1. Jessie Fleming
The opponents in Group B are stiff, but that is something that midfielder Jessie Fleming is familiar with on a club level. At just 25 years old, Fleming is one of five players on the Canadian national team with 100 or more caps. Astonishingly, this will be the midfielder’s third World Cup. When the lights shine the brightest on the international stage, the Chelsea Women No. 17 does not shrivel up. From finding the back of the net in both the Olympic semi-final, and final in 2021 to converting three goals in the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship to lead to team, Fleming is a big-time player for Canada.
Her role in west London may be up for question, but when she puts on the jersey for her national team, the Canadian shines. At just 21, Fleming completed over 80 percent of her passes in the 2019 World Cup while winning the second most tackles on the team. Her reliability from the penalty spot is going to be an X-factor for the Canadian’s if a match does go that far deep into the tournament. In an interview with Andi Petrillo back in June, Fleming expressed that she believes that her team has what it takes to beat any country on any given day.
For the third time in her career, Jessie Fleming is #WorldCup bound! 🇨🇦🐻#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/2wL3cOfDVv
— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) July 9, 2023
Her confidence is understandable given the way her side has competed at big tournaments. Kerr is the player that makes Australia tick, and some goes for Fleming with her outfit.
Nobody has a tougher group stage, but with No. 17 in the middle of the park, Bev Priestman should have the confidence that her side can own the midfield.