Canada Soccer’s Moments of the Month for January 2023 presented by Carlsberg

Tosaint Ricketts retires from football

Tosaint Ricketts represented Canada from 2009 to 2022 and was the nation’s seventh-highest scorer in Men’s National Team history. Throughout his career, Ricketts played in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the Concacaf Gold Cup, scoring 17 goals in 61 international matches. He had a successful club career, winning Canadian Championship titles with Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the MLS Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup, and the Lithuanian Supercup. Off the pitch, he was recognised for his contributions to society and was named Whitecaps FC Humanitarian of the Year twice. Ricketts will now serve as the liaison of club and player engagement for Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Canada Soccer’s eNational Team’s 2023 eNations Play-ins journey continues

The FIFAe Nations Play-Ins are the first step to qualify for the 2023 FIFAe Nations Cup, the most prestigious event in the FIFA eFootball calendar. Canada Soccer’s eNational Team players, AJ and Goalmachine, posted a record of 4-2-2 in Match Week 1, putting them in second place in the overall table. Canada’s impressive 2022 season saw them jump from #36 to #7 in the FIFAe Nations Rankings and become the highest ranked country in North & Central America. The top two teams after Match Week 3 of the FIFAe Nations Play-Ins will advance directly to the FIFAe Nations Playoffs.

Sabrina D’Angelo joins Arsenal FC

Olympic bronze medalist Sabrina D’Angelo signs with Arsenal FC in England’s FA Women’s Super League. She joins from Swedish club Vittsjö GIK where she was one of the top goalkeepers in Damallsvenskan. D’Angelo has 32 clean sheets in 70 Damallsvenskan appearances and was part of Canada’s squad at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019. She also won the NWSL Shield in two consecutive seasons and the NWSL Championship twice before moving to Sweden. Arsenal FC Women’s Head Coach Jonas Eidevall called D’Angelo a top goalkeeper with experience in Europe and North America and a strong addition to the squad.

Canada Soccer announces FIFA List of International Referees for 2023

Canada Soccer has 16 referees included on the 2023 FIFA List of International Referees. All of them are returning from the previous year’s list. In addition, five Canada Soccer referees have been selected for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023 (Marie-Soleil Beaudoin, Chantal Boudreau, Myriam Marcotte, Drew Fischer, and Carol-Anne Chenard). Carol-Anne Chénard is the most tenured match official on the FIFA list, having first been appointed in 2006.

Alex Bunbury honoured by former Portuguese side CS Marítimo

Alex Bunbury, former Canada Soccer Player of the Year, was by his former club, CS Marítimo. Bunbury spent six seasons with the club from 1993-1999 and remains the club’s all-time leading scorer. He helped the club qualify for UEFA Cup and reach the Taça de Portugal Final. He is an honored member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame and has also been honored by the Québec Soccer Hall of Fame and the Hamilton Soccer Hall of Fame. Bunbury had a successful career playing for West Ham United FC in England and helped Kansas City win the 2000 MLS Cup. He made 217 appearances for CS Marítimo and scored 77 goals.

Cyle Larin joins Real Valladolid in La Liga in Spain

Canadian forward Cyle Larin has been loaned from Club Brugge KV to Spanish side Real Valladolid CF for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. Real Valladolid is near the bottom of the table, facing relegation. Larin previously played for Beşiktaş JK where he won several titles and set a modern Canadian record for goals scored for club and country. He also helped Canada qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 36 years and won the Concacaf title, where he was the top goalscorer. Larin’s loan to Real Valladolid is aimed at improving their standing in La Liga, which they won promotion to after finishing second in the Segunda División last season.

Jayde Riviere signs with Manchester United FC

Jayde Riviere, Olympic gold medalist and Women’s National Team player, has signed her first professional contract with Manchester United in the FA Women’s Super League. The 22-year-old defender, who won two Concacaf medals and represented Canada at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, has signed with the club through the 2024-25 season. Riviere joins Manchester United FC in second place midway through the 2022-23 season. Head Coach Marc Skinner called Riviere “an exciting young player” and said she has the attributes to become an excellent footballer. Before turning pro, Riviere spent the 2022 season at the University of Michigan and played four matches with AFC Ann Arbor in the USL W League.

Canada Soccer announces largest field ever for the Canadian Championship

Canada Soccer’s 2023 Canadian Championship will start on April 18, 2023 with 14 clubs competing in the largest Canadian Championship ever. The tournament will be spread across the country and will feature three first-time participants. The competition represents five leagues: Major League Soccer (MLS), Canadian Premier League (CPL), League1 BC, League1 Ontario, and Québec’s Premier League. The victors of the 2022 Canadian Championship, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and runners-up Toronto FC will receive byes into the second round, while the other 12 clubs will start in the first round. The first round will be held from April 18-20, the quarter-finals from May 9-11, the semi-finals from May 23-25, and the final in June.

Jessie Fleming and Bev Priestman nominated for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 

Fleming is a nominee for The Best FIFA Women’s Player, while Priestman is a nominee for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach. This is the first time Fleming has been nominated for the award, and Priestman has been nominated for the second consecutive year. The nominees were selected based on their performance during the 2021-22 season and voting will be conducted by captains, coaches, journalists, and fans through February 3, 2023. During the 2021-22 season, Fleming led Canada to a silver medal at the Concacaf W Championship and helped Chelsea FC win the FA Women’s Super League. Coach Priestman led Canada to the Olympic Gold Medal in 2021 and helped qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.