SheBelievesCup a key test for coach Priestman and Canada's women's soccer team

After years of flying under the radar in international soccer, the Canadian women's team has become a side to fear due to its exploits at the last three Olympics. 

Back-to-back bronze medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 only wet the appetite, as capturing gold in Tokyo in 2021 cemented Canada's status as an elite nation in the women's game. 

But for all of the Canadians' accomplishments at the Olympics, success at the FIFA World Cup has eluded them. A semifinal appearance at the 2003 tournament gave way to a string of forgettable showings, including a humbling last-place finish in 2011 and a disappointing quarterfinal exit on home soil four years later.

Coach Bev Priestman's team will be aiming to capitalize on its gold medal run in Tokyo and finally shed its reputation as World Cup underachievers at this summer's tournament July 20-Aug. 19, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. 

Before that, the Canadians have some important business to take care of, all with an aim toward becoming World Cup champions. Ranked No. 6 in the world, Canada will compete at the SheBelieves Cup in the United States where it will take on the top-ranked Americans, Brazil (No. 9) and Japan (No. 11). The tournament runs Feb. 16-23.

WATCH | Bev Priestman on Canada's preparation for women's World Cup:

The Canadians are no strangers to the SheBelieves Cup, having competed at the 2021 event in the buildup to that summer's Tokyo Olympics. That year's four-nations tournament marked Priestman's debut as Canadian coach, and while the Reds underwhelmed with a pair of losses (to the U.S. and Brazil) and a skin-of-their-teeth win (over Argentina), they gained valuable experience playing against some of the world's top nations. 

It was also at the 2021