Jordyn Huittema is 22 years old and was born in Chilliwack, British Columbia, in the Vancouver suburb. She is 5’11” and plays as a starting striker for both the CanWNT and the OL Reign in the NWSL.
Jordyn Huitema: An Upcoming Striker for CanWNT
Youth Career
Born to a mother who played college soccer, and two older brothers, Huitema was playing soccer by the time she was four years old. She played for local club Chilliwack FC until she was 11, and then joined Surrey United FC in Cloverdale. (source: Stephen Hands of Pro Sports Bio). It seemed that Huitema was destined to be a soccer great, and most of her childhood centred on developing her skills.
In 2014, according to Canada’s Olympic Team’s account, Huitema made her national team debut at the 2014 CONCACAF U15 girl’s championship in the Cayman Islands. She scored the winning goal in a penalty shootout as the team won the gold medal. The following year, at only 14 years old, she was invited to the national team as an extra player.
2016-18 also saw a string of success for Huitema. According to the same Canada Olympic Team player profile, she became the youngest-ever scorer for CanWNT, U17, and U20 all in the same year. This would start gaining her the attention of big clubs around the world
Club Career Abroad
While Canada is home to some premier women’s soccer clubs, most of the best teams are outside of Canadian borders. The United States and Europe host the best clubs, and it was Europe where Huitema made her name in club soccer.
Her 2019 move to the French club Paris Saint-Germain drew some comparisons between her and CanWNT legend Christine Sinclair. She enjoyed her time at PSG, but the elusive French league title, and Women’s UEFA Champions League titles could not be nabbed by her and her club.
SO excited to cheer on @JordynHuitema and @TheQuinny5 tonight as @CANWNT takes on Nigeria in the 2023 #FIFAWWC
Let’s GOOO
Watch Party at @RoughTumblePub#ReignSupreme x #CANWNT pic.twitter.com/MCazOpSPse
— OL Reign (@OLReign) July 20, 2023
In 2022, Huitema made a move to the American NWSL to play for the historied OL Reign. The move brought instant success for the club as they won the NWSL Shield and the Women’s Cup that year. Critically, it allowed Huitema to play closer to home and with more of her CanWNT teammates while still testing her skills in a top league.
How Her Personality Effects How People View Her
Huitema is confident. That should be believed with little question as the 22-year-old has already accomplished more than most soccer players in only a fraction of the time that some careers last. She believes she could play almost any position, and is not afraid to speak out on how well she expects herself to perform.
This has led her to receive the admiration of her coaches and teammates, as well as millions of young Canadian girls, but has drawn the ire of some who would want her to act in a more traditional role for women athletes. While her relationships should be the least of what people view in her as a soccer player, critics have instead taken to pointing out she has not tied herself down to any of the men she has dated in the past, which is just fine for the free-spirited woman who is as patient in finding a suitable partner as she is in waiting for the right cross to put in the back of the net.
It is her lack of concern for how people might criticize her that has gained her the respect of both her young and old teammates and her maturity in the face of adversity makes her a favourite of coaches looking for young players with a level head.
Her Bright Future With The CanWNT
Goal @CanadaSoccerEN
! @JordynHuitema scores her 7th goal in #CWOQ, giving her team a 1-0 lead over @fedefutbolcrc
| #WeBelong pic.twitter.com/L88JK9wuGf
— Concacaf (@Concacaf) February 8, 2020
Huitema was already the starting striker in a one-striker formation for the CanWNT against Nigeria in their first World Cup game, and she will likely be starting all of their World Cup games this competition as the team looks to make a deep run into the knockout stages. She has already bagged 16 goals in 64 games for the team and has several World Cups ahead of her. This included a memorable goal that led to Canada qualifying for the 2020 Summer Olympics against Costa Rica.
Huitema will let her play talk for itself as she hopes to emulate the goal-scoring record that Sinclair has set for women’s and world soccer. An aim of Huitema’s is to build the CanWNT into a global powerhouse of soccer. One day, maybe, there will be a rivalry with the USWNT that sees the two teams trade regional titles, and meet in a World Cup final.
For now, though, she along with every other Canadian women’s soccer player and coach are focusing on the task at hand. No single fan in Canada wants the team to miss the opportunities they have in performing well at this year’s edition of the World Cup, in the hopes of confirming the CanWNT as a force to be reckoned with.
Where You Can Watch Jordyn Huitema And The CanWNT
READ MORE: CanWNT Vital Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan
You can watch Huitema and Canada play Ireland on Wednesday, July 26th in their second group stage match of this year’s Women’s World Cup. The game will take place at 8:00 am EST and will be played at the Nib Stadium in Perth.
The third and final group stage game will take place on Monday, July 31st against co-hosts Australia at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. That game will kick off at 6:00 am EST. The first game will air live on Fox Sports 1 in the United States, and the second game will air on Fox. Other live-streaming services such as YouTube will offer the game to the global audience, and most regions also have their own local station that may air the games live. Additionally, both games will be shown live in Canada on TSN and also on RDS.
Photo Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports, of a Jordyn Huitema and a Janine Beckie Headshot, on February 6, 2020.
The post CanWNT Rapid-Rising Striker: Jordyn Huitema appeared first on Last Word On Soccer.