With 100 days to go until the official start of the London Olympics (though only 98 days until the women's soccer tournament gets underway), Big Red finds itself in the midst of a two-week training camp in Vancouver. The camp was convened to help mitigate the loss of the WPS season, and to give other domestic-based players some more national-team time before the W-League season begins.
While that's hardly exciting in and of itself, there has been some good news thus far, as both midfielder Diana Matheson and striker Jonelle Filigno are back on the active roster, after each being out of the squad for months.
Given their respective injuries and anticipated timelines for returns, these aren't terribly surprising developments. But having Matheson and Filigno back and healthy makes the team that much more dangerous -- and, dare I say it, a potential medal threat (depending on the draw, of course).
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Filigno's presence could be the biggest game-changer for a team that has struggled to find a consistent goal-scoring threat aside from Christine Sinclair. The 21-year-old has eight goals for the national team, and provides a solid option alongside veteran Melissa Tancredi and youngsters Christina Julien and Chelsea Buckland (both of whom have had trouble being clinical in the recent past).
As for Matheson, the diminutive spark plug brings over 100 caps of experience to the lineup and plenty of stability in the centre of midfield. With the pleasantly surprising emergence of Desiree Scott in a similar role, and the excellent work put in by Sophie Schmidt in the last 18 months, head coach John Herdman now has even more depth in a midfield that also boasts the tireless Kelly Parker and the crafty Kaylyn Kyle. (Oh, not to mention, Matheson's presence instantly raises the threat level when it comes to Canadian set pieces.)
The draw for the Olympic women's soccer tournament takes place next week -- and as always, that will be the largest determinant when it comes to Canada's chances of advancing. But Matheson and Filigno give Herdman options he hasn't had in the last six months, and the ability to more readily adapt to specific opponents or in-game situations.
The first chance for Canadian fans to see the bolstered lineup in action will be at a friendly in Moncton on May 30. The ladies then head to Utah for a friendly against the Americans (boooo!) on June 30:
Nothing's guaranteed, of course, when it comes to the Olympics. But given the tournament's importance in the long-term build-up to the 2015 Women's World Cup, having Matheson and Filigno back on board is a positive sign indeed.