Scott named to Canadian women’s Olympic soccer team

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This article was published 23/06/2021 (1887 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Desiree Scott is going back to the Olympics.

The 33-year-old midfielder, a mainstay of the national women’s soccer team for the past 11 years, was named to Canada’s 18-player roster for the Tokyo Summer Games Wednesday.

After taking eight months away from the game to tend to the custody of a foster brother DeeJay in Winnipeg, Scott returned to active duty with her National Women’s Soccer League team in Kansas City four months ago.

Scott and her mom, Charlene Gusberti, have since been declared DeeJay’s legal guardians.

Upon returning to the pitch, Scott was recalled twice for training camps and international games by Team Canada head coach Bev Priestman.

“I think nothing replicates fitness like playing in games and I obviously missed a lot of that being away for eight months and pretty much stuck in my basement and having to get creative,” said Scott by telephone from Kansas City following a 3-1 loss to the Orlando Pride Wednesday afternoon. “For me, fitness has always been a bit of a struggle throughout my entire career and really having to work hard to stay fit.”

Scott, the lone Manitoban on the Canadian roster, made a favourable impression on the national team coaching staff.

“I’ve got a real soft spot for Desiree,” said Priestman, appointed head coach of the nats in October 2020. “She made a real big impact on me, just even in the first camp. I think what I see is someone who’s (as) hungry as ever. I think (she) had a difficult year last year…

“I think when you’re talking about someone who bleeds red, I think Desiree does that. She’ll give everything on the field, is as hungry as ever and I think the group needs that. She brings some leadership qualities that… maybe outside people don’t see but she’s a bit of the glue that binds the group together.”

Olympic veteran Sophie Schmidt, a Winnipeg-born midfielder from Abbotsford, B.C., will be one of four alternates who will travel to Japan for the Games. With Schmidt off the primary roster, Scott and captain Christine Sinclair are the only players remaining to have played on bronze-medal-winning teams in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016. Twelve of the 18 suited up in Rio.

Scott played every minute of Canada’s six matches at the London Games and played all but 16 minutes in Rio. With more than 160 senior international appearances for Canada, the end of her playing career could be drawing closer.

“Retirement is knocking on the door, I’m not gonna deny those facts but I think I’ve just got to try to enjoy and stay present in the moment and not think too far ahead of myself,” said Scott. “Hopefully the summer goes as planned and we get on the podium and I can make some decisions from there.”

The Canadian women will convene Monday for a nine-day training camp in Los Angeles before flying to Japan, where they will play a warm-up match behind closed doors against a still unidentified team.

Eighth-ranked Canada opens Group E play July 21 against No. 11 Japan in Sapporo before taking on No. 37 Chile on July 24 and Great Britain on July 27. Britain, unranked by FIFA, will be comprised of players chosen from No. 6 England, No. 23 Scotland, No. 32 Wales and No. 48 Northern Ireland.

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Priestman indicated she will be depending heavily on Scott in Japan.

“When you have to go and play top, top teams in big games — knockout games — I think Desiree is that player that you need on the pitch,” said Priestman.

— with files from Canadian Press

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14