Who will probably be stepping up? Getting her first audition with the senior staff is Coquitlam’s Jeneva Hernandez Grey.
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Jeneva Hernandez Grey’s eyes widened and her coronary heart began to pound when she noticed the message on her cellphone Wednesday morning.
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It was Bev Priestman, the Canadian girls’s nationwide staff coach, asking if the 17-year-old had time for a “fast chat.”
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“I used to be freaking out. I replied straight away, saying, ‘Sure! I’m obtainable!’” the Vancouver Whitecaps standout chuckled on Friday.
“Then she type of referred to as me, and he or she was very nonchalant. She simply type of mentioned, ‘Oh, yeah, you’re gonna be coming this Monday into camp.
“I used to be similar to, ‘That is loopy.’ I’m nonetheless in shock. It’s been loopy, however truthfully, it’s been a purpose of mine for thus lengthy, so I’m principally overwhelmed with pleasure. … (The shock) will put on off in a day or two, however as soon as I am going in and see all these faces, I feel it’d come again.”
“These faces”, in fact, being the canonized Canadian icons of Erin McLeod, Sophie Schmidt (who’s un-retiring for one sport), and Christine Sinclair, who will all be adjourning the worldwide facet of their enjoying careers with the two-game collection towards Australia subsequent week.
Hernandez Grey, a Coquitlam native, couldn’t assist however develop up as a fan. She was born in October 2006, and by that time, the Burnaby-born Sinclair already had greater than 50 worldwide targets and practically seven years of expertise with the ladies’s nationwide staff.
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It’s a bittersweet second for Hernandez Grey, who will get her first name to the senior girls’s staff whereas the trio of icons are making their final. Sinclair, 40, will retire because the all-time main goal-scorer — that’s males or girls — in worldwide soccer historical past. Her complete sits at 190.
“I’ve by no means actually met them earlier than,” mentioned Hernandez Grey. “Possibly after I was youthful, I obtained their autograph. They’ve all been idols for thus lengthy, so to have the ability to play with them is loopy. And to have the ability to be with the final (group of gamers) to see them go, it’s superb.
“I by no means would have thought I’d be capable of like play with (Sinclair) and see her final sport — particularly at B.C. Place. The environment goes to be loopy. I consider simply how appreciative everyone seems to be of her. So I feel, sure, it’ll be a tragic second, but in addition a really comfortable one.”
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For Hernandez Grey, that is additionally a second she has been working towards since deciding to deal with soccer 5 years in the past. She was all the time good, having began enjoying at six years outdated, however it was solely after a yr at TSS Rovers in Richmond that she realized she had the potential to be particular.
The attacking midfielder performed for Canada on the 2023 U17 World Cup in India, and can be part of the U20s for the 2024 World Cup in Columbia subsequent yr. She been a frontrunner with the Whitecaps FC League 1 staff, scoring the winner in final yr’s championship sport, and helping on the profitable purpose this season on the identical stage. Hernandez Grey banged house two targets in a 5-4 thriller over Unity FC to clinch the common season title, then had a purpose and an help within the League 1 Canada Inter-Provincial Championship last.
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On Monday, Hernandez Grey and fellow nationwide staff member Sydney Collins joined a Vancouver United instra-squad sport, and he or she didn’t disappoint, scoring a bar-down purpose towards the 15-year-old competitors. She repeatedly trains with the Whitecaps boys academy gamers.
With the main focus going to be on the trio of retiring stars, it offers Priestman with a chief alternative to evaluate the expertise that’s arising the pipeline. With Sinclar et al retiring, it’s not only a regular altering of the guard — these are long-time pillars that should get replaced.
The query of who’s what Priestman has been wrangling with ever because the 4-0 loss to Australia on the World Cup that despatched them packing from the match.
“What you’ve seen over the past short while is publicity to younger gamers. … There’s been complete host of latest faces being introduced in,” she mentioned. “I really feel that is the time, with Sophie (Schmidt) coming in for that second sport, to evaluate an up-and-coming, promising younger participant. Jeneva was a standout within the final U20 qualifiers, and he or she performed with the U17s within the World Cup. She’s been coaching with boys to offer that additional push, as a result of she is gifted.”
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There are three different former Whitecaps grads on the roster on this window — Jayde Riviere, Julia Grosso, and Jordyn Huitema — however aside from a coaching session with Grosso years in the past at UBC, and U20 teammate Olivia Smith, Hernandez Grey has by no means crossed cleats with any of her new operating mates.
Hernandez Grey seems like she belongs, although. She was simply named the 2023 Whitecaps FC Feminine Most Promising Participant and helped her membership win 5 separate trophies. She is sure for the NCAA’s Auburn Tigers subsequent yr.
“I really feel like, lastly I’ve obtained a chance,” she mentioned. “There’s a little bit of strain, however Bev advised me, ‘Don’t really feel any. That is your first time coming in. Simply present us what you are able to do.’ And I really feel like I can try this.”
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NEXT GAMES
Canada vs. Australia
Worldwide Friendlies
Friday, Dec. 1: 7:30 p.m. PT, Starlight Stadium, Langford
Tuesday, Dec. 4: 7:30 p.m. PT, B.C. Place, Vancouver
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