(Reuters) – Olympic champions Canada have been added to a four-team international women’s tournament being held next February in England, Canada Soccer said on Tuesday.
The invitational event, which also includes sides from Germany and Spain, will take place in the form of three double-header matches across seven days in a round-robin format.
Canada head coach Bev Priestman, whose side are preparing for the CONCACAF women’s championship in July, said opening their 2022 season in England will offer invaluable experience ahead of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“We know that the new 32-nation FIFA Women’s World Cup will feature 11 European teams, so beating Europeans at both group and knockout stages is something we need learn to master for us to podium at Australia & New Zealand 2023,” said Priestman.
“We have three great opponents lined up and these sorts of tests will only help us to keep pushing forward. It will be a great tournament and spectacle for international football.”
Canada will face England on Feb. 17 at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium followed three days later by a match against Germany at Norwich City’s Carrow Road ground and then a Feb. 23 game with Spain at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
