Veteran Beckie excited at hiring of Casey Stoney, but work remains for Canada's women's soccer team

When Janine Beckie found out who the new head coach of Canada's women's soccer team would be, she felt excitement above all else. Beckie, a veteran on Canada's team, said Casey Stoney is the "perfect fit" and is encouraged by the hire. 

"I can speak for myself and the excitement I feel to have a manager with her experience, personality, reputation and character," said Beckie via email. She said she hadn't spoken to many of her national teammates since a call with Stoney and Canada Soccer general secretary Kevin Blue last weekend.

On Monday, Canada Soccer announced that former England international captain Stoney had been appointed to the job, replacing Bev Priestman who was fired in the wake of the Paris Olympics drone-spying scandal.

Stoney is a stalwart of England's program as a player of 18 years with its national women's team, and was the first woman coach of Manchester United's women side, as well as the first coach of the NWSL's San Diego Wave in their inaugural season in 2021.

In addition to recognizing Stoney's storied career and strong sense of character, Beckie commented on the selection process which included former national team players Diana Matheson, Steph Labbe, Melissa Tancredi and Erin McLeod.

Beckie said that the search for a new head coach was "a detailed, well-organized and extensive search to find the right fit." Having former players as advisors and consultants in this process is an important step to move and push to new success. 

"I couldn't be more excited that this is the result of their diligence and effort," said Beckie, who plays professionally for Racing Louisville FC of the NWSL.

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The reality is that as this new chapter for the women's team begins, there will be an experienced coach at the helm. 

Stoney boasts many accomplishments, but one of her strongest suits may be that she knows how to navigate when things are well, not smooth. And that's exactly where she finds herself at Canada Soccer, a federation that is desperately trying to rebuild trust with players, partners, and Canadians. 

The last few years have been a circus of disappointment, betrayal, grief and frustration with the federation. Stoney comes in knowing full well the extent of the damage. Stoney was unceremoniously fired from San Diego Wave after winning NWSL Coach of the Year in 2022 — questionable, to say the least. The team will play its first game under Stoney in February in Spain.

On her first media call the afternoon of the announcement, Stoney sat beside Blue and her responses were direct and confident as she talked about her faith in the new leadership at Canada Soccer.

"I know that [the players] have been through a troubled past, but I'm really confident," said Stoney, who will remain based in San Diego with her family. "I wouldn't have taken this job if I wasn't confident that [the federation] was moving in the right direction." 

And move is exactly what Canada Soccer and the national program must do. There remains an on-going lawsuit by the players against former board members. There are obvious tensions that exist and being able to work through them may feel like walking into a minefield. But for some, this is something that Stoney is qualified for.