Canadian women's soccer team coach Stoney to miss games in Japan due to 'family matters'

The ninth-ranked Canadian women will be without coach Casey Stoney when they close out their 2025 schedule against No. 8 Japan in the upcoming November international window.

Canada Soccer says Stoney will not make the trip to Nagasaki "due to personal family matters." Assistant coach Natalie Henderson will lead the team, with under-17 coach Jen Herst added to the technical staff.

"Although I am personally heartbroken to miss this window, I have full confidence in this team's resilience to bounce back from past performances and deliver a strong showing against Japan," Stoney said in a statement. "They are one of the most technically disciplined and tactically intelligent programs in the world, and competing on their home soil will demand the highest standards from our group.

"This window represents another important step in our continued growth as we build toward 2026."

Henderson also took charge of the team when Stoney missed a March 31 friendly with Haiti in Winnipeg due to a "family-related personal matter."

There is a first call-up for Ottawa Rapid forward DB Pridham, who led the Northern Super League with 20 goals this season.

Born in California to Canadian parents (father from Toronto and mother from Fort Erie, Ont.), Pridham is a dual citizen. The family moved to the U.S. for her father's work in tech sales.

The 28-year-old Pridham, named the NSL Player of the Year, previously played club football in Iceland and Sweden.

The Canadian women have lost three straight, beaten 1-0 by both No. 24 Switzerland and the 11th-ranked Netherlands last month in the wake of a disappointing 3-0 loss to the second-ranked U.S. in July.

Stoney did not mince words after the loss to the Swiss in Nijmegen.

"Not good enough," said the