Shueme, a snowy owl, will serve as the official mascot for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. She joins a long history of strange looking animals being chosen to represent the World Cup.  She has an owlish face and is cradling a soccer ball in her right wing-like hand. Her left hand is raised level to her left shoulder. She is wearing a red soccer jersey with the words "Canada 2015" on the front. She is wearing dark soccer shorts with high knee-length white socks above her red soccer cleats.

Shueme, a snowy owl, will serve as the official mascot for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. She joins a long history of strange looking animals being chosen to represent the World Cup.
Photo Credit: Courtesy: Soccer Canada

Canada preps for Women’s World Cup soccer

As we reported last Friday, the eyes of the international soccer world will soon be turning to Canada for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Twenty-four teams will compete in six Canadian cities. Play begins June 6 and concludes with the championship game on July 5 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The official poster for next year's FIFA Women's World Cup was unveiled earlier this month in Brazil. It resembles a psychedelic poster or record album from the 1960s. We see a woman's face with her chin raised slightly. She is looking into the distance trailing paths of glory in the form of psychedelic hair of rainbow colours. She dominates the poster. Below her to the right is written in small black letters,
The official poster for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup was unveiled earlier this month in Brazil. © Courtesy: Soccer Canada

As the hosts, Canada have been named as the A1 seeds. That means they will play their first two group matches in Edmonton, Alberta.

Many believe the Canadians–at the very least–have an outside shot at the title. The Canadian team is currently seventh in the world in FIFA rankings and is led by Christine Sinclair, who many believe is the equal of any female player in the world.

The official draw for the tournament takes place this December 6 at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa.

Canadian officials from Soccer Canada are already in high gear, preparing to host the event that will see 24 teams taking part, a high for the tournament,

Neither the international audience nor the cost will rival what just took place in the men’s competiton in Brazil. And certainly, the run-up will not cause the controversy it did in Brazil. No neighborhoods will give way to new stadiums.

Peter Montopoli, the general secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association, is the man charged with making the tournment work.

RCI’s Terry Haig spoke by phone with Mr. Montopoli, who is currently in Edmonton as part of a cross-country trip to make sure all the balls he juggling remain in the air.

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