Canada Soccer’s High-Stakes Decision: Who is Casey Stoney?
Issue 2025-03 | Week: January 18 to 24, 2025
Photo from Canada Soccer. Announcing Casey Stoney as the Women’s National Team Head Coach.
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Highlights
96 Canadian women are playing professional hockey, rugby, basketball, soccer, and tennis this week in Canada, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, England, France, the USA and Australia.
⚽ Soccer
This week, Canada Soccer introduced Casey Stoney as the new head coach of the National Women’s Soccer Team. They reported the hiring process was strengthened by critical input from several respected alumnae of the Women’s National Team, including Stephanie Labbé, Diana Matheson, Erin McLeod, and Melissa Tancredi. The decision received swift approval from current player Janine Beckie, who offered an enthusiastic thumbs up.
While the official media interview with Stoney and CEO Kevin Blue introduced her to the public, it lacked spontaneity—an expected outcome within the controlled confines of a news conference.
The answers to tough questions - such as why a Canadian coach wasn’t chosen - felt polished, scripted, and politically correct. Left unconvinced by the vague metaphors of "turning the page" and "players’ coach," I delved deeper to determine whether Stoney could truly address the challenges facing the Canadian team in the wake of the drone scandal and the financial struggles of Soccer Canada.
That search led me to an engaging interview on RE-CAP, a YouTube podcast hosted by former U.S. National Team stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press, both of whom played under Stoney during her time as head coach of Manchester United. This informal conversation provided a refreshingly candid glimpse into her coaching philosophy, values, and personal journey. While she was likely already in the running for the Canadian job at the time, the discussion was free of the calculated tone typical of press events.
In that space, Stoney shared stories that revealed her real-life coaching approach, her reasons for choosing this career path, and the impact she believes she can have - not just on a team, but on the sport as a whole. Her anecdotes about navigating challenges, advocating for equity in women’s soccer, and earning the trust of her players were inspiring, and most importantly, authentic.
My initial doubts began to shift. I considered the U.S. Women’s National Team’s recent hiring of Emma Hayes, an even higher-profile English coach, as part of their effort to reclaim dominance in women’s soccer. What started as a concern that Canada might fall behind transformed into optimism: with Stoney at the helm, it may soon be the rest of the world feeling nervous about us.
Her presence could elevate not only the Canadian national team but also the careers of its individual players. Stoney’s strength, resolve, and compassion - qualities affirmed by those who have played under her - promise a new chapter for Canadian soccer.
Welcome to Canada, Casey Stoney. I’ve had a glimpse of the page you’re turning to, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the story unfolds.
🎾 Tennis
Canada’s hopes are alive on multiple fronts at the Australian Open. Leylah Fernandez has advanced to the third round in singles, but faces a tough challenge on Friday against third seed Coco Gauff. In doubles, Fernandez teamed up with Ukraine's Nadiia Kichenok to move into the second round after securing a first-round victory. Meanwhile, Gabriela Dabrowski, paired with Erin Routliffe, has progressed to the second round in women’s doubles.
🏀 Basketball
3 Canadian women are playing in Spain and Turkey this week.
🏉 Rugby
14 Canadian women are active in the England Premiership and French Elite Leagues this week.
🏒 Hockey
With New York having the week off, 59 Canadian women are playing in the PWHL games this week.
⛳ Golf
We are counting the days to the 2025 season tee-off at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on January 30. We’ll be watching Brooke Henderson with eager anticipation. She finished a remarkable third here last year—just two shots shy of champion Lydia Ko.
Follow Your Favourite Canadian Women Athletes
🏀Basketball
While the WNBA is on its break we are following Bridget Carleton, Kayla Alexander and Samantha Hill playing in Europe. Reply to this e-mail to suggest any other Canadian woman professional basketball player you are interested in following.
Basketball matches (all hours are in Eastern Time)
⚽Soccer
Soccer matches (all hours are in Eastern Time)
🍁 Soccer Player Match-up Highlights
Saturday, January 18 at 12:30: Adrianna Leon and Sabrina D’Angelo of Aston Villa face off against Rylee Foster of Everton.
Sunday, January 19 at 10:00: Ashley Lawrence of Chelsea takes on Shelina Zadorsky of West Ham United.
Sunday, January 19 at 09:30: Evelyne Viens of AS Roma squares off against Lysianne Proulx and Juventus.
🏉 Rugby
Rugby fans, take note! We’re keeping tabs on 14 Canadian women making waves in the England Premiership League and 5 more showcasing their skills in the French Elite League. While we haven’t yet confirmed TV or streaming coverage for these matches, rest assured we’re on the case. Stay tuned—we’ll keep you updated on any viewing options so you don’t miss a moment of the action! In the meantime, we’ve noticed some video of last week’s games on YouTube so include it in the table as a possibility.
Rugby matches this week (all hours are in Eastern Time)
🍁 Rugby Player Match-up Highlights
Abigail Duguid of Loughborough plays Alexandra Tessier, DaLeaka Menin, Emily Tuttosi, Mikiela Nelson, and Taylor Perry of Exeter on Sunday, January 19 at 10:00.
Alexandra Ellis of Lille plays Laetitia Royer of Romagnat on Saturday, January 18 at 08:00.
🏒Hockey
Follow your favourite Canadian players by team - matches for the week are shared in the table after this one - click on the following image to enlarge:
Hockey matches in the PWHL this week (all hours are in Eastern Time)
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