The 19-year-old has hit all the headlines for her relationship with the Bayern player, but is one of football’s most exciting young talents
Ahead of Wednesday’s Paris Saint-Germain women’s Champions League semi-final against Lyon, Jordyn Huitema’s name has attracted more attention than she, or anyone else, could have predicted.
When Alphonso Davies lifted the men’s Champions League title with Bayern Munich on Sunday, the anecdote quickly circulated on social media that if Huitema had made the equivalent with PSG, they would have been the first pair to lift both titles.
But what hasn’t circulated is what a Huitema talent is in its own right.
The emphasis wasn’t that he was in a European semi-final, it was a side note.
Furthermore, it has not been said that, besides Davies, she is one of the most talented teenage soccer players on this planet.
In Goal’s inaugural women’s NxGn list in 2020, the 19-year-old striker finished second on the list, only behind Lena Oberdorf, who progressed to the UWCL final itself on Tuesday as Wolfsburg beat Barcelona in the first semifinal of the week.
He was only 15 when he first wore his national team colors in the 2017 Algarve Cup final, and only 16 when he scored his first goal for Canada’s senior team a few months later.
“It’s one of the closest things I’ve seen [Christine] Sinclair – so no pressure on the boy, “then Canadian head coach John Herdman told the press after Huitema’s debut.
Such is the hype around his prowess, he has been touted for some time as Sinclair’s long-term successor – the captain of Canada, football’s all-time international top scorer and growing Huitema idol.
“As a young man, I saw those qualities of Sinclair – the touch, the movement – in people like Janine Beckie [now of Manchester City]”, Herdman added.
“But from what I’ve seen of Jordyn, he has the ability to score goals and the kind of height, size and presence you associate with Christine on the pitch.”
They are great shoes to fill, and she is by no means the same player as Sinclair to begin with. These differences are what make the pair work so well together when playing for Canada.
But, while the comparisons persist, Huitema has proven that she can handle the pressure that comes with it.
Rather than choosing to go to college at 18, the striker decided to step out of his comfort zone and play professionally, such is the skill he already possessed.
Last summer, it was announced that he would do so at PSG.
He scored twice in his Champions League debut last September and, three days later, scored his first league goal in Dijon’s 4-0 win.
Amidst club-wide success, Huitema also became the youngest player to win the Golden Boot in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament, scoring seven goals in five games to bring her total to 13 goals in 33 appearances.
Huitema’s first season with PSG was always going to be difficult. Crossing the Atlantic and immersing yourself in a new culture is not an easy thing, let alone as a teenager, but its development will be all the better for it.
“There are no days off. There are no days when you can just joke around and have fun and have fun while exercising, “he said Sportsnet early summer, reflecting on his first season in Paris and his first experience in a professional environment.
“They are all very serious. We have a job to do here and we all have the same goals and that’s what we’re here to do. “
One of these goals is the Champions League. PSG faces a big task on Wednesday, taking on a Lyon that has long prevailed in France and won Europe’s top competition for the past four consecutive years.
Earlier this month, PSG suffered the last defeat to their biggest rivals, losing on penalties in the French Cup final.
But the margins were once again so good and, having seen Bayern Munich cause Lyon some trouble in the quarter-finals, losing only 2-1, Huitema and her PSG teammates will believe in their ability to cause a reversal. .
The Canadian will be fresh for this match after being an unused substitute in the victory over Arsenal and in a match where the chances of finishing will be crucial, PSG are fortunate to have not only stars like Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Nadia Nadim da invite, but an incredible talent as well as Huitema.
And if she gets a chance to grab those headlines, she won’t be Alphonso Davies’ girlfriend in the spotlight.
It will be Jordyn Huitema, superstar in the making.
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