However, Canadian women come to commune with an audience that fully supports them, on and off the field. Even though they played in front of empty stands in Tokyo, they say they felt the support of their compatriots from a distance.
And when they have to address certain social issues such as the safety of the players, an issue that has come to the fore in recent weeks with the dismissal of a coach and the resignation of the commissioner, they also feel like the crowd is behind them, according to Gotham FC forward Evelyne Viens.
We received incredible support, Viens said in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday. We were talking about it today, there are players who are in Europe and who know what is happening in NWSL. We are really lucky to have the support of the public at a difficult time in NWSL, both in the field and in the offices. We are very lucky. We have a platform to use to move forward.
In our league, as in all leagues in the world, we must protect women in the sporting world.
The situation is constantly evolving for the NWSL, which announced on Monday the hiring of an interim CEO, Marla Messing, to manage the activities of the league. Viens is relying on her players’ association to judge the suitability of the nomination, but she believes the league has already taken a step in the right direction.
In Canada, football fans would also welcome the league to move north of the border. It’s a request that is repeated over and over again, and the players have not failed to point out, since winning the gold, that this victory was even more remarkable when you take into account the absence of a league. professional in the country.
Defender Vanessa Gilles recounted how, when she checked her phone after the medal ceremony, messages were pouring in from everywhere – and especially from people she didn’t know, who just expected to chat for a few minutes on the phone with his brother.
soccer au Canada, a soutenu Gilles. Pour moi, c’était un déclic pour dire qu’on était prêtes pour une ligue, pour quelque chose au Canada, un futur, une infrastructure. Pour moi, c’est le plus important. C’est bien, les messages, mais il faut faire quelque chose avec. Pour moi, ça commence par une ligue.","text":"Ryan Reynolds envoyait des messages à l’équipe! C’est le moment où je me suis dit qu’on était suivies, que le peuple du Canada nous suit, qu’ils veulent plus de soccer au Canada, a soutenu Gilles. Pour moi, c’était un déclic pour dire qu’on était prêtes pour une ligue, pour quelque chose au Canada, un futur, une infrastructure. Pour moi, c’est le plus important. C’est bien, les messages, mais il faut faire quelque chose avec. Pour moi, ça commence par une ligue."}}">Ryan Reynolds was texting the team! That’s when I said to myself that we were being followed, that the people of Canada are following us, that they want more soccer in Canada, said Gilles. For me, it was a trigger to say that we were ready for a league, for something in Canada, a future, an infrastructure. For me, this is the most important. Messages are fine, but something has to be done with them. For me, it starts with a league.
A team from the NWSL would be a great first step, she added. With everything we see in the NWSL right now, it would be phenomenal to have a player-led league. It starts with the players, and it takes investors, of course, because money rules the world.
For this double program against New Zealand, Gilles will play for his Ottawa audience on Saturday, at TD Place, while the Quebecer Viens will be in the spotlight on Tuesday, at Saputo stadium, she who will play for the first time in front of her. close since she has makes his professional debut in the midst of a pandemic, in the summer of 2020.
Two other Quebeckers are also part of the group: Marie Levasseur, guest player who was not at the Tokyo Games, and Gabrielle Carle.
Gilles and Viens underlined on Tuesday how the passages of the national team at home, when they were younger, had motivated them to achieve their dreams.
They hope to give the following in front of a tide of red sweaters
. But they know that inspiration also comes from victories. And if success has been at the rendezvous in recent years at the Olympic Games with three podiums, the scenario is quite different during the World Cups.
The best Canadian result is a 4th place at the 2003 tournament in the United States. Some 20 years later, in 2023, the representatives of the maple leaf are aiming for a podium in Australia and New Zealand.
It’s a celebration here, but we are also looking at the World Cup, in two years, then the next Olympic Games, recognized Évelyne Viens. It’s a constant job. It gives the bite. When you hit the gold medal, you want to go and win a World Cup and then another gold medal.
It’s a bit like when you eat a cake, added Vanessa Gilles. You eat one slice, but you always want more.
Preparation begins on Saturday, against one of the two host teams.
