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Canadian international Janine Beckie looks to add to silverware collection in 2019

TORONTO — Janine Beckie has already lifted one trophy this week. Plenty more await this year.

On Wednesday the 24-year-old striker is set to celebrate her 50th cap as fifth-ranked Canada opens Algarve Cup play against No. 22 Iceland in Parchal, Portugal.

On Saturday, Beckie converted the decisive spot kick in a penalty shootout as Manchester City beat Arsenal to claim the FA Women's Continental League Cup at Sheffield's Bramall Lane. A day later, the Man City men edged Chelsea in another penalty shootout to win the Carabao Cup.

Beckie downplayed her role in the cup win, deflecting praise to England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, who made two saves in the shootout.

"It was to win the game, it wasn't to stay in the game and I think the pressure is really different," Beckie said of her winning penalty. "She definitely won the game for us. It doesn't feel like I did. She was fantastic, she made my job easy."

The game finished scoreless after extra time. Beckie, who had come off the bench in the 65th minute, had hit the woodwork earlier in the match.

Man City is looking for the treble this year. It leads the FA Women's Super League at 11-0-5 and will face Liverpool in the quarterfinals of the SSE Women's FA Cup on March 17.

The trophy that matters most, however, is the Women's World Cup. The Algarve Cup is seen as a valuable warmup for the world showcase, which starts in June in France.

Other Algarve Cup participants headed to the World Cup are the seventh-ranked Netherlands, No. 9 Sweden, No. 12 Spain, No. 13 Norway, No. 15 China and No. 20 Scotland. The other five participating teams are No. 17 Denmark, No. 18 Switzerland, No. 22 Iceland, No. 32 Portugal and No. 34 Poland.

Canada has been drawn with No. 46 Cameroon, No. 19 New Zealand and the seventh-ranked Netherlands at the World Cup.

Born in Colorado to parents from Saskatchewan, Beckie was 20 when she made her debut for Canada in November 2014.

A star at Texas Tech, where she became the Red Raiders' career leading scorer with 57 goals, Beckie was taken by the Houston Dash in the first round (eighth overall) in the 2016 NWSL college draft. New Jersey-based Sky Blue acquired her in a trade in January in a three-way trade with Houston and the Chicago Red Stars.

Beckie joined Manchester City in August from Sky Blue FC.

"I'm really enjoying it," she said. "It's a lot different, it's a lot more technical. There's more focus on the tactical (side) of the game ... I've really enjoyed that part of it. It's definitely challenged me a and made me be more consistent and better every single day. So it's been everything I'd hoped it would be."

Eight members of the 23-women Canadian roster play their club football in Europe with teenager Jordyn Huitema expected to join them soon at Paris Saint-Germain.

Beckie, who made her senior debut in November 2014, has scored 24 goals and added four assists for Canada. Just missing out on the 2015 World Cup roster, she was assigned to the Pan-American Games, where she excelled.

She had three goals in the Canadian women's bronze-medal campaign at the 2016 Rio Olympics, setting a Games record for fastest goal just 20 seconds into Canada's opening contest against Australia.

Canada beat Iceland the only other time they played, on a 42nd-minute goal by Beckie at the 2016 Algarve Cup.

After Iceland, the Canadian women face No. 20 Scotland on Friday in Lagos. Canada is 6-1-0 all-time against Scotland. A third ranking match will be played March 6.

Canada finished fifth at last year's tournament after beating Japan 2-0 in its final match. Canada, second to Sweden in Group B with a 2-1-0 record, was consigned to the fifth-place game after finishing as the second-best runner-up behind Portugal (2-0-1).

The championship game between Sweden and the Netherlands was cancelled due to heavy rain. Both teams were awarded first place.

Canada won the tournament in 2016 and was runner-up in 2017.

"We've had good memories of the tournament — in 2016 obviously we won and it helped us go on to win bronze (at the Rio Olympics)," Beckie said. "It would be nice if we started off 2019 with the championship trophy from here and on to bigger things this summer."

After the Algarve Cup, Canada will play a friendly against England on April 5 at Manchester's Academy Stadium, which is home to the Man City women's team.

Canada opened its 2019 schedule with a 1-0 victory over Norway in January in Spain.

Captain Christine Sinclair, who has 275 caps, scored her 178th international goal to dispatch Norway. The 35-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., is just six goals off retired American Abby Wambach's world record of 184.

 

Canada Algarve Cup Roster

Goalkeepers: Stephanie Labbe, Stony Plain, Alta., North Carolina Courage (NWSL); Erin McLeod, St. Albert, Alta., Vaxjo DFF (Sweden); Kailen Sheridan, Whitby, Ont., Sky Blue FC (NWSL).

Defenders: Allysha Chapman, Courtice, Ont., Houston Dash (NWSL); Kadeisha Buchanan, Brampton, Ont., Olympique Lyonnais (France); Shelina Zadorsky, London, Ont., Orlando Pride (NWSL); Ashley Lawrence, Caledon, Ont., Paris Saint-Germain (France); Shannon Woeller, Vancouver, Eskilstuna United DFF (Sweden); Lindsay Agnew, Kingston, Ont., Houston Dash (NWSL).

Defender/Forward: Jenna Hellstrom, Sudbury, Ont., Vaxjo DFF (Sweden).

Midfielders: Rebecca Quinn, Toronto, Paris FC (France); Julia Grosso, University of Texas(NCAA); Diana Matheson, Oakville, Ont., Utah Royals FC (NWSL); Desiree Scott, Winnipeg, Utah Royals FC (NWSL); Sophie Schmidt, unattached, Abbotsford, B.C.; Gabrielle Carle, Levis, Que., Florida State (NCAA); Jessie Fleming, London, Ont., UCLA (NCAA).

Forwards: Deanne Rose, Alliston, Ont., University of Florida (NCAA); Jordyn Huitema, Chilliwack, B.C., Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite; Christine Sinclair (capt.), Burnaby, B.C., Portland Thorns (NWSL); Nichelle Prince, Ajax, Ont., Houston Dash (NWSL); Janine Beckie, Highlands Ranch, Colo., Manchester City (England); Adriana Leon, King City, Ont., West Ham United (England).

 

Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter

 

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

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