Canada Soccer cites “challenges” in the decision to skip the Pan Am Games

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Due to scheduling issues, Canada Soccer has decided not to field a women’s team at the upcoming Pan American Games.

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The games, taking place from October 20 to November 5 in Santiago, Chile, will begin before and end after FIFA’s international windows.

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“As an organization, we have therefore decided not to participate due to challenges associated with roster availability and maximizing contact with full squads,” Canada Soccer said in a statement.

Canada coach Bev Priestman said she hopes to play games in both international windows, which run from Oct. 23 to Nov. 1 and Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.

Next up for the 10th-ranked Canadian women is a two-game Olympic qualifier against No. 37 Jamaica – Sept. 22 in Kingston and Sept. 26 in Toronto.

Women’s soccer was added to the Pan Am schedule in 1999 and the Canadian women competed in five consecutive editions of the Games before being dropped in 2019 due to the FIFA World Cup.

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The Canadian women won Pan Am gold in 2011, silver in 2003, bronze in 2007 and finished fourth in 1999 and 2015.

The Canadian men did not qualify for the 2023 Pan Am Games, which has an under-22 competition for the men.