Centreback Ashley Cathro of Victoria, only 16, said she will never forget the first time she faced veteran striker Christine Sinclair bearing down on her during the Canadian team training camp last week in Los Angeles.
鈥淚t was overwhelming,鈥� said Cathro, a product of Prospect Lake and the Vancouver Island Wave.
鈥淭hese were all the players I looked up to.鈥�
And here she was among them as the second-youngest player in the Canadian camp.
Cathro will dress for the warm-up, but not play, when sa国际传媒 meets Mexico in a women鈥檚 soccer friendly at sa国际传媒 Place today at 3 p.m. There鈥檚 a passing-of-the-torch feel to the occasion. The game is being billed the Bronze Medal Celebration Match to commemorate sa国际传媒鈥檚 second-consecutive podium finish at the Olympic Games last summer in Rio de Janeiro.
It is the farewell game for the retiring Canadian trio of Rhian Wilkinson, Melissa Tancredi and Marie-Eve Nault.
鈥淲e鈥檙e celebrating our journey in Rio. It鈥檚 our first home game since the Olympics,鈥� noted Canadian captain Sinclair.
But this process is also a look ahead.
Cathro was among the extreme youth movement that was part of the 22-player camp leading to today鈥檚 Mexico match.
It included 15-year-old sensation Jordyn Huitema of Chilliwack and 17-year-olds Deanne Rose from Alliston, Ont., Sarah Stratgakis of Woodbrige, Ont., and Hannah Taylor of Edmonds, Washington, a dual citizen with strong roots in Victoria.
While it鈥檚 a good-bye to Wilkinson, Tancredi and Nault, it鈥檚 a hello to the youth group.
鈥淭his is the start of our journey,鈥� said Cathro.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy how fast we have made it up to this [senior national team] level. Not many people get this opportunity at this age.鈥�
A former distance track and cross-country runner, Cathro does not lack for aerobic endurance.
鈥淚t definitely helped me in soccer,鈥� said the Islander, who is in the Vancouver Whitecaps development system.
Asked about her strenghs on the pitch, Cathro replied: 鈥淚 am calm on the ball and make good, weighted passes.鈥�
Those passes may be rolling down a heady road.
鈥淔or us, at the start of a new four-year cycle headed towards France 2019 [World Cup] and Tokyo 2020 [Olympics], we are committed to moving forward and rising,鈥� said Canadian head coach John Herdman, in a statement.
鈥淐oming off another Olympic bronze, the players want to keep pushing forward.鈥�
With more than a little push from an emerging youth movement.
