YEAR IN REVIEW: Why the CanWNT's next coaching hire could be so pivotal for the future of the program
It’s a big moment for the CanWNT.
After a strange up-and-down 2024, they’ve got the chance to put that all behind them in a much quieter 2025 - after playing in both the Gold Cup and Olympics, they’ll have no more competitive games until the 2026 Concacaf Championship.
Given the opportunity to skip qualification for that tournament with a bye, it leaves a big hole in Canada’s schedule, as they’ll essentially only play friendlies until November of 2026, when those Concacaf Championships are scheduled to be held. 
Yet, that’s not the worst thing for this team - in fact, that might be what the doctor ordered for them.
GOAL 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) December 3, 2024
Olivia Smith makes it THREE for the #CanWNT as she bullies her way through a number of South Korean defenders before burying her effort with a low drive 💪
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/itRoi2F8LJ
After a busy four-year cycle, one that started with the 2021 Olympics, and then continued into the 2022 Concacaf Championships, the 2023 World Cup and then the 2024 Gold Cup and Olympics, it’ll finally give Canada a chance to sit back and not worry about preparing for a major tournament next summer.
For a team that has said goodbye to several legends over the past several years, and is looking for a new head coach, it gives them the chance to begin a true reset, one that’ll allow them to alter the fabric of this team heading into their next challenge, which will be the 2027 World Cup.
Armed with a talented team, they sit in a good position, but must now take advantage of this opportunity that they have, as they can now truly evolve and grow into their next iteration as a group.
To help them do that, however, they have to take a big swing with their coaching hire, as that could be the difference between success in this next cycle and another heartbreaking ending. 
Especially after how the Bev Priestman era came to an unceremonious end, they’ve got the chance for a fresh start with a clean slate at the perfect time, which can be rare in international soccer.
Now, the bigger question will be what they should look for in a new hire - what’s the ideal profile of a new candidate?
One thing comes to mind - this is a good chance for an external hire. After the last two head coaches were former Canadian assistant coaches who had worked with John Herdman, whose coaching tree has had an impact on this team for over a decade, Canada will look to hit the reset button.
Especially when seeing the impact of an external hire south of the border, where Emma Hayes has rejuvenated an American team that had started to stagnate, leading them to a gold medal at this summer’s Olympics, that sentiment is accentuated.
After over a decade of employing coaches under that same umbrella, it could be a chance to bring in a new vision and voice, which is never a bad thing - and Canada Soccer has seen first-hand what that can do having done something similar with the CanMNT’s hiring of Jesse Marsch.
Should #CanWNT fans expect a new head coach before the new year? 🗓️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) December 4, 2024
Before January ends? 😅
Before the February window, surely? 😬 pic.twitter.com/rL5eI3aNjU
Sometimes, no matter if things have gone well or poorly for a team (and there have certainly been lots of ups and downs in the past decade-plus of the CanWNT), bringing in a new face is needed to provide a fresh perspective on things, helping push a team forward.
In terms of getting a new look at this player pool, one that’s about to grow exponentially with the arrival of the Northern Super League, having someone with an outside perspective could have plenty to work with if they were to get into this job.
But while it feels like it’ll be in Canada’s best interest to look for a new name, the tougher question will be finding the sort of profile that suits this team.
There, they’ll have lots of work to do, as they must find a manager who can bring that fresh perspective while refreshing this team tactically, which will be easier said than done.
In particular, there is one goal this team must have - finding someone comfortable with possession play.
If there’s one thing this Canadian team is elite at, it’s defending, and that won’t go away anytime soon - they’ve got the pieces to be able to defend at a high level, no matter the system, and they’ve shown that once again this year.
Where they’ve struggled, however, is finding a way to play the sort of modern soccer more teams are starting to play internationally. With more and more countries set on wanting to hold the ball, playing disciplined in and out of possession while pressing more, Canada has remained at their best when sitting back and hitting on the counter.
While that’s not a bad thing, as it’s allowed them to remain competitive, it still feels like it has held them back at times, especially in bigger tournaments like the World Cup.
As Canada continues to develop more technical players who are thriving at clubs around the world where they play that sort of modern soccer, it makes sense for Canada to start to shift their approach. They saw that firsthand in their last window of 2024 - in their first game, a friendly vs. Iceland, they went with more of a familiar approach in terms of personnel and tactics and struggled to break open an organized Iceland side, but then thrived in a friendly vs. South Korea when employing more of a free-flowing style with some new faces in the squad.
GOAL 🇨🇦🇨🇦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) December 3, 2024
WHAT A HIT 😎
Marie-Yasmine Alidou makes it 2-0 for the #CanWNT vs. Korea Republic as she shoots from way out and finds her target 🎯
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/sTwOWOLMzt
Those two games are no ‘be-all, end-all’, but they serve as a good reminder of what Canada has at their disposal, and what they can do when put in the right system.
Now, they must find a way to find a coach who can put that all into place.
Will it be someone familiar with the group, but had the chance to work elsewhere and find success, such as former Canadian internationals Carmelina Moscato or Rhian Wilkinson? Or could it be someone like Casey Stoney, the former England international who was most recently with the San Diego Wave?
All options are viable - in fact, Canada should be casting as wide of a net as possible, from names in North America to the rest of the world.
And from there, they’ll need to find the right person. Once they do that, it feels like they can officially kick off the 2027 World Cup cycle, giving them a leader to follow in that journey.
They’ve got the pieces to be dangerous long-term - between the likes of Olivia Smith, Simi Awujo, Jade Rose and many more emerging youngsters such as Jeneva Hernandez-Gray and Nyah Rose, this team has several young players who are already making their mark at the club level and internationally with Canada. 
Bringing in the right coach will tie that all together, making that the big goal of 2025.
From there, the wheels can start turning in terms of the rest of this team’s checklist for 2027, which includes growing their depth, giving youngsters bigger roles and establishing that tactical identity.
If all goes well, they can put themselves in an excellent position to make some noise in 2026, 2027 and 2028, where they’ll have dreams of winning the Concacaf Championship, the World Cup and the Olympics.
What do we want in a new #CanWNT head coach, anyway? 📋 pic.twitter.com/oKYucVFI8i
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) November 29, 2024
Otherwise, they’ll risk the frustration of the last two years, where it definitely feels like this team fell short of what it could’ve achieved at the last World Cup and Olympics, despite entering both tournaments with high hopes. After their success in 2021, making the semi-finals of both tournaments seemed like a real possibility, but instead, they didn’t even make it out of the group stage at the 2023 World Cup, and fell short in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Olympics.
Yet, that just shows the importance of this rebuild, and why it’ll be important to find the right head coach to jumpstart it, especially given the opportunity they’ve been afforded with their upcoming schedule.
Ultimately, making the right move will prove to be the difference between success in 2027 and another campaign of frustration.
