Most American, and for that matter non-American, soccer fans will already be familiar with the names Wambach, Morgan and Leroux, so we’ve left them off this list, instead choosing to shine a light on some players you might not know. Among the 24 teams battling it out in the World Cup, eight more than previous tournaments, we’ve selected five players to keep an eye on in Canada.
1. The Hometown Hero – Christine Sinclair, 31 (Canada, Forward)
The last time we saw the Canadian captain on the world soccer stage, she and her teammates had swalloed a bitter pill at the 2012 Olympic semi-final, losing to the U.S. amid a controversial call – a game in which Sinclair scored all three Canadian goals. She is one of the game’s best players and is the third all-time international goal scorer (153) behind Americans Abby Wambach (182) and Mia Hamm (158). Something tells me she has high hopes of raising that World Cup trophy on her home turf.
2. The Trailblazer – Marta, 29 (Brazil, Forward)
Like her fellow countryman Neymar, Marta only needs one name. The Brazilian has been honored as the FIFA World Player of the Year five consecutive years, from 2006 to 2010, and she’s been called the female Pelé. She also likes performing on the World Cup stage, having netted 14 goals in three previous tournaments, a record she holds with Germany’s Birgit Prinz (retired). She’ll look to add to her total and squelch that 2011 World Cup heartbreak suffered at the hands (or should I say feet?) of the U.S.
3. The Veteran – Nadine Angerer, 36 (Germany, Goalkeeper)