Canada’s women’s national soccer team to face Brazil at Wanderers Grounds in Halifax

Canada’s women’s national soccer team arrived at the very wet Wanderers Grounds on Monday, practicing and preparing for Tuesday’s match versus Brazil.

“It means everything. I’m so grateful to be here to play with the people I’ve looked up to all of my life,” said Canada defender Sydney Collins. “We’re also happy to be here in the new spot.”

The game will feature a high-level of soccer competition, led by Christine Sinclair, a Canadian soccer treasure and an international icon in her sport.

Sinclair will retire at year’s end.

“See her, be her. I think is such an important message,” said Soccer Nova Scotia’s executive director Lindsay MacAskill, who added the rapid growth of soccer in this province, and across the country, is due in large part to the success of the women’s national team and the superstar magnitude of Sinclair.

“She has really paved the path for future generations. Young athletes setting goals to make that international stage.”

Tuesday’s game is a sell-out with 6,500 fans.

“We sold out in one minute,” said Halifax Wanderers president Derek Martin. “This was our quickest ever sell-out at the Wanderers Grounds.”

Martin said hosting the national team in front of thousands of fans should prove to be another major building block that could lead to even bigger Halifax-based soccer events.

“The closeness of the fans at the Wanderers Grounds and the atmosphere that we are able to create will be really special and a great memory,” said Martin.

A memory that will include Canada’s top, all-time female soccer player, competing in one her final games in her career before she hangs up the cleats.

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