Canadian coach John Herdman to name Olympic women’s soccer roster Monday

TORONTO – Canada will name its 18-woman Olympic soccer roster on Monday.

On the surface, there seems little drama to coach John Herdman’s squad choice. Herdman named a 20-player roster for a pair of friendlies against Brazil earlier in June but that includes three goalkeepers and teenage forward Gabrielle Carle, who was sidelined by a high ankle sprain.

With the Olympics requiring a smaller squad than the 23-woman squad allowed by the World Cup, Herdman is likely to go with two goalkeepers. Providing Sabrina D’Angelo can recover from a fractured wrist to back up Stephanie Labbe, 20-year-old Kailen Sheridan will likely be one of the three Canadian alternates.

There was no immediate word on Carle’s injury status.

The women are currently with their clubs teams but are scheduled to reassemble July 1 for a camp in Vancouver. They head to France in mid-July for a closed-door game against China and then a friendly with No. 3 France in Auxerre on July 23.

The team will leave France for Brazil, where it opens Aug. 3 against No. 5 Australia. Canada will also face No. 2 Germany and No. 95 Zimbabwe in round-robin play.

Canada won bronze at the 2012 Games in London.