Carolina Morace says she likes what she sees so far on the Canadian squad, but the team has to play — and learn — more. (Neil Davidson/Canadian Press)

Newly appointed women's soccer coach Carolina Morace says she likes what she sees on the Canadian squad, although the team has to play — and learn — more.

Morace (pronounced more-AH-chi) met the media Tuesday in the same room at BMO Field where she was introduced as the successor to Even Pellerud some seven weeks ago. Since then, she has held national team camps in Los Angeles and Rome and guided the team to second place in the Cyprus Cup where the Canadian women went 2-1-1.

Morace will make her home debut as coach on May 25 when the Canadian women host Japan at BMO Field. Japan is ranked ninth in the world, two places above Canada.

"It's a great opportunity for us, for our team, to show our game," the Italian native said in English. "I think also it's important we play more matches in Canada because I want the people to love our team."

Morace said she is expecting her players to perform even better in Toronto because they will be fitter.

"They're fit in the gym, but it's not the same playing a game," she said. "For us that was a problem in Cyprus. Game after game, we played better but in future, I think it's important when the players are not playing games, we need to stay together for more time."

Most players around the world only take a break of one month, she said. "It's impossible that here the player stop their activities for five, six months."

Players still adjusting to new ways

Morace says the players are also adjusting to new training methods that are more soccer- and game-specific.

"Soccer players are not marathoners. They are sprinters — and not just sprinters, because players have to stop, have to turn, have to fake — a lot of movement that is just for soccer."

Citing the technical skills of global stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Morace said such movement can be taught.

"Maybe we can't create champion players … but I think we can improve," said Morace, who has coached men in Italy and served as TV analyst for Serie A games.

Morace had plenty of praise for Canadian captain Christine Sinclair who scored her 99th international goal at the Cypress Cup.

Calling her one of the best players in the world, Morace also pointed to how "humble" Sinclair is.

"For her the team is important, not just herself," she said.

Some Canadian women involved in U.S. pro league

But the coach also said Sinclair can get better, citing her need to dribble more, to attack opponents and go past them. Sinclair is one of a half-dozen or so Canadians involved in the new Women's Professional Soccer league in the U.S.

Peter Montopoli, general secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association, was impressed by Morace's handling of the players at the Los Angeles camp.

"She was providing the coaching, technical leadership that's required for the women's game across the country," he said.

"She's making a commitment to be available and accessible across the country, at all times, to help sell and change the women's game. To bring the women's game to another level," he added. "It's a big job."

There are also big expectations of the former star player.

"We brought her on board because we were convinced that she's the one that can deliver a medal for this country. But in doing so, she's also brought a whole closet full of opportunities — in selling the women's game and changing the women's game and technically making our players the best they can be in our country."

Olympic committee was blown away

Montopoli also suggested that the investment in Morace was already paying off, noting that federal government representatives and Alex Baumann, head of the Canadian Olympic Committee's Road to Excellence program, were "blown away" by her blueprint for women's soccer.

The women's soccer team has already been selected for funding help from Baumann's group, Montopoli said.

The Canadians lost to the eventual champion Americans in the Olympic quarter-finals in Beijing last summer.

Morace hinted that the biggest change in coming to Canada from Italy has been watching what she says.

"In Italy, when you have to say something, you say it right away. Here you have to try to be more polite," she said with a giggle via an interpreter.

"It's important that I respect the other cultures," she added, more seriously, in English. "I don't want to impose my culture."