Two hundred appearances for the Canadian women’s soccer team is a special milestone.

Only one player in the team’s history has reached it: venerable captain Christine Sinclair, with 272.

So why doesn’t Diana Matheson, who has 199 caps to her credit, sound more enthused about hitting 200? It’s because she has bigger things to worry about at the moment.

Matheson will in all likelihood earn her 200th cap on Sunday evening in Frisco, Tex., when Canada faces Panama in the semifinals of the Concacaf Women’s Championship. Should the Canadians win they will automatically qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. A loss means Canada would have to play in the tournament’s third-place game, giving it a second chance at securing a World Cup berth.

The official stat line for Matheson reads 199 caps, 181 starts, 18 goals and 20 assists since making her debut as an 18-year-old for the senior side in an Algarve Cup match in 2003.

Fifteen years later since coming on as a second-half substitute versus Norway, Matheson is firmly established as one of Canada’s all-time greatest players and most loyal servants. The veteran midfielder has been a mainstay on one of the leading women’s programs in the world, with her best moment coming at the 2012 London Olympics when she scored an injury-time goal against France to lift the Reds to the first of their back-to-back bronze medals.

But Matheson, a 34-year-old native of Oakville, Ont., is in no mood to reflect upon past glories on the eve of earning her 200th cap. She’s firmly focused on the task at hand: Helping Canada book its ticket for France next summer.

“It’s kind of odd that it’s fallen on such an important game in the schedule, so it’s very much in the back of my mind,” Matheson told Sportsnet. “I don’t know that if it’s something that happens in the next game that I’ll celebrate and enjoy it afterwards, assuming we win. If we don’t win, there’ll be no celebrating. But if we win, it’d just be an extra bonus if it happens. With the stakes being so high in this game my focus is that.”

She later added: “I haven’t reminisced at all. Maybe later. Maybe when the tournament is over I’ll reminisce a little. But for right now, Panama is on my mind.”

Injuries barely slowed down Matheson during her lengthy career. She’s had several knee problems, including one that ruled her out for the entire 2017 National Women’s Soccer League season. But she’s always managed to bounce back and re-establish herself as a key player for Canada.

So, what’s been the key to Matheson’s longevity with the women’s team?

“Honestly, I have no idea. I mean, I’ve been lucky in that we’ve had a group of players on the national team that have been together for a long time. When you’re playing with your friends and enjoying it, it makes it easier. … I’ve had injuries, but nothing that’s come close to ending my career. I’ve been able to keep pushing through,” Matheson said.

Indeed, Matheson has been fortunate to have played alongside players the calibre of Sinclair, midfielder Sophie Schmidt (175 caps) and goalkeeper Erin McLeod (116 caps). The foursome has essentially grown up together on the national team, maturing from naïve teenagers into adult women.

“The fact that I got to play with these guys my entire career, and that they’re such good friends, it’s special. … It’s been more fun with them along the way because we have such a shared history,” Matheson offered.

Playing under several coaches with the national team – from Even Pellerud, to Carolina Morace, to John Herdman, and now Kenneth Heiner-Møller – has meant Matheson has had to evolve, and adapt her playing style over the years.

“Under Evan, we were a lot more direct. We were much defence-first and counterattacking, and that’s how I played. With Carolina, we started playing with more possession and more technical, and I started to get more involved in that. The tactical side of my game developed, and that continued under John, and I played more on the wing. With Kenneth, I’ve gone back to more of a possession-based midfielder who lives more in the pockets of space like I did before,” Matheson explained.

As for the future, Matheson is focused on helping Canada qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup before returning to Utah Royals FC, her pro club.

She also has an eye on playing at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. After that, she’ll re-evaluate.

“It’ll probably be it for me after the Olympics. It’s a long time after that for another international tournament. That said if Toronto was to get an NWSL team, which would be fantastic, I would definitely be open to playing for them,” Matheson said.