Canada coach Bev Priestman adds Kansas City midfielder Victoria Picket to camp roster

Canadian coach Bev Priestman has added Kansas City NWSL midfielder Victoria Pickett to her camp roster ahead of friendlies against the Czech Republic and Brazil later this month.

Pickett’s addition brings the roster size to 29.

The eighth-ranked Canadian women take on the 27th-ranked Czechs on June 11 and No. 7 Brazil on June 14 as part of their preparations for this summer’s Tokyo Olympics. Both games will take place at Estadio Cartagonova in Cartagena, Spain.

Pickett, a star midfielder at the University of Wisconsin, was selected 15th overall by Kansas City in the 2021 NWSL draft in January. The two-time first-team all-Big Ten selection collected five goals and 11 assists in 67 games over three seasons with the Badgers.

She has played in all four of Kansas City’s games this season, making three starts.

Pickett, a 24-year-old native of Barrie, Ont., was a 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist and first team all-American. She missed the entire 2019 season with a knee injury suffered during a tackle in a spring game.

Pickett represented Canada at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2012 and the U-20 World Cup in 2014 and ’16. She was part of Canada’s under-23 team at the 2015 Pan-American Games.

Her first call-up to the senior team was in February ahead of the SheBelieves Cup but she did not see action.

Priestman expects to name her 18-woman Olympic roster, plus four alternates, within 10 days of the June camp’s conclusion.

Canada, 3-2-0 this year, is coming off wins over Wales (3-0) and England (2-0) in April.

The Canadian women, bronze medallists at the last two Olympics, will face No. 11 Japan, Britain (FIFA ranks England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland separately) and No. 37 Chile in Group E at the Olympics.

Canada opens July 21 against host Japan at the Sapporo Dome. Canada will then face Chile on July 24, also at the Sapporo Dome, and Britain on July 27 at Kashima Stadium.

The Olympic soccer tournament runs July 21 to Aug. 7 in Tokyo, Sapporo, Miyagi, Kashima, Saitama and Yokohama. The Canadian women will take part in a preparation camp ahead of the Games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2021.

The Canadian Press