Annabelle Chukwu, a prolific scorer at youth level, called up by Canada senior side

Neil Davidson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 18, 2025 11:44 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Canada manager Casey Stoney has called up teenage guardant Annabelle Chukwu, who has scored a Canadian grounds 39 goals successful 42 planetary youth-level appearances, for games against Costa Rica and the U.S. successful the upcoming FIFA planetary window.

The eighth-ranked Canadian women big No. 43 Costa Rica connected June 27 successful a peculiar Pride Celebration crippled astatine Toronto's BMO Field earlier heading southbound to look the top-ranked U.S. connected July 2 astatine Audi Field successful Washington, D.C.

"This [international] window is an important measurement guardant for our radical arsenic we proceed gathering toward our goals," Stoney said successful a statement. "Playing astatine home, particularly during Pride Month, means a large woody to this squad and gives america an unthinkable accidental to link with much of our fans and honour the values that substance astir to us.

"Facing Costa Rica volition beryllium a existent measurement of our progress, and instantly after, we measurement up to a world-class situation against the world's top-ranked team, the U.S.A., which is precisely wherever we privation to be."

Chukwu, a freshman astatine Notre Dame, was called up doubly earlier by erstwhile Canada manager Bev Priestman but has yet to triumph a elder cap. The 18-year-old, who was calved successful England but grew up successful Ottawa, has been a unit astatine the younker level.

Chukwu's highlight-reel extremity successful the 122nd infinitesimal lifted Canada to a 3-2 triumph implicit Mexico successful the title crippled astatine the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship earlier this period successful Costa Rica.

She surpassed the erstwhile Canadian younker scoring grounds of 27 goals, acceptable by erstwhile Canada skipper Christine Sinclair, successful September astatine the FIFA U-20 World Cup successful Colombia.

NSL players connected Canada's team

Stoney's 23-woman roster includes 2 Northern Super League players successful AFC Toronto's Emma Regan and Vancouver Rise FC's Holly Ward.

Other collegiate players are Harvard's Jade Rose and Michigan State's Kayla Briggs. In all, determination are 8 players aged 24 oregon younger.

Veterans see skipper Jessie Fleming, Vanessa Gilles, Julia Grosso, Jordyn Huitema, Ashley Lawrence, Adriana Leon, Nichelle Prince, Kailen Sheridan, Janine Sonis and Shelina Zadorsky.

Zara Chavoshi, a 22-year-old Orlando Pride defender who made her elder debut June 3 successful the 3-1 triumph implicit Haiti successful Montreal, gets different call-up. So does 28-year-old Montpellier defender Marie Levasseur, who ended a 33-month lack from the elder broadside erstwhile she earned her 11th headdress successful the crippled against Haiti.

Vancouver Rise seasoned midfielder Quinn, who has won 106 caps for Canada, was not selected.

Canada has won each 17 erstwhile meetings with Costa Rica, outscoring the Central Americans 53-6. But they needed a 104th-minute extremity to dispatch Costa Rica 1-0 the past clip they met, successful March 2024 successful the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup successful Los Angeles.

Canada besides needed a spectacular prevention from Sheridan, who had been a spectator for astir of the match, successful second-half wounded clip to sphere the win. The Canadian No. 1 kicked retired her close ft to contradict substitute Alexa Herrera successful a uncommon Costa Rica attack.

Canada had blanked Costa Rica 3-0 successful the radical signifier astatine the tournament.

Canada is 4-53-9 all-time against the U.S. successful a rivalry that dates backmost to 1986 erstwhile the Canadian women's programme was established. The Canadian women person not won connected American ungraded since Nov. 11, 2000 (a 3-1 affable triumph successful Columbus, Ohio).

In their astir caller meeting, past April astatine the SheBelieves Cup successful Columbus, Ohio, the 2 teams played to a 2-2 gully earlier the U.S. won a punishment shootout 5-4. The Americans besides won by punishment shootout successful the crippled earlier that, the CONCACAF W Gold Cup semifinal successful March 2024.

Canada's past triumph implicit the U.S. was a 1-0 determination successful the Tokyo Olympic semifinal successful August 2021. That was the Americans' archetypal nonaccomplishment to their bluish neighbours since March 2001, successful the radical signifier of the Algarve Cup.

The Canadian women are 5-1-1 nether Stoney and are coming disconnected a brace of wins implicit No. 50 Haiti successful the May-June planetary window.

Unavailable owed to wounded are defenders Kadeisha Buchanan, Sydney Collins and Jayde Riviere, and forwards Olivia Smith and Cloe Lacasse.

Canada's roster

Goalkeepers: Sabrina D'Angelo, Aston Villa (England); Lysianne Proulx, Juventus (Italy); Kailen Sheridan, San Diego Wave (NWSL).

Defenders: Gabrielle Carle, Washington Spirit (NWSL); Zara Chavoshi, Orlando Pride (NWSL); Vanessa Gilles, Bayern Munich (Germany); Ashley Lawrence, Chelsea (England); Marie Levasseur, Montpellier HSC (France); Jade Rose, Harvard University (NCAA); Shelina Zadorsky, West Ham United (England).

Midfielders: Marie-Yasmine Alidou, Portland Thorns (NWSL); Jessie Fleming, Portland Thorns FC (NWSL); Simi Awujo, Manchester United FC (England); Kayla Briggs, Michigan State University (NCAA); Julia Grosso, Chicago Red Stars (NWSL): Emma Regan, AFC Toronto (NSL).

Forwards: Annabelle Chukwu, University of Notre Dame (NCAA); Jordyn Huitema, Seattle Reign (NWSL); Adriana Leon, San Diego Wave (NWSL); Nichelle Prince, Kansas City Current (NWSL); Janine Sonis, Racing Louisville (NWSL); Evelyne Viens, AS Roma (Italy); Holly Ward, Vancouver Rise FC (AFC).