There were no surprises when the group of 23 players selected to represent Canada at next month’s Women’s World Cup was announced on Saturday. Coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller began the selection process in earnest last fall as the team competed in World Cup qualifiers, securing its spot in France.

The pool of players was about 30 candidates strong last October, but the picture became clearer as the calendar flipped to 2019. By last week, when the Canadians beat Mexico in a friendly at BMO Field, their final match on home soil before kicking off their World Cup campaign against Cameroon on June 10, the squad was all but set.

Veteran midfielder Diana Matheson, 35, and goalkeeper Erin McLeod, 36, mainstays for their country for more than a decade, were ruled out of the competition through injury. Heiner-Moller dropped 16-year-old centre back Jade Rose and defender Vanessa Giles, who have no caps between them. He added defenders Kadeisha Buchanan, Shannon Woeller and Jenna Hellstrom, who had remained in Europe with their club teams during the last international camp.

The result is a deep team with a mix of veteran experience and fresh legs, and the most technically skilled squad to represent Canada at a World Cup.

“The players we’ve got in now, we cover almost all positions with two players, which is important going into a World Cup,” Heiner-Moller said on a conference call from Spain on Saturday, where the team is currently readying for the tournament, which begins June 7.

Only nine of the 23 players that represented the squad in the 2015 World Cup remain on the current squad. Veterans Christine Sinclair, 35, Desiree Scott, 31, and Sophie Schmidt, 30, are the only three players in today’s squad who helped inspire the nation with a bronze-medal performance at the 2012 London Olympics. Goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe, defenders Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence and Alysha Chapman, midfielder Jessie Fleming and striker Adriana Leon joined their ranks in 2015, while defender Rebecca Quinn and striker Janine Beckie were considered alternates when Canada hosted the competition.

The Greater Toronto Area will be represented by seven players: Buchanan, Lawrence, Leon, Quinn, striker Nichelle Prince, goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and 18-year-old fullback Jayde Riviere.

While Heiner-Moller had a general idea of his squad in recent months, a couple of decisions were cemented closer to Friday’s roster deadline. Leon and Hellstrom were both questions marks for a time as they came off injuries.

“I think it’s important for me to bring players in that are consistent but also players on form.” Heiner-Moller said.

Canada’s 3-0 win over Mexico last weekend was a dominant performance by the home country but hardly a crowning achievement. The Canadians head to the World Cup ranked fifth in the world by FIFA and expect to compete for a spot in the final. Mexico, ranked 26th in the world, failed to qualify for the tournament last fall and brought a young, rebuilding squad to Toronto.

A 0-0 tie against world No. 13 Spain on Friday was a better test for the Canadian team, which remains undefeated in 2019.

Heiner-Moller said the tie with Spain was exactly what the team needed: a reminder that results at this level can be decided in a split second or by a single play. “We’ve got a confidence now that’s pretty up there and I think we needed a match … just to remind ourselves that we still need to address a few things.”

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