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VANCOUVER -- Kadeisha Buchanan sometimes has to pinch herself. The 18-year-old defender with Canadas womens soccer team was always confident in her ability, but she never thought her rise would happen this fast. "I did not expect to come in at such a young age," the Toronto native said this week. "Sometimes when Im in my room I just relax (and think) Im actually here. This is a huge opportunity that Im willing to take and do my best." After scoring her first goal with the national team in a 1-1 draw with the United States last month, Buchanan will get another chance to show off her talents when Canada hosts Germany in another friendly on Wednesday night. And as Canada continues its preparations ahead of hosting next years womens World Cup, Buchanan has fit in seamlessly with the national team after impressing at lower levels. "I dont think its difficult because my teammates just encourage me to bring what I bring to the team," said Buchanan. "Theyre very accepting to what I bring." Canada head coach John Herdman said Buchanan -- who will play at this summers under-20 womens World Cup on home soil -- has impressed him ever since he first saw her at an under-17 camp in 2011. "She was just streets ahead of anything Id seen before," said the Englishman. "We didnt fancy taking her to the (2012) Olympics because she was 15. She probably could have handled it, to be honest. Shes that good." Herdman said Buchanans versatility is what has made her such an effective player in 13 appearances for her country, including 11 starts. "Weve challenged all the senior players to start showing the DNA of a modern centre back, and a modern centre back can play like a midfielder," he said. "They can disguise their passes, they have a range of different types of passes and they can defend. These younger players have been able to do that. Kadeishas never given her shirt back." Canada comes into Wednesdays game at B.C. Place Stadium ranked seventh in the world by FIFA, while the Germans sit No. 2 behind only the Americans. Herdmans team lost 1-0 in Germany last year in game that saw Canada defend well, but fail to get much going offensively. With less than a year until the World Cup, he wants to see more positive play as the team continues to build towards the showcase tournament. "We have to shift forward pretty quickly on how we attack the game. I think thats been a big emphasis over the last couple of days," said Herdman. "Last time we played against Germany we defended well, we hung on for 90 minutes, kept it within one goal. But we definitely didnt threaten them in a way that, if youre going to win a World Cup, you have to. "Im hoping that were a bit more lively. The game might be a bit more open and they might get a few more chances to score because were trying to change a few things in the way we go about how we play. Judge us on the amount of shots, crosses we have in the game and that will give an idea of how weve progressed against Germany." Canadian captain Christine Sinclair said Wednesdays game is crucial as the team looks to see where it stacks up against the worlds best on the field that will host next years final. "This is a huge preparation game for us," said the veteran striker. "Obviously a World Cup venue and were playing the second-ranked team in the world. I dont think many people understand that. They just see the Americans. Germany is a quality side. "Its a completely different test for us." Herdman has tried to implement a more free-flowing system since Canadas bronze-medal performance at the London Olympics two years ago, and despite that 1-1 draw with the U.S. in May, Sinclair said the players still have a ways to go. "I think consistency for us right now is very important. Were coming off a decent result against the Americans," she said. "Its important for us to be able to put together another one against another top side because thats whats going to be expected in the World Cup." While Canada has continued to produce good young talent in defence and midfield, the country still relies heavily on the 31-year-old Sinclair for goal scoring. Herdman said the national team is constantly trying to identify and develop talent in the attacking third, but it has not come easy. "You have to be ready to have a talent system where you have a profile, you know what that profile is and players then develop from the age of 13 on to fit that profile," he said. "I think thats not what weve done in the past. We havent had a very clear profile. "Its going to take time, but with the talent weve got, another (Sinclair) is going to pop up soon." Herdman said he expects Germany to present its usual well-organized defence on Wednesday, adding that his side will have to be clever in attack if its going to defeat the European giants for the first time. "Its got to be a high-tempo, possession game and weve got to have players with the technical capacity to work against that German block," he said. "There isnt a better defensive unit. Theyre physical, they move collectively together on every blade of grass, theyre so hard to break down. Its a huge challenge. "Youre going to see one of the best teams in the world here -- a huge challenge ahead of us." A year out from the World Cup, another huge challenge will be how Canada deals with the pressure that is already starting to mount as tournament hosts. But its something Herdman said both he and the players will relish. "When you come into a job like this, at the end of the day my role is to help these girls fulfil their dreams," said Herdman. "They want to win a World Cup here. I think collectively we all feel a bit of pressure that we dont want to let the country down, but were just going towards it, embracing it. "Its what gets us out of bed in the morning. We look it as our opportunity and not a curse. As soon as it becomes a curse, then you lose sight of why you come to work." NCAA Jerseys Outlet .com) - Wayne Simmonds, Scott Laughton and Jakub Voracek each posted a goal and an assist as the Philadelphia Flyers thumped the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-1, on Saturday. Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic . Directly ahead was open field, the end zone and the Seattle Seahawks place in the NFC championship game. https://www.chinajerseysncaa.us/. 15-23, the Ottawa Senators will by hoping to avoid going five straight games without a victory for the first time since a 0-3-2 drought from Oct. NCAA Jerseys China . Teams one through twenty competing in Englands top flight are each fatally flawed. A wide-open, highly competitive and mistake-filled season has followed. Cheap Basketball College Jerseys . - Maynor Figueroa headed in a late goal to give Honduras a 1-1 draw with the United States in an international friendly Tuesday.PITTSBURGH -- Clint Hurdle doesnt want to manage the Pittsburgh Pirates unless Neal Huntington is his boss. Huntington doesnt want to help run the club unless Hurdle is in the dugout. The combination thats returned the franchise to respectability will remain intact for years to come. Hurdle and Huntington agreed to new deals on Saturday that will keep them in Pittsburgh through at least 2017, giving the Pirates the kind of internal stability they havent enjoyed in decades. "Theres no place Id rather be," Hurdle said. Financial terms were not disclosed. The contracts include a club option for 2018. Both Huntington and Hurdle, chosen the 2013 National League Manager of the Year after leading the Pirates to 94 wins and a playoff berth, were in the final year of their current deals. Reaching a new agreement was a mere formality after a thrilling season in which Pittsburgh qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1992 and pushed the St. Louis Cardinals to five games in the NL division series. "I think we have a very solid team in place and they deserve the recognition," owner Bob Nutting said. "I think great organizations are stable organizations. Again, never static and never on autopilot ... (but) Im proud of the culture and the tone that the current team has." Its a tone that Huntington set from the day he took over in September, 2007. Faced with restocking a decimated minor league system and constrained by playing in a small market that makes splurging on high-profile free agents nearly impossible, Huntington has painstakingly rebuilt the Pirates from the inside out while stressing that success at the major league level would be the last step. Those steps coincided with Hurdles arrival in December, 2010 and the emergence of talents like homegrown star Andrew McCutchen, the reigning NL MVP. Pittsburgh has upped its win total in each of Hurdles three seasons, from 70 in 2011 to 79 in 2012 to 94 a year ago.dddddddddddd. Hurdle stressed most of the hard work was done before he was hired to replace Jim Tracy two months after the Pirates lost a whopping 105 games in 2010.. "When I was able to come in, just finding what we had, what had gone on, I felt confident the next move that took place would be here, the renaissance," he said. One the Pirates have no plans on stopping. The 27-year-old McCutchen is signed through 2018 and 25-year-old left fielder Starling Marte signed a new contract last month that could keep him with the team through 2021. Throw in the rapid development of former top pick Gerrit Cole -- who picked up his first win of the season on Friday night -- and the impending arrival of right field prospect Gregor Polanco and the farm system that used to be bereft is now among the most promising in all of baseball. While Hurdle insisted he wasnt concerned about his contract status when the season began, McCutchen called the announcement a relief. "Weve had managers in the past, they were here and they were gone," McCutchen said. "We have someone here thats going to be here and dont have to worry about him leaving or going somewhere else. Thats the change in the team with the success that weve had the past couple years and just doing better on improving." Nutting credited the mutual respect Hurdle and Huntington have for each other as the key to their success. Being able to check their egos at the door helps too. While Hurdle praised Huntingtons vision, Huntington believes the Pirates wouldnt have finished their transformation from laughingstock to contender without Hurdle. "He really was a perfect fit to bring the knowledge the passion the leadership, not just the Xs and Os," Huntington said. "Hes helped us all grow and helped us all get better and hopefully weve returned the favour." ' ' '