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The ninth-ranked Canadian women will be without coach Casey Stoney when they close their 2025 schedule against eighth-ranked Japan in the upcoming November international window.
Canada Soccer said Stoney will not travel to Nagasaki “due to personal family reasons.” The team will be led by assistant coach Natalie Henderson, with the addition of Under-17s coach Jen Hurst to the technical staff.
“While I am personally disappointed to have missed this window, I have every confidence in this team's ability to bounce back from past performances and put in a strong performance against Japan,” Stoney said in a statement. “They are one of the most technically disciplined and tactically intelligent programs in the world and competing on their home soil will demand the highest standards from our group.
“This window represents another important step in our continued growth towards 2026.”
Henderson also took charge of the team when Stoney missed the March 31 friendly against Haiti in Winnipeg due to “personal family circumstances.”
Ottawa Rapid forward D.B. Pridham, who led the Northern Super League with 20 goals this season, has been called up for the first time.
Pridham was born in California to Canadian parents (his father was from Toronto and his mother was from Fort Erie, Ontario). Has dual citizenship. The family moved to the United States because of her father's job in technology sales.
Pridham, 28, who was named NSL Player of the Year, previously played club football in Iceland and Sweden.
The Canadians have lost three straight, beating No. 24 Switzerland and No. 11 Netherlands 1-0 last month after a disappointing 3-0 loss to second-ranked United States in July.
Stoney did not soften his words after the defeat by the Swiss in Nijmegen.
“Not good enough,” said the Canada coach, who is 6-4-1 since taking over in January. “Not anywhere near the same level in terms of technical quality, ability to hold the ball, win 50-50 duels. Not the standard we want or require when we play top opponents.”
Canada has a 4-8-4 record against Japan and has won just one of the last seven meetings (1-5-1).
Japan won 3-0 the last time they met at the SheBelieves Cup in February 2023 and are unbeaten in their last three meetings (2-0-1) since Canada won 2-0 at the Algarve Cup in March 2018.
The teams will play twice in Nagasaki – on November 29 and December 2.
Japan reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup, losing 2-1 to Sweden. Canada failed to survive the group stage.
With the exception of Pridham, Canada's 23-player roster is essentially the same as the 24-player roster called up for October's international tournament. Veteran defender Vanessa Gilles returns from injury to replace Zara Chavosi, while Olivia Smith and teenage striker Kaylee Hunter are missing.
Smith, who joined Arsenal in July from Liverpool for a then-record million pounds ($1.8 million), left the Canadian national team during the October window after suffering a thigh injury against Switzerland. She was suspended due to her club's ongoing return-to-play protocols.
The 21-year-old from Whitby, Ont., returned to action and played 62 minutes in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League.
Hunter, 17, who finished second in scoring in the Northern Super League this season, was called up for the October matches after Toronto AFC refused to release her for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Arriving at the camp with a bang, she saw no fighting for Canada.
