Lakeshore player in the spotlight

Lakeshore u12 AA soccer player Isabella Corbeil will get to showcase her skills on the big stage this Saturday.

Corbeil, a 12-year-old St. Lazare resident, was selected to be part of the Eastern Canada team that will be battle its west counterparts on Saturday in Toronto as part of the Danone Nations Cup event to be held in September in France. The winner of Saturday's match, which will be played right after a Toronto FC match at BMO Field, will represent Canada at the Danone Nations Cup being held in Paris. The East team is made of 11 boys and three girls, seven of which are from Quebec.

Corbeil, a midfielder, dreams of going pro one day. "I'm good at kicking the ball and controlling it. I think I'm a smart player, I don't make stupid passes," she said.

The East team will only have three practises before Saturday's game. "We need to talk a lot and work things out so the game doesn't get out of control," Corbeil said. "

Meanwhile, Corbeil regular squad has won every game so far this season and they also captured gold at an Ottawa tourney. She said she started playing soccer at age five with her mom's prompting but added she started "loving" the 'beautiful game' about three years ago.

Her mother, Faith McLeod, said her daughter's selection to team east is huge. "It's amazing to see her so happy, it's a wonderful experience," she added.

The Danone Cup, in its ninth year, has players aged 11 and 12 participating from about 40 countries. It is billed as the biggest international juvenile tourney in the world.