Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan is Canada’s undisputed No. 1 at the Women’s World Cup
Canada has a proud file of goalkeeping excellence, from Karina LeBlanc, Erin McLeod and Stephanie Labbe to Craig Forrest, Pat Onstad, Paul Dolan and Milan Borjan.
Kailen Sheridan continues the Canadian custom of protected palms.
The 27-year-old from Whitby, Ont., who performs her membership soccer for the NWSL’s San Diego Wave, is Canada’s undisputed No. 1 on the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“A great teammate (and) obviously a world-class goalkeeper,” stated captain Christine Sinclair.
“I’ve heard (San Diego) coach Casey Stoney talk about her being the best goalkeeper in the world … I wouldn’t disagree,” added Canada coach Bev Priestman.
Sheridan has performed in 22 of Canada’s 25 matches for the reason that Tokyo Olympics, the final match Labbe performed in earlier than asserting her retirement. On Friday she performed the total 90 minutes in a 0-0 tie with fourth-ranked England, a closed-door coaching match that was the seventh-ranked Canadians’ last World Cup warmup.
But Sheridan needed to bide her time.
“As Canadians, we are spoiled in the talented pool of goalkeepers that we’re able to produce and Kailen’s waited a long time for this opportunity to really show the world on this stage what she’s capable of,” stated Sinclair. “I can’t wait for what she’s going to do this summer.”
Heading into Canada’s match opener towards Nigeria in Melbourne on July 20, Sheridan has received 35 caps with 30 begins and 17 clear sheets.
Sheridan was 20 when she made her senior debut for Canada in a 1-0 win over Iceland on the Algarve Cup in March 2016, her solely look for the nationwide group that yr.
She then noticed motion in three video games in 2017, two in 2018, one in 2019 and two in 2020 earlier than enjoying seven in 2021, 15 in 2022 and 4 to this point this yr. Labbe introduced her retirement in January 2022, two days after ending runner-up to Chile’s Christiane Endler for The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award.
Labbe received 85 caps for Canada with 43 shutouts.
“Kailen was neck-and-neck with Steph (Labbe) right into the (Tokyo) Olympics,” stated Priestman. “Steph got the No. 1 spot but I do think that experience is what grows you.”
“I think Kailen just needs to be confident, calm and collected going into this tournament … At the end of the day she just needs to go and do what she does and stick to who she is as a goalkeeper,” she added. “And she’ll do great for us, like she has.”
Sheridan is a optimistic affect on the group, says Sinclair.
“(She) never seems to be stressed. And as a goalkeeper, wow, that’s impressive just because of the role they have on the team,” she added. “And off the field, (she) just brings this energy. I’m not going to say goofy, but just lighthearted,” she added.
“She’s very calming. She’s very positive,” added Canadian defender Vanessa Gilles. “She’s just an overall incredible human being.”
Sheridan has additionally needed to overcome harm adversity.
Handed the beginning towards the top-ranked U.S. on the SheBelieves Cup in February 2021, Sheridan went down within the seventh minute — the sufferer of a freak harm making an innocuous-looking cross to Gilles.
An MRI later revealed that she had torn certainly one of her quad muscle tissues off the bone with a couple of four-centimetre retraction. Sheridan underwent surgical procedure March 1 to restore her proper quad. She made it again in time for the Olympics.
Sheridan additionally backed up Labbe 4 years in the past on the World Cup in France. This time round, she is the starter with Sabrina D’Angelo and the uncapped Lysianne Proulx ready within the wings.
“There’s definitely a clear understanding for me and a clear path for me,” stated Sheridan. “But no matter what place I am going into with the group, I’m all the time going to compete and all the time going to place into my thoughts ‘I’m going to earn it, I’m going to show it and I need to be the very best that I might be.’
That doesn’t change now she’s No. 1.
“I want to go in there and I want to compete and I want to push everybody around me. And I want them to push me right back,” she stated. “I think that’s what we’ve been so successful in the Canadian goalkeeping group that we’ve had … We push each other all the time.”
The NWSL is aware of all about Sheridan’s expertise, naming her Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022 when she posted an 0.95 goals-against common with eight clear sheets in 18 matches whereas saving three of 4 penalty-kick makes an attempt.
Sheridan, the primary Canadian to win an NWSL main particular person award, was additionally named to the NWSL Best XI for the second yr in a row. This season she has 5 shutouts and a 1.15 goals-against common in 13 video games for the Wave.
In July 2022, she received the Best Goalkeeper Award on the CONCACAF W Championship in serving to Canada qualify for the World Cup.
Sheridan spent 5 seasons with NJ/NY Gotham FC, previously often known as Sky Blue FC, after being taken twenty third total within the 2017 NWSL draft out of Clemson University. She made 91 appearances for Gotham throughout all competitions however, along with her contract expiring, was traded to enlargement San Diego in December 2021
“It’s been pretty nice,” she stated of life in California. “I’m enjoying it … It’s a great city to live in.”
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