Brampton’s Kadeisha Buchanan and Caledon’s Ashley Lawrence named to Women’s World Cup team

Brampton | Caledon | Latest News |

Published July 13, 2023 at 10:52 am

Canada paris olympic team women's soccer Kadeisha Buchanan ashley lawrence Bramtpon caledon
From left to right: Brampton's Kadeisha Buchanan, Adriana Leon, and Caledon's Ashley Lawrence with their Olympic Gold medals won won at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Olympic Gold medalists and veteran soccer players Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence will again represent Canada, Brampton and Caledon on the world stage, this time at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Buchanan and Lawrence were named to the Canadian Women’s World Cup roster earlier this week. They will join fellow Olympian and captain Christine Sinclair in Australia and New Zealand as 32 teams compete starting on July 20.

Star forward Janine Beckie will be out of the competition after tearing her ACL in a preseason match earlier this year, but Canada has a solid defence anchored by Brampton’s Buchanan, fellow defender Vanessa Gilles, and goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

Coach Bev Priestman acknowledged some wins and losses on the injury front ahead of the tournament but said the team will be ready.

“The group is down to business, focused and I know they’re in the final stages of getting things across the line,” she said. “I know there has been every effort on both parties — both Canada Soccer and the (player) leadership group — to get that side of things sorted.”

Lawrence, a 28-year-old fullback/midfielder from Caledon who has won 117 caps for Canada, left Paris Saint-Germain last month to join England’s Chelsea to join Buchanan and fellow Canadian teammate Jessie Fleming.

Fleming also made the cut along with veterans Allysha Chapman (96 caps), Jessie Adriana Leon (96) and Sophie Schmidt (221).

Canada will be making its eighth World Cup appearance this year in Group B with Australia, Ireland and Nigeria and is considered the favourite as the highest-ranked team in the group.

Canada was eliminated in the round of 16 by Sweden in the 2019 World Cup, and Canada’s best finish at the tournament came in 2003 with a fourth-place finish.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup starts on July 20 with Canada’s first match-up against Nigeria on July 21 in Melbourne.

With files from The Canadian Press

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