TORONTO – After playing in front of packed stadiums at the Women’s World Cup this summer, Canadian international Desiree Scott can tick off another item on her bucket list.
The 27-year-old Winnipeg midfielder known as the Destroyer is set to play for her club side, Notts County Ladies, against Chelsea in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.
“It’s very exciting,” said Scott. “You can feel it within the team.
“We’re all very pumped for it. … Every coffee shop we’re in, people are wishing us good luck.”
Scott is the only Canadian currently playing in England’s Women’s Super League and, according to the Canadian Soccer Association, is the first Canadian to play in the Women’s Cup final.
READ MORE: Winnipeg soccer star Desiree Scott revels in ‘Destroyer’ role
Canada did not play at Wembley during the 2012 Olympics but Scott and her fellow players received their bronze medals there.
“It’s an absolute dream for me,” she said.
It’s the first time the women’s final has been held at England’s national stadium and a record crowd is already assured, with more than 27,000 tickets sold. The previous mark was 24,582, set in 2008 at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.
Arsenal defeated Everton 2-0 in last year’s final before 15,000 at Stadium MK, home to English Championship side Milton Keynes Dons. In 2013, Arsenal beat Bristol Academy 3-0 in front of 4,988 at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster.
The Women’s Cup final will be followed Sunday at Wembley by the men’s Community Shield between FA Cup-holder Arsenal and defending Premier League champion Chelsea in the traditional curtain-raiser to the English season.
Scott rejoined her team after a two-week vacation following a World Cup that saw four of her club teammates oust Canada 2-1 in the quarter-final. England then lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to Japan in the semifinal before beating Germany 1-0 for third place.
READ MORE: England beats Canada 2-1 at FIFA Women’s World Cup
Scott says she was somewhat nervous about coming back given the World Cup quarter-final between the two countries.
“I didn’t know what to expect but the girls have been great,” she said. “There hasn’t been too much talk about it.”
Notts County captain and England defender Laura Bassett found herself in an unwanted starring role at the tournament when her stoppage-time own goal gave Japan the semifinal win.
“She’s become a celebrity out here to be honest,” said Scott. “Everyone that knows anything about English football talks about Laura Bassett. She just seems to be an icon for them.
“Everyone’s just completely supported her and had her back through the entire World Cup, which I think is pretty awesome.”
The World Cup run by the Lionesses has triggered a bump in attendance back home.
The average league crowd jumped to 1,588 the first weekend of play after the World Cup. That compares to 892 in the first half of the season.
“We’ve been getting fans from the get-go but now we’re seeing more in the stands,” Scott said. “We’re seeing the support on social media, people wishing us good luck.
“I definitely think it’s had an impact. Even little girls on the street are now coming up to the team and saying ‘Look who that is? It’s one of the English players.’ ”
Scott’s friends and family will be watching the Cup final from afar.
Chelsea (5-2-2) is currently third in the standings, three points above Notts County (4-3-2). The Londoners won 2-1 when they met in league play in March. Scott, who was with the Canadian team, did not play in that game.
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