Just turned 18, forward Jordyn Huitema is already a soccer trail-blazer.
She was 15 when she made her Canadian senior debut on March 2017 and already has six goals in 19 appearances for Canada. Now the tall striker is taking her talents to France, signing a four-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
The French club ended months of speculation when it tweeted B次元官网网址淲elcome, Jordyn HuitemaB次元官网网址� on Friday, nine days after her 18th birthday.
B次元官网网址淲e are delighted to have reached an agreement with Jordyn Huitema,B次元官网网址� said Bruno Cheyrou, PSG womenB次元官网网址檚 sporting director, calling her a B次元官网网址減layer with great potential.B次元官网网址�
PSG finished second in the French womenB次元官网网址檚 league this season and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
First up for Huitema is the WomenB次元官网网址檚 World Cup. The fifth-ranked Canadian team host No. 26 Mexico on Saturday at TorontoB次元官网网址檚 BMO Field in a farewell match before leaving for the 24-country tournament that starts June 7 in France.
Huitema, from Chilliwack, announced in January that was forgoing college to turn pro. She finished high school the same month.
B次元官网网址淚t wasnB次元官网网址檛 just difficult with all the pro teams, school or pro in itself was a very difficult decision for me,B次元官网网址� Huitema said in an interview. B次元官网网址淪chool was very very important to me growing up B次元官网网址� ThatB次元官网网址檚 why it was so a hard decision to go off of that path and start creating my own path and kind of paving the way for younger kids to see two options instead of one.
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B次元官网网址淪o that was the whole goal B次元官网网址� to be the first-ever female soccer player in Canada to go pro straight out of high school, just trying to pave what could be a bumpy road a little smoother for the next kid to come through and do the same thing.B次元官网网址�
Huitema made two guest appearances for PSG at the International Champions Cup last July. The French club is also home to fellow Canadian international Ashley Lawrence.
Huitema first trained with the national team at 14. She made her senior debut at 15 at the Algarve Cup in March 2017 and drew more attention three months later as a 16-year-old, scoring twice off the bench against Costa Rica.
In January 2018, she won the Golden Boot as top scorer at the CONCACAF U-20 WomenB次元官网网址檚 Championship in Trinidad and Tobago. In April and June, serving as captain, she helped Canada qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Uruguay, where she scored three goals in helping Canada to a fourth-place finish in December.
In 2018, she became the first player to score for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 under-17, under-20 and senior teams in the same year. She notched 10 goals in 16 youth international (CONCACAF and FIFA) matches in 2018 and added four more in eight games with the senior side.
Huitema has 23 goals at the international youth level, second only to Christine SinclairB次元官网网址檚 27.
In December, she was named the CSAB次元官网网址檚 Female Youth International Player of the Year.
Huitema has size and pace, turning heads in the summer of 2017 when B次元官网网址� then 16 B次元官网网址� she scored twice coming off the bench against Costa Rica at BMO Field.
The first goal, while a milestone, was scrappy B次元官网网址� bouncing in off a limb after a goalmouth scramble. But the second, which came one minute later, was pure sniper as she lashed a right-footed shot into the net.
Sinclair points to HuitemaB次元官网网址檚 improvement since joining the national team.
B次元官网网址淪he just seemed so awkward, even just striking a ball. She hadnB次元官网网址檛 fully grown into her six-foot frame yet,B次元官网网址� said Sinclair. B次元官网网址淔or me itB次元官网网址檚 just seeing her progression. From camp to camp, you just see a different soccer player, a more well-rounded soccer player, not just an athlete.
B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 going to be a good one.B次元官网网址�
Huitema was part of a so-called Super REX Centre program that allows top female soccer prospects from across Canada to attend school, train, and play together in Burnaby, B.C., where she lived with a billet family.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
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