Canada head coach Bev Priestman says that Chelsea midfielder Jessie Fleming has arrived in camp in great condition as the nation continue their preparations for the Olympic Games later this month.
Fleming is one of 18 players selected by Priestman to represent Canada in Japan. They face the host nation, Chile and Team GB in their group as they look to better their Bronze medals collected in Brazil in 2016.
Canada are currently preparing for the Olympic Games with some warm weather training in Los Angeles. Speaking to FAWSL Full-Time about the camp, head coach Priestman said that Chelsea midfielder Fleming is looking particularly sharp and she is excited to see her play at the Games.
“She is a real smart player and she always has been;” said Priestman when talking about Fleming. “When you are surrounded by those sorts of players (at Chelsea), I have seen her game evolve and I would say that coming into LA, she has really come in on the front foot in terms of turning, playing forward, getting in the box.
“I have seen a shift in her since the last camp. She is a player who wants to get better every game, she’s a perfectionist and she is her worst critic but I think that has helped Jessie to get where she is now. I am excited to see what she can produce in the tournament.”
No less than 13 different nationalities make up the Chelsea team and Priestman went on to say that Fleming’s knowledge of both her club teammates and different footballing cultures can help the Canadian team to do their homework on potential opponents.
Priestman added “What we do is every time we have a new opponent, we have all of the head shots on the wall and we get the players to fill in the strengths and weaknesses so that you get a shade of understanding.
“Drawing on what they (Canadian players) know about Brazil, the USA, Team GB from training with those players every day definitely helps them on the pitch that’s for sure.”
Canada begin their participation at the Olympic Games’ Women’s Football Tournament with a fixture against Japan on 21 July. They then face Chile on 24 July before taking on Team GB on 27 July.
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