John Herdman still mulling over Canada's roster as FIFA Women's World Cup nears
The start of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup is now less than two months away and decision time for who will participate draws near.
Canadian women's national team head coach John Herdman is still mulling over how his side, the tournament host, will look like this summer as the Apr. 27 selection announcement approaches quickly.
"The roster isn’t confirmed in our mind," Herdman said on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. "We’ve got three weeks to go before that announcement, we’ve got two more weeks of training where people are pushing and there’s still room for people to come in and out."
Thursday's friendly against France near Paris, the final tune-up game before the roster for the World Cup will be set, is going to serve as a significant stage for the players vying for spots on Herdman's team. France is currently ranked No. 3 in the FIFA world rankings while Canada is No. 8.
"This is a great opportunity for our players. In the words of our captain [Christine Sinclair] it's time to see where we’re at. As a group we’ve been progressing quite nicely but this a real test." said Herdman. "We’re looking to see how the players we select in the starting 11 perform, how the players that are off the bench perform. And then on top of top that we want to see if people can live with the roles that they’re handed with our team."
One of the key players to watch is veteran defender Lauren Sesselmann, who is making her return from a torn ACL she suffered 13 months ago. Herdman confirmed she would suit up for Thursday's game but didn't say if she would start or be used as a substitute.
Where Sesselmann fits in the squad is just one of the decisions Herdman soon has to make. Midfielder Diana Matherson is also working her way back from an ACL tear and her status for the tournament is in question. Balancing the needs of injured players while building the best possible team that can contend for the ultimate prize isn't going to be easy.
"It’s always a major challenge for a coach to put the right group of people together for this sort of event," said Herdman."It’s going to take a unique group of women to take the team on that seven game journey to a final."
Ultimately, he will have to trust his core and the culture they've built together during his four years at the helm.
"The team chemistry and the spirit that Canada is typically well renowned for, that sort of thing doesn’t come naturally," said Herdman.
Canada is in Group A and opens the World Cup against China on June 6 in Edmonton. They play New Zealand on June 11 also in Alberta's capital before closing out the round-robin against the Netherlands on June 15 in Montreal. The World Cup final will take place July 5 in Vancouver.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
