Arsenal Women’s Canadian international Goalkeeper joins “enough is enough” protest by Michelle
Arsenal signed Canadian international Sabrina D’Angelo in the January transfer window. It is the international break in the world of women’s football at the moment and D’Angelo was called up to represent her national team Canada, to take part in the SheBelieves Cup.
Arsenal's Sabrina D'Angelo on active international duty! 💪❤⚽ https://t.co/TVTaiO1TXs
— Justgoonerwomen (@Justgoonerwomen) February 14, 2023
The Canadian soccer team are in protest against the Canada Soccer Association (CSA) because of concerns over funding cuts and pay inequality. The whole team, including Arsenal’s Sabrina D’Angelo wore purple T-shirts with the phrase “enough is enough” in protest before their 2-0 loss to the USA in the SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, Florida this week.
Earlier in the week, the Olympic champions called off strike action. Canada captain Christine Sinclair said her team were mentally exhausted.
Before the match, the Canadian Soccer Players Association said the team would continue to wear purple until our association has standards in place that ensure equal treatment and opportunity.
Canada are sixth in the world rankings and won Olympic gold in 2021. They called off a strike because of threats of legal action by the Canada Soccer Association (CSA) and said they would play in the SheBelieves Cup tournament in protest.
Both Canada and the USA teams wore purple tape on their wrists during the game, in a show of solidarity.
The CSA says it has a proven track record of supporting women’s football, adding pay equality was at the core of negotiations with the national team players.
Canada head coach Bev Priestman said the team have to push through for the rest of the tournament, with Canada playing Brazil on Sunday and Japan next Wednesday.
I couldn’t fault their effort, said Priestman. You could just see a flatness to them.
This isn’t fixed overnight, she added. So we’ve got to push through. We’ve got to turn it around now and be fresh-faced and be ready to go again for game two. Because there’s probably five games before a World Cup right now. That’s the difficult position we’re in.
It’s difficult. I’m exhausted, they’re exhausted. But we have to find a way. These things can be the reason this team wins a World Cup. These moments make you. Adversity makes you.
Courtesy of the BBC
Inequality in unacceptable on any level. Well done to Sabrina and her national teammates for standing up to their governing body. We just hope it doesn’t rob them of their chance to focus on the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup, which takes place in Australia & New Zealand over July and August this summer, as the V¿Canadian team are still thinking about strike action in April too.
Do you think teams should stand up and be counted on issues like this? Are governing bodies struggling to keep up with the pace of change in women’s football with the footballers paying the price?
Michelle Maxwell
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