Canadian women’s soccer coach cites a carefully chosen roster for pair of friendlies against Denmark

Canadian women’s soccer coach cites a carefully chosen roster for pair of friendlies against Denmark GEMMA KARSTENS-SMITH THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED 1 HOUR AGO Open this photo in gallery: Canada head coach Casey Stoney looks on during the warm-up ahead of her team's international friendly match against Haiti in Montreal last year. GRAHAM HUGHES/THE CANADIAN PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. As Canada’s women’s soccer team prepares for a crucial fall schedule, Casey Stoney says her job is getting increasingly difficult. The national team’s head coach unveiled on Tuesday the 24 players that will take on Denmark in a pair of friendlies next month. “Listen, this has been probably one of the hardest in terms of picking and selecting because there’s a few players that are definitely in the conversation that haven’t made it this time,” she said. The two dozen players include some of the country’s best-known talents, from Arsenal striker Olivia Smith and veteran Chelsea defender Kadeisha Buchanan to Portland Thorns midfielder Jessie Fleming and North Carolina Courage keeper Kailen Sheridan. “It’s a balance of youth and experience,” Stoney said of the roster. “I think this is a core squad now that’s coming together, that have been together for a while.” Canada Soccer said in a release on Tuesday that forward Jordyn Huitema (Chicago Red Stars) and defender Jayde Riviere (Manchester United) were not available for selection due to injuries, while Annabelle Chukwu (University of Notre Dame) could not be called up because of academic commitments. Chukwu is also coming off a stellar performance at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland earlier this month where she helped Canada get to the quarter-finals before falling to North Korea. Stoney said the 19-year-old forward from Ottawa likely would have been on the team if not for her school commitments. Playing alongside Chukwu at the U-20 World Cup was AFC Toronto’s Kaylee Hunter. The 18-year-old forward joins the senior team for the Denmark games after putting up four goals across the tournament. “I think she was excellent,” Stoney said. “I thought she pressed well at times. There’s still areas of her game she needs to improve. She’s young, right? But I thought she was a standout … She’s very deserving of this call up and I think she’s got a bright future ahead of her.” Open this photo in…