Sinclair heads Canada squad for qualifying

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Dec 20, 2011

[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] Five players each from WPS -- including Christine Sinclair of the champion Western New York Flash -- the W-League and Scandinavian clubs were among the 20 players reigning Concacaf champion Canada called up for the 2012 Concacaf Olympic women's soccer qualifying tournament at Vancouver's BC Place in January.

Sinclair is Canada's all-time leader in both appearances (168) and goals (120).

Three other players are from the U.S. college ranks, including UCLA's Chelsea Stewart, daughter of former NHL star Bill Stewart.

Fourteen of the 20 players won gold at the recent Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Following the departure of Italian Caroline Morace after Canada's disastrous Women's World Cup, Canada brought in Englishman John Herdman, the former New Zealand women's head coach to run the national team.

CANADA ROSTER:
GK Karina LeBlanc, Sky Blue FC
GK Erin McLeod, Dalsjofors GOIF (Sweden)
CB Candace Chapman, Sky Blue FC
CB Carmelina Moscato, Pitea (Sweden)
CB Shannon Woeller, Rutgers Univ.
FB Melanie Booth, Vancouver Whitecaps
FB Robyn Gayle, Vancouver Whitecaps
FB Lauren Sesselmann, Atlanta Beat
FB Chelsea Stewart, UCLA
FB Rhian Wilkinson,  Lillestrom (Norway)
M Kaylyn Kyle, Vancouver Whitecaps
M Diana Matheson, Lillestrom (Norway)
M Kelly Parker, Atlanta Beat
M Sophie Schmidt, free agent
M Desiree Scott, Vancouver Whitecaps
M Brittany Timko, free agent
F Chelsea Buckland, Oregon State Univ.
F Christina Julien, Ottawa Fury
F Christine Sinclair, Western New York Flash
F Melissa Tancredi, Pitea (Sweden)