Selenia Iacchelli’s journey to being named to Canada’s roster for this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup on home soil wasn’t an easy one.
Iacchelli, a 28-year-old native of Edmonton, suffered a number of injuries over her career, including a broken foot and fractured arm. Just as she was fully healthy and gearing up to make a final push for a spot on the team, she found herself on the outside looking in after another injury blow: she tore her left patellar tendon during a national team camp in Brazil in late 2013.
“It was a series of unfortunate events,” the midfielder told Sportsnet. “I was out for a while.”
The timing of the knee injury was obviously frustrating, with the Canadian squad well-entrenched in their training and preparation for the Women’s World Cup. Iacchelli could have packed it in right then and there, but fruitful advice from coach John Herdman helped her focus on rehabilitation in order to come back even stronger.
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“He told me he was going to bring me back into camp last fall when I was better and not to give up,” she explained.
Iacchelli spent countless hours in the gym rehabbing her knee. As she regained her health and fitness, Herdman kept his word and she re-entered the national team picture, albeit not on the active roster.
“At that point, I was told I was on the wide roster post-Christmas,” she said. “I was sad, obviously, because I felt I had more to show. It was the right decision at that time for him. He asked me to be on that wide roster and I was in 100 percent. I would be ready if I was brought back in.”
That’s where Iacchelli’s resiliency began to shine. Even though she was part of the larger squad, she answered the call of helping the squad during training, while providing a support system for the team. Her work ethic and determination made the skipper stop and take notice.
“What a great story of perseverance,” Herdman said. “Off the pitch, you can see the impact she has on her peers and teammates. She’s someone who will definitely put her teammates first. On the pitch, she would come to these training sessions and at times, she was one of the best players there.”
Iacchelli didn’t bat an eyelash in aiding her teammates. Her goal was to assist anyway possible, whether it was filling in on a set piece during training or just shouting encouraging words from the sidelines.
“I understood my role,” she said. “These girls are my family. If it’s going to benefit the team for me to come out and train I will, every day.”
She continued to work hard and showed well inter-squad scrimmages that she solidified her spot on Canada’s World Cup roster.
“I knew I could do it,” Iacchelli stated. “I felt there was a place for me on this team on and off the field.”
Christine Sinclair believes Iacchelli is a perfect fit for Canada’s 23-player World Cup squad.
“She’s one of the few players on the team that I think connects with absolutely everyone,” the Canadian captain explained. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve been on the team 15 years or if this is your first year, she’s able to connect with everyone.”
Although in her late 20s, Iacchelli is the least experienced member of the team—she only has four caps (she made her senor team debut in November, 2013). However, when it comes to Canada’s opening match on June 6 (the day after her birthday) vs. China in her hometown, those numbers won’t matter.
“A big part of my heart is there,” she said of the Alberta capital. “I feel so lucky that the first two games are in Edmonton. All my focus is on my team and my country.”