Two international recruits are packing their bags to join Canberra United ranks with Ally Haran and Chelsee Washington days away from arriving in the capital.
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The Canberra Times can reveal Vicki Linton has lured the Orlando Pride duo to the A-League Women's club in a major boost little more than a month out from their season opener.
The Orlando duo have just brought down the curtain on their National Women's Soccer League campaign in the United States.
Now they are poised to board a flight to join Linton's troops for the looming A-League Women's campaign, with both players set to link up with Canberra on Monday.
Haran is a 25-year-old defender who has spent one season with the Pride on top of stints with the Houston Dash and North Carolina Courage.
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Washington is a midfielder on the rise who was selected by Orlando with pick 30 in the 2020 college draft out of Bowling Green State University, becoming the first player to be drafted out of the program.
The 23-year-old went on to make 10 appearances for the club with two starts and is relishing the chance to play in the ALW.
"The women's league in Australia has been known to be a catalyst for development and an overall incredible opportunity for younger players like myself to grow and learn," Washington said.
"I'm especially excited to play for Canberra because from what I've seen, this team has an incredible fan base and prioritises unity which are two exciting components to be a part of.
"I'm excited to be able to help the team compete for a championship and continue to improve on last year's success."
The arrival of the international duo brings the number of players on Canberra's books to 16 as their pre-season program ramps up on the road to their season opener.
Canberra will open their campaign against Melbourne City at Viking Park on December 3, determined to improve on last year's finals exit.
Club officials are prepared for the venue's capacity to be capped at 75 per cent when the season gets underway, but that figure could soon rise to 100 per cent pending the advice of ACT Health.
Sport returns to the capital on Tuesday with Thoroughbred Park set to host the Canberra Racing Club's long-awaited return on Melbourne Cup day in front of 1000 people.
Crowd figures are tipped to rise quickly as restrictions continue to ease ahead of ALW, WNBL and Twenty20 Big Bash fixtures in the city over the coming six weeks.
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Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.
