Rachel Quon made her debut for Canada on March 5th, 2014 at the Cyprus Cup versus Finland. She was subbed on during the 79th minute, replacing veteran defender Rhian Wilkinson. Canada won 3-0.

She’s had quite a journey to get to this point. It all began when she was called to camp last summer. She couldn’t suit up in Toronto for the June 2nd friendly versus the USA because FIFA had not yet cleared her to play for Canada. In the fall, she battled an injury. That’s in the past and the 22-year-old is now a capped member of the red and white.

During a recent media call, head coach John Herdman described the defender as “an energetic, passionate player”.

Contributor Sandra Prusina had a quick chat with Rachel, after she wrapped up her day with the team in Larnaca.

How are things going for you as a member of the Canadian team?

It’s gone well. It’s great to be with the team and just getting to know everybody, including the staff. Then it’s just about getting on the field and playing with everyone. I’m learning a lot, which is great.

Has there been a learning curve for you, getting used to Canada’s formation and what John Herdman is trying to apply on the field?

Definitely. John is constantly teaching, which is awesome. I’m learning not only each player’s style of play, but overall the key style of the team. I’m also learning what he wants out of the team.

There are a lot of different personalities on the Canadian team. What’s it been like assimilating and becoming a part of this squad?

I love all of the different personalities and I’m just enjoying joining in. It’s always so much fun to watch them interact with each other because they’ve known each other for such a long time. They’ve played together for so many years. Including the staff, the team has been very welcoming and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been great getting to know everyone.

I’m sure the last year has been an interesting one for you. What’s it been like for you getting clearance from FIFA and finally getting on the field?

The CSA has done everything they can and they’ve been so helpful to getting me cleared. Honestly, I’ve been focusing on just the soccer part and I knew everything else would take care of itself. It’s great that everything has worked out.

Honored to have earned my first cap and win today over Finland with #CanWNT! Thanks for everyone's… http://t.co/IPIuk47xpF — Rachel Quon (@rmquon) March 5, 2014

You’re playing for the Chicago Red Stars of the NWSL. There will be four Canadian players (Adriana Leon, Karina LeBlanc and Melissa Tancredi), including yourself, on the team this year, which will be a first. It’s basically a “Little Canada” in Chicago. How are you feeling about that?

It’s great! We talk about that all the time. I think each player will really play a huge part on the Chicago team. We’re really looking forward to playing with one another and getting to know each other, especially with Melissa and Karina, who will play key roles. I played with Dri last season a little bit. It’s going to be great to have all of those personalities, both on and off the field.

For the Canadian fans who might not be familiar with you, how would you describe your style of play?

I’d like to think that I’m an attacking outside right back, who likes to keep possession. I like to have an offensive part of the game too, but always doing my job defensively with the backline.

Is there anything else you wanted the Canadian fans to know about you that they might not know?

I’m just really excited and I’m glad I have this opportunity. I want to take advantage of it and help the team in anyway I can.

About the author:

Sandra Prusina is a journalist and broadcaster based out of Calgary, Canada. She has covered women’s soccer since 2010. She’s also a segment reporter for Olympic Broadcast Services, traveling to Vancouver, London and Sochi to work for the host broadcaster.