VANCOUVER, B.C.: A Fall River soccer player is reaping the rewards of her hard work.
Mya Archibald was officially announced earlier this week as a member of the Canadian women’s soccer team that will compete at the FIFA under-17 women’s World Cup, running Oct. 11-30 in India.
Archibald and her teammates were scheduled to leave for the competition on Friday Sept. 30.
Reached in Vancouver where the talented athlete is a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps elite women’s team, she spoke to The Laker News of what making the team meant.
“I’m so excited,’ said Archibald during the 10 am interview (6 am BC time). “It’s really a dream come true. It’s surreal. I actually can’t believe it.”
“It means so much to me. It just showed me that hard work can really pay off, and if you put your mind to something, you can achieve it.”
Archibald said her showing, along with having a Nova Scotian on the U20 national and U15 national teams has to serve as inspiration for other young soccer players back home with Soccer N.S. and their respective programs and teams.
“I think that representation just shows that like even being from a smaller province we can still do it,” said Archibald, who did attend Lockview High. :We still have the players that can compete at that level. It’s really inspiring for younger players.
“I know when I saw Annika Leslie make the U15 national team and then the U-20 national teams after COVID, that just showed me I could do it too.”
The former star with the Suburban FC program in Halifax also helped N.S. to bronze at the Canada Games this past summer.
“That was a great experience,” she said.
Archibald spoke of expectations for the team at the FIFA U17 World women’s cup. She said the first goal is to make it out of the group stage.
“I think this team has a lot of drive,” she said. “I’ve never been a part of a team that’s I wanted something more.
“I think we have the competitiveness and I think we do have the right personnel and players that we can do well.”
Team Canada and Archibald begin play Oct. 12 against France at 8 a.m. Atlantic; Japan on Oct. 15 at 11:30 a.m.; and finish the group stage with a match against Tanzania at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 18.
The playoffs will then follow.
To follow Archibald and the Canadian women’s progress check out: https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/womens/u17womensworldcup/india2022
Also follow Soccer Canada on Twitter at @CanadaSoccerEN .
