conflict 鈥渋s nothing new and is the result of a toxic, dishonest and broken system that has gone unchecked for the past 30 years.鈥�
The association co-chair is Helen Stoumbos, who scored Canada鈥檚 first-ever World Cup goal at the 1995 FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup.
Asked about the 2023 program cuts, Priestman had little to offer, saying she was in a difficult position representing both the players and Canada Soccer.
鈥淚 think that everything that鈥檚 documented is well-known and it鈥檚 a really difficult time.鈥�
Canada and the U.S. last met in June 2022 when the U.S. won 1-0 in the final of the CONCACAF W Championship in Guadalupe, Mexico, on a 78th-minute Alex Morgan penalty.
That marked the first meeting between the two since Canada鈥檚 1-0 semifinal triumph at the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021.
Priestman said her players will rise to the occasion Thursday.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e elite high-performers who, when that whistle goes, will give everything they鈥檝e got for the country. I know that,鈥� said Priestman.
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski, whose team has already waged and won its pay equity fight, also hopes the Canada Soccer strife ends soon.
鈥淲e know what the situation is and we genuinely hope that they resolve their problems,鈥� he said in a separate availability Wednesday. 鈥淲e were able to do it on our side and we鈥檙e in support of them resolving the problem on their side.鈥�
The other Canada victories over the U.S. were in 1986 (2-1 in Blaine, Minn., in the Canadian women鈥檚 second-ever official outing), 2000 (3-1 in a friendly in Columbus, Ohio) and 2001 (3-0 at the Algarve Cup in Portugal).
The sixth-ranked Canadians head for Nashville after Thursday鈥檚 contest to face No. 9 Brazil on Sunday. Then it鈥檚 on to Frisco, Texas, to take on No. 11 Japan on Feb. 22.
The February international window is one of the few opportunities in advance of the World Cup for the Canadian women to get together. There is another window in early April and one in July immediately before the World Cup.
The Canadian team will be in legal position to strike come the April window and Sinclair said Tuesday the team won鈥檛 participate then unless its grievances are met.
The U.S. are defending SheBelieves Cup champions and have won five of the seven editions of the tournament. France won in 2017 and England in 2019.
Canada placed third in 2021, its only previous visit to the event in Priestman鈥檚 debut as Canada coach.
Priestman is currently without the injured Nichelle Prince, Jayde Riviere, Deanne Rose and Desiree Scott.
鈥擭eil Davidson, The Canadian Press
