Canada girls’s soccer has discovered its subsequent coach. The Canadian nationwide crew it employed former San Diego Wave coach Casey Stoney to move up the crew.
“I’m honoured to affix Canada Soccer because the Head Coach of the Ladies’s Nationwide Crew,” Stoney mentioned in an announcement. “Canada has a proud custom in girls’s soccer, and I’m excited to work with such a proficient group of gamers. Along with the federation’s new management, we’ll attempt to construct on previous successes and proceed to develop the game in Canada on and off the sphere. I sit up for the journey forward and to participating with the unbelievable ardour of Canadian soccer followers.”
Stoney coached the Wave for 2 and a half seasons, and was named NWSL Coach of the Yr in 2022 after main the crew in its inaugural season. She led the crew to win the NWSL Protect in 2023, however was , not lengthy after signing an extension with the crew.
Previous to becoming a member of San Diego, Stoney coached at Manchester United for 3 years, main the crew to an FA Championship in 2019.
Stoney replaces Bev Priestman, who was in November on account of her involvement within the , which put Canada Soccer underneath intense scrutiny. Priestman, who was , was fired together with two different workers members following the outcomes of the unbiased investigation.
By hiring Stoney, Canada will attempt to transfer past the scandal and usher in a brand new period. Stoney will take over the helm of a veteran (however ) Canada squad, which holds quite a lot of gamers with 100-plus caps, together with captain Jessie Fleming, defender Ashley Lawrence, forwards Adriana Leon and Janine Beckie, and extra. The crew additionally has some thrilling up-and-coming gamers, together with 20-year-old midfielder Olivia Smith, who scored three objectives for Canada this 12 months in 9 appearances.
Stoney may also be reunited with Wave goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, who’s Canada’s beginning keeper and is taken into account probably the greatest keepers internationally.