There’s no denying that Christine Sinclair is Canada’s greatest ever footballer. But now at the age of 40, other key figureheads will need to step up to the plate if Canada are to have any shot of recapturing the glory seen at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Canada are by no means one of the favourites heading into the World Cup despite their success at the Olympics, and key players like Ashley Lawrence and Jessie Fleming will endeavour to change that narrative around. Here is why new Chelsea teammates Lawrence and Fleming will be critical to Canada’s success this summer.
JESSiE FLEMING
Embed from Getty ImagesJessie Fleming would best be described as a ‘Box to Box Midfielder’, for her mobility to get about the pitch. As a former provincial Cross Country champion (we competed at local and provincial races around the same time), Fleming has always had a knack for running long distances at high intensities.
Embed from Getty ImagesShe’s then often able to use her running power to move into spaces at the perfect moment in the attacking third, making her the ideal option to play in behind Christine Sinclair throughout her Canadian career so far. In defensive phases, Fleming would often join Sinclair as part of a 4-4-2, while in attack, she made herself a box-crashing late arriving runner to finish off chances.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith Sinclair now at what will likely be her final tournament for Canada, Fleming will need to spend some time redeveloping chemistry with her team’s ‘number 9’ and ensure that those movement patterns continue to match the movement of her mates.
For Chelsea, Fleming has been able to make herself a versatile option in a variety of positions, but continues to play mostly as a ’10’ or box-to-box ‘8’ in place of Erin Cuthbert, who’s held down that role the past few seasons.
She loves to float up the half-spaces to make underlapping runs across her wingers, where she can either pull players out of position or prepare to deliver into the penalty area.
She’s equally adept at carrying the ball, which makes her an ideal candidate to break lines on the dribble and drive the team forward throughout all attacking phases. Not many can dribble as rapidly as they run without the ball, and Fleming is one of a rare breed of players who keeps the ball glued to their feet even at high intensities.
The other end of being a ‘Box to Box’ midfielder is the defensive side of the game, where Fleming’s mobility again comes in clutch. It will be interesting to see how Bev Priestman sets up in the team’s high-block to get the best out of Fleming’s running power.
The 25-year-old could push up to help lead the press, which would benefit Canada’s likelihood of winning the ball closer to goal. But you’d also want her ability to cover spaces in the centre of the park, where most teams will be looking for ways to play through the thirds and control the tempo of matches.
Embed from Getty ImagesRegardless, Fleming has always made herself capable of covering ground in quick time, which often becomes essential in helping for out of position mates. She’s quick to cover for her full-backs in the wide areas when required, and never afraid to fly into a tackle.
This all helps to make the Chelsea midfielder one of Canada’s most important players. Having been part of the Canadian set-up since the age of 15 (I can remember having to explain to all the runners in London, ON why she wasn’t going to be running OFSAA that year), Fleming’s already one of the vice-captains in the squad, and has amounted over 115 appearances for her national side heading into the tournament.
Embed from Getty ImagesStill only 25, this should be a key tournament for Fleming to shine, where she can persistently use that box-to-box mobility to make her presence felt at every end of the pitch. But she can’t do it alone.
ASHLEY LAWRENCE
Embed from Getty ImagesHaving made her debut around the same time as Fleming, Ashley Lawrence also remains one of the key figureheads of this Canadian team, and is now firmly in her peak years as a footballer. Lawrence enjoyed a great time playing in France for PSG, but the challenge of playing at Chelsea will now hit in completely different ways. Luckily for the 28-year-old, she can combat her challengers thanks to her versatility in a variety of positions. While we generally enter a tournament knowing the role that players like Fleming and Sinclair will play, Lawrence’s position could always be subject to change.
Embed from Getty ImagesShe’s predominantly played as a full-back for club and country, but she’s equally able to transfer that speed and dynamism over to the wing, where her exceptional crossing takes flight. Lawrence can even do a job in central midfield if ever required, where she can have similar box-to-box qualities as Jessie Fleming.
This versatility is often what makes Lawrence such an integral figure for Canada, being able to plug a number of different holes when needed. Encouragingly for Canada, Lawrence completed over 70% of her total actions on the pitch in 2022-23, including winning a staggering 73% of her defensive duels.
She’s excellent at handling those 1v1 situations through her speed to recover position and quick footwork to continuously force the player away from goal.
As she ventures forward to support attacking phases, this will be integral to her ability to carry out that full-back role. Completing nearly 4 dribbles per 90 with a 62% success rate, Lawrence’s dynamism down the wing will be key to helping support the Canadian attack and create variety down the wings with underlapping and overlapping runs. If you can get her on the ball to cross the ball into the box, Canada will have even more of a support system for the strength of Sinclair or the late arriving runs of Fleming.
Embed from Getty ImagesAll and all, Canada have a massive job on their hands to repeat the success seen at the Tokyo Olympics, but with players like Lawrence and Fleming pulling the strings, they may be able to rise to the occasion.
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