Canadian internationals Stephanie Labbe and Shelina Zadorsky will return to the Washington Spirit for the 2017 season, Canada Soccer and NWSL announced today. Labbe and Zadorsky are each allocated players, meaning their salaries are subsidized by their federation. Diana Matheson, a Canadian midfielder allocated to the Spirit since 2013, was traded to the Seattle Reign, per Matheson’s request.
Labbe and Zadorsky were each originally allocated to the Spirit in 2016 and will start their second season with the club. There were rumors surrounding the Spirit’s entire Canadian contingent during the offseason, but two of the three have stayed on.