Former Canadian international Diana Matheson is getting a taste of how the other half lives.
Matheson, 40, who earned 206 international caps for Canada from 2003 to 2020, is part of the Canadian coaching staff for Friday's women's international friendly against World Cup champion Spain in Almendralejo, Spain.
“It's been really interesting living on the staff side, with the black hoodie, as they say. The dark side, as the players call it,” Matheson said Thursday in a digital availability from Spain.
“Imagine you did a job for 18 years and then you took five years off and came back and did a slightly different job in that same environment,” he added.
It hasn't all been new. Matheson said he briefly joined training on Wednesday. “So it hurts a lot too,” he said.
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Before the Canadian women's national soccer team's friendly exhibition against Spain, Canadian interim employees Diana Matheson and Katelyn Collar participated in a press conference, where Matheson, co-founder of the Northern Super League, explained her vision for helping build the Canada's national program through women's soccer. professional national league.
Matheson, who is not a fan of early morning starts, is adjusting to the coach's schedule.
“You're looking at 12- to 4-hour days. As a player, your job part of the time is to rest and recover. So that's been a transition too, but I expected it.”
Matheson, co-founder and chief growth officer of the fledgling Northern Tremendous League, plays an interim role supporting Team Canada, “providing leadership and serving as a resource for both staff and players.” The camp staff also includes Vancouver Whitecaps FC Women Elite head coach Katie Collar as interim assistant coach, and interim performance analyst Maryse Bard-Martel.
They join returning assistant coaches Andy Spence, Jen Herst and Neil Wooden in the coaching ranks.
“It really has been kind of a group effort in terms of preparation and execution,” Collar said.
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The missing piece is head coach Bev Priestman, who was handed a one-year ban from football by FIFA in the wake of the drone spy scandal at the Paris Olympics this summer. Priestman remains on Canada Soccer's payroll pending an independent review of the scandal by Sonia Regenbogen of law firm Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark.
Matheson said Canada Soccer normal manager and normal secretary Kevin Blue provided an update to players at the start of the camp “about the investigation and next steps.”
“Outside of those meetings, everything has been pretty much camp mode,” Matheson said.
Canada assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi are also serving one-year suspensions after the New Zealand Olympic Committee filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee's integrity unit, alleging drones were flown over a pair of practice sessions prior to the tournament.
Perhaps aiming to shield Spence, Herst and Wooden from any questions about drone spying, Canada Soccer has used Matheson and Collar in both media availabilities ahead of Friday's game.
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Diana Matheson, former Canadian player, two-time Olympic bronze medalist and co-founder of the Northern Tremendous League, describes how she will contribute in her new support role with the team.
Spanish coach Montse Tomé chose to rest Ballon d'Or winner Altana Bonmati and her Barcelona teammate Irene Paredes during the October window, in which Spain's number 3 will play against number 14, Italy, on Tuesday after the game against Canada. The injured Barça forward Salma Paralluelo is also not there.
But stars Alexia Putellas and Jenni Hermoso are in the Spanish team.
“Spain is Spain, there are even a couple of missing [star] players,” Collar said. “They are a talented group across the board.”
“We have a lot of players who are in great shape,” he added. “Looking [Friday]”We're really excited about the team in training, and the energy and quality we've seen.”
But with just three practice sessions, the sixth-ranked Canadians have had little time to prepare.
It is the Canadians' first game since August 3, when they lost to Germany in a penalty shootout at the Paris Olympics. Spence led the team in France in Priestman's absence.
Matheson says being back in camp is a “breather” for the players, given the news circulating around the program.
“They show up and get to work. And they do it in the best environments in the world.”
Canada managed to reach the Olympic knockout round despite being docked six points over the spy scandal, which also led to Canada Soccer being fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($318,700).
Canada and Spain have met three times before, with Spain holding a 2-0-1 lead.
Canada lost 1-0 in its most recent match, at the Arnold Clark Cup in February 2022 in Wolverhampton, England. Before that, they drew goalless in May 2019 in Logroño, Spain, and Spain won 1-0 in March 2017 in São João da Venda, Portugal.
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