When Canada hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015, 14-year-old Jordyn Huitema wasn’t able to go to any of the games in person. As Canada took on England in the quarterfinals, their biggest game of the tournament at that point — and ultimately their last — the young player was keeping one eye on the tv and the other on her parents’ wedding renewals.
Huitema may not have seen any games in person but the tournament created a personal turning point.
“That was the first time that I’d seen the national team really perform and I was just like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool,'” Huitema told The Equalizer. “And I think for me, soccer was always so fun and just easygoing, it wasn’t something that I saw as my everything.”
Now at her second World Cup, Huitema is ready to make a big impact — and Canada is relying on it. Heading into the final group-stage match against co-hosts Australia, the Olympic champions need a victory guarantee advancement. Their opponents are surprisingly in the same boat, making Monday’s clash in Melbourne the most anticipated of the tournament.
