After training for several weeks with Calgary Foothills FC of the USL’s Premier Development League, Canadian women’s national team goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé has been told she won't be allowed to suit up for the club in actual league play. According to the PDL, its “gender-based eligibility requirements” prevent the Olympic bronze medallist from playing men’s professional soccer.
Labbé had apparently made the cut with Calgary’s squad, and she was set to suit up for the development side before the league informed her she was ineligible. In a post on her personal blog, Labbé included a statement of her reaction to the news:
“While I partially understand the league’s stance on this, it is still unsettling.