Erin McLeod

At 41 years old, Erin McLeod has this physical status:

Erin Katrina McLeod (born February 26, 1983) is a Canadian soccer player, Olympic bronze medalist, and visual artist.

She has also played for Växjö DFF as a veteran goalkeeper for Canada's national soccer team.

She first appeared for the Canada women's national soccer team at the 2002 Algarve Cup and has since made 116 appearances for the team.

She was honoured on the All-Time Canada XI women's team in 2012 in China, 2011 in Germany, and 2015 in Canada.

She has competed in two Olympic tournaments, 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London, where she helped Canada win the bronze medal.

She competed for soccer with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Washington Freedom, Dalsjöfors GoIF, Chicago Red Stars, and Houston Dash before joining FC Rosengrd in 2015.

She competed for the Southern Methodist University Mustangs as well as the Penn State Nittany Lions, where she set many all-time records. During the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, McLeod's most popular and controversial appearance appeared.

The referee found McLeod had violated the six-second handling rule in the 76th minute, when Canada led 3–2.

After the ball struck Canadian player Marie-ve Nault in the arm, the United States called a free kick, which resulted in a penalty being called on her.

McLeod missed a penalty kick against the United States, but McLeod did not save it.

The United States won the game in overtime, effectively ending Canada's hopes for the gold medal.McLeod suffered three ACL injuries to her right knee.

While playing for FC Rosengrd on March 23, 2016, she was disqualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Early life

Born in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, Erin and her younger sister, Cara, and her older sister, Megan were raised with her younger sister, Cara, and her older sister, Megan. McLeod, a youth, fell in love with hockey and the Edmonton Oilers. At the age of five, her family moved to Calgary, where she channelled her passion for soccer. She climbed the local soccer ranks and discovered herself as a midfielder on a Calgary select team. The goalkeeper on the team was hurt at the age of 12, and she stepped up to take the field. She has been a goalkeeper ever since.

Doug McLeod's father, an oil engineer, was a frequent mover in a career that required him to move around frequently. When McLeod was 14 years old, she and her family migrated to Jakarta, Indonesia, where she spent both grades 9 and 10. McLeod captained the under-15 Jakarta all-stars as the team's only girl while in Jakarta. She was able to greatly enhance her game by playing with boys, which was a big improvement. She was unfortunately too young for the all-star squad the following year, and she was thrown out of the high school team with several girls who had never played soccer before.

During the 1998 Indonesian riots, McLeod, then 15, and her family were forced to evacuate due to the imminent danger. The main airport in Jakarta was too late at the time, and they were forced to fly out from a smaller airport, despite a long line of tanks along the way. She said that it "opened up [her] eyes to what's going on in the world" and that she didn't "know poverty like they do." McLeod and her family returned to Indonesia, where she stayed for another year.

McLeod was plagued by body image issues and an eating disorder when she was in Indonesia. She was heavier than most girls at her high school, and she would often skip meals and exercise rather than doing aerobics. Her family eventually hired a dietitian to assist.

In the summer of 1999, well before McLeod's kindergartening, she made the decision to return to Calgary to live with her grandmother, leaving her parents and younger sister behind in Jakarta. McLeod, a young coach in Canada, attracted the attention of Canadian under-19 coach Ian Bridge, who realised she wanted to represent Canada on the international stage.

Personal life

McLeod is openly lesbian. Following the uproar surrounding the 2014 Sochi Olympics and Russia's gay propaganda policies, she came out openly in a CBC interview. She was one of a group of athletes who called for a reform in the language of the Olympic Charter and host-city contracts that included non-discrimination of sexual orientation. She served on the Canadian Athletes' Commission as the LGBT representative.

Following the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, McLeod married American teammate Ella Masar in Vancouver on July 6, 2015. When playing for the Chicago Red Stars and later the Houston Dash in order to promote home games and give away tickets to fans, the two co-hosted The Ella and Erin Show. Masar and McLeod's marriage in 2019 was amicable, followed by divorce.

McLeod revealed in October 2020 that she had known her friendship with Icelandic footballer Gunny Jónsdóttir.

McLeod has several tattoos, the most noticeable of which is on her right arm. McLeod had the image of a Canadian Maple Leaf tattooed on her buttocks in 2002, shortly after Canada's silver medal victory at the Under-19 Women's World Championship. She had a quote from Washington Irving on her right forearm before the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing: a little more.

In addition to the quote, she had the Roman numeral "V" above the quote in the crevice of her elbow. Although the "V" was supposed to represent the five members of her immediate family's immediate family, she had the tattoo covered up in early 2014. A black rectangle with the words "keep going" inscribed inside is in its place. She had teal zigzag lines drawn around her entire right arm, around the Washington Irving quote, a large owl wrapped around her arm, and script around her wrist, which she acquired right after the 2012 Summer Olympics.

McLeod's back of her neck has the Roman numerals "X X IX" tattooed, marking the 29th Olympiad. McLeod and Masar have identical tattoos, which they got in the summer of 2015 after they were married. The tattoo is simply composed of the word "one" which is located on the ring finger of her ring finger.

Source

College career

McLeod played for the Mustangs in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) for the 2001 and 2002 seasons. She made 84 saves and allowed 25 goals in her rookie season, bringing the year to a close 14–4–0 record and six shutouts. For the season, she had 1.36 goals against average (GAA). In 2002, she made 85 saves and allowed 23 goals in 18 games. She finished the season with a 9-0-4 record and four shutouts, making 4.72 saves per game and scoring 1.19 goals against average (GAA).

McLeod played 38 games, beginning with 18 in SMU during her career, beginning with 18. She had a career record of 23-9–4 with 10 shutouts, 4.45 saves per game, and a 0.79% save percentage. In the 3390 minutes she spent with the Mustangs, she made 169 saves.

In 2001 and 2002, McLeod was appointed to the All-WAC Tournament Team and the Academic All-WAC Team. In both 2001 and 2002, she received First Team All-WAC Honours and NSCAA All-Region Honours.

McLeod, who was on the bench for the Canadian national team during the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, has started looking at other universities, requesting something different. McLeod, a fellow Canadian national, told McLeod that Pennsylvania State University was looking for a goalkeeper, so McLeod joined the school and played for the Nittany Lions for the 2004 and 2005 seasons while majoring in creative advertising.

McLeod inherited starting goalkeeper duties for the 2004 season right away. Despite a shoulder injury she suffered with all season, she appeared in 21 of 23 games, totaling 1885 minutes. With 11 shutouts on the season and second in the country in goals against average (GAA) at 0.43, she led the Big Ten Conference in shutouts for the season. McLeod scored 9 goals and made 56 saves in the entire season. She earned third team All-America accolades, first team All-Big Ten awards, and the first team All-Mid Atlantic Region distinctions for 2004, becoming the second goalkeeper to earn All-America honors for the Nittany Lions.

McLeod was the team's star goalkeeper in 2005, appearing in 24 of the season's 25 games. She played a total of 2,187 minutes, scoring 20 goals and 85 saves for the entire season. She helped the Nittany Lions go undefeated in the regular season and become one of the few NCAA teams not to win a national championship. She received first team awards, first team All-American accolades, first team All-Mid Atlantic Region accolades, third team All-America accolades, and the third team All-American Player of the Year for 2005. She was awarded a M.A.C. degree in the same year. The semi-finalist Hermann Trophy.

Updated through 2016-06-16

McLeod's record of 11 shutouts in 21 games during the 2004 season rank second all-time at Penn State as of June 2016. Her 0.957 winning percentage during the 2005 season is ranked first of all time, while her winning percentage in 2004 of 0.875 is ranked second at the school. Her 0.43 goals against average (GAA) was ranked second best of all time in 2004. She had also set the fewest goals in a single season during this year. She also holds the all-time record for the highest winning percentage (0.92), fewest goals against average (0.64), and consecutive shutout minutes (857:24).

Club career

In the W-League, McLeod played for the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2004 and 2006. The team never lost a game while playing for the Whitecaps, and she was instrumental in the club's first championship victory in 2004. She made two saves in the penalty shootout and scored the game-winning penalty kick in the championship game. In 2006, she helped the Whitecaps win their second W-League title after defeating Ottawa Fury in the final.

The Washington Freedom announced on April 16, 2009, that they had signed McLeod as a post-International Draft discovery claim for the inaugural season of Women's Professional Soccer league. Despite the fact that McLeod was supposed to be the team's starting goalkeeper, visa problems kept her out for the first five matches of the regular season. She made her first appearance for the team on May 17, 2009, and she was the starting goalkeeper in all fifteen of her appearances. During the regular season, the Freedoms ranked third in third place, earning a berth to the playoffs. In the first round, the team was defeated 2–1 by eventual champions Sky Blue FC.

During the 2010 WPS season, McLeod returned as the starting goalkeeper for the Freedoms. She made fourteen appearances for the team before suffering a season-ending right ACL injury in the 84th minute of a match against FC Gold Pride on July 24, 2010. With an 8–9-7 record, the Freedoms placed fourth in fourth place during the regular season, earning a spot in the playoffs. In the first round, the Philadelphia Independence triumph defeated the team 1–0 in overtime. The Washington Freedom was purchased by Dan Borislow, who renamed the team jack and relocated it to Boca Raton, Florida, following the 2010 season. Following the team's ownership change until her deal was terminated on March 9, 2011, McLeod remained on the roster.

McLeod joined Swedish company Dalsjöfors GoIF in the Damallsvenskan for the 2011 season. Although the season lasted from April 9 to October 15, McLeod didn't make the team until August 13, the first time she returned from national team duties at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. She made ten of her appearances for the team, winning one game on October 8. During the regular season, the team finished last in last place in the regular season and was relegated to a lower division for the upcoming season.

McLeod joined the Chicago Red Stars in the new National Women's Soccer League in January 2013 as part of the NWSL Player Allocation, which brought together national team players from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For the league's first-ever game against the Seattle Reign, she started in net on April 14, 2013. The game was a 1–1 draw.

McLeod started all sixteen of her Red Star appearances and ended the season on August 18 with a 1–2 victory over FC Kansas City. With 64 and fifth for number of clean sheets, she ranked seventh in the league for number of saves for the 2013 NWSL season. Her save percentage for the season was 70%, with 64 percent of the 92 shots on target.

McLeod was formerly traded to expansion team Houston Dash for Melissa Tancredi, who had been assigned to the Dash as part of the 2014 NWSL Player Allocation. After a vote by her teammates, McLeod was named captain of the team for the 2014 NWSL season.

In the team's league debut against the Portland Thorns on April 13, 2014, McLeod was the starting goalkeeper. She allowed one goal, resulting in the Dash's first loss of the season. She made twenty appearances for the team during the 2014 season, beginning nineteen. With 83, she came in second in the league for number of saves, with a success rate of 69%.

Ella Masar assumed the role of Houston Dash captain in 2015 because McLeod's expected time away from the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was over. McLeod made 11 appearances in 20 regular season games due to her national team service. Despite playing in half of the games this season, she ranked third in the league for the number of saves with 60, finishing the season with a save percentage of 81%. During the 2015 season, McLeod said she was playing some of the best soccer in her career, and she was instrumental in the final push to bring the Dash into the playoffs, only falling short in fifth place. She appeared in her last game with the Dash on September 6, 2015, in a match against the Chicago Red Stars that resulted in a 1–1 draw. She compiled a 7-18–6 record in her two years with the Houston Dash.

McLeod was released by the Dash following the 2015 NWSL season in order to qualify for a spot in the UEFA Women's Champions League. Ella Masar and her husband were confirmed in February 2016 that they had joined Swedish side FC Rosengrd. McLeod made her debut for the team in the 2016 Super Cup on March 16, where FC Rosengrd defeated 2–1. Despite being tense, she made a number of saves and displayed quick reflexes. McLeod played 13 minutes of a preseason friendly before being forced to leave due to a knee injury. McLeod sustained his third right ACL injury later in life, but the injury most likely occurred a month before when competing with the Canadian national team. In a 5–0 victory over Göteborg on May 7, 2017, she sustained the injury and had to miss the entire 2016 season. Rosengrd decided not to renew McLeod's deal at the end of 2017.

McLeod departed for FF Jena in Germany in the second half of the 2017--18 Bundesliga season on January 25, 2018. McLeod made her debut with Werder Bremen in a 1–1 draw on February 25. As the team finished last and was relegated, she made eight appearances, two clean sheets, and conceding 13 goals.

McLeod remained in the Bundesliga after signing a deal with SC Sand in June 2018. McLeod was only included in three matchday squads as a replacement during the first half of the season, but she was forced to leave in November 2018 in order to pursue a playing opportunity in Sweden due to a reoccurring injury and squad competition.

McLeod returned to Växjö DFF in November 18, 2018 as a visitor to the Damallsvenskan. In a 1–0 Svenska Cupen loss to Göteborg on February 9, 2019, she made her debut for the club on February 9, 2019. She made her first league appearance on April 17, 2019, playing 16 minutes against Linköpings FC before being suspended.

McLeod returned to the NWSL on February 14, 2020, signing for Orlando Pride on a one-year contract with a year option for an additional year. McLeod was unable to participate in Orlando in 2020 after the Pride were also forced to withdraw from the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup due to several positive COVID-19 results among both players and staff.

McLeod joined Icelandic rvalsdeild team Stjarnan on loan for the remainder of the season on August 14, 2020.

International career

McLeod was one of 40 players selected by the Canadian Soccer Association for a week-long training camp in Vancouver, BC, for the newly formed Canadian women's under the age of 19 and under 17 national teams. She was then added to the under-17 roster. McLeod was accepted into the Nebraska under-17 training camps from August 9–13, as well as two friendlies that followed on August 11 and 13.

In May 2001, McLeod participated in the first international tournament for the under-19 team, the third annual adidas Cup. She started in goal for the May 29 match against China, which they lost 3–0. In a match against Japan on May 31, she was the starting goalkeeper, resulting in Canada's first international victory for the Canada's under-19 team. Anne Ogundele was subbed in for Anne Ogundele during Canada's last game of the tournament on June 2 against Finland. Canada defeated 3–2, resulting in a third place tie at the adidas Cup.

McLeod was recruited to an under-21 training camp in Mexico that ran from June 11-18, 2001, and she also appeared in two exhibition games against Mexico. She was called up to an under-19 training camp in Toronto later in June. The under-19 team competed against the US in two international friendlies on June 30 and July 2 after the camp. McLeod started in goal for both games, allowing for 12 goals in total.

McLeod was selected to the 18-player roster for the under-21 Open Nordic Cup in Gjorvik, Norway, from July 25-31, 2001. The crew arrived a week before the tournament to prepare and compete in an exhibition match against a 1. divisjon all-star team on July 23. Throughout the tournament, McLeod made several appearances, with Canada winning fifth place.

In March 2002, McLeod received her first call-up to the senior national team for the Algarve Cup. She was one of eight under-19 players to be drafted to Portugal's 20-player roster. McLeod gained her first international cap with the senior national team in March 3, 2002, when she defeated Wales in the team's second match of the tournament, earning her first shutout in the 4–0 victory. She made her second appearance in the tournament on March 5, losing by one goal. McLeod made her last appearance of the tournament against Finland on March 7, allowing three goals.

From April 3 to September 9, 2002, McLeod was named to the senior national team for Tournoi international de France. She won her second match of the tournament on April 3 (and McLeod's first appearance in the tournament) with a 0–0 draw.

McLeod spent the summer of 2002 working with both the under-19 and senior national teams. From April 10 to 14, 2002, she was selected to the 18-player roster for the under-19 training camp in Florida. During the camp, the team also participated in a tournament for the first FIFA Under-19 Women's World Championship, which took place later this summer; however, Canada already qualified as the host country. Both matches of the tournament were goal by McLeod.

In preparations for the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship, McLeod was called up for the under-19 training camp and three-game series against Italy on May 26 – June 5, 2002. She played well during the first game on May 30 and began in all three games.

Following an under-19 training camp, McLeod played in goal against Mexico from June 25 to July 6, 2002. During the second game of the season on July 3, she had a shutout. She won three straight games for the team, two against Chinese Taipei and one against Brazil. In the final game on August 11, she scored a shutout for a 2–0 victory over Brazil.

McLeod was invited to train in Toronto with the senior national team in preparation for an international friendly against Norway in July of the same year. On July 17, she got her first match for the friendly, which resulted in a 2–2 draw.

McLeod appeared in all six of Canada's games in the first FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship, which took place on August 17 to September 1, 2002. She was known for her red and white Mohawk hairstyle during the tournament, totaling six goals in six games, leaving the tournament with a 4–1–1 record. Following the tournament, she and fellow Canadians Candace Chapman, Carmelina Moscato, and Christine Sinclair were selected to the FIFA All-Star Team.

Following her success at the U-19 World Championships, McLeod completely transitioned to the Canadian senior national team. She has argued that the change was difficult for her due to the national team's deep depth of goalkeepers, noting that she often took the back seat to more experienced players, which hurt her morale.

McLeod was selected to the 18-player roster for the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the qualifying tournament for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. McLeod played for one game against Haiti in Canada's first match against Haiti, losing by one goal in the 11–1 victory. McLeod was forced to leave the tournament early in order to return to her Southern Methodist University squad in order to hold her scholarship.

McLeod made 22 appearances for Canada's national team from 2003 to 2006, four of whom were in major tournaments.

McLeod made the 18-player roster for the 2003 Algarve Cup in Portugal held March 14–20, 2003, and he made one appearance during the team's final match against Greece. In four of her five appearances for the national team in 2003, she was the starting goalkeeper, scoring six goals and bringing one shutout.

McLeod appeared for Canada at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup in September 2003, but she did not appear during the tournament. Following the tournament, McLeod and her sister migrated to Vancouver to see another goalkeeper in order to get more exercise and improve her game.

On January 30, 2004, McLeod made one appearance for Canada during the Four Nations tournament in China against China. In 2004, she made her second appearance in 2004 at the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament in March. She subbed in during the 69th minute of the March 5 match against Costa Rica, ensuring a third place victory and a third place victory. Canada did not qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics due to the team's third-place finish.

McLeod did not make another appearance for the national team until 2006. In mid-January, she was accepted to the first training camp of the year. It was the first training camp she had attended since July 2004. McLeod was selected to a 17-women roster for two matches against the Netherlands in March 2006. She got off the ground in the goal for the March 4 match, allowing only one goal in 90 minutes played. She made the 18-women roster for the United States' four-city, five-match tour in April, where the Canadian team competed with various college teams. McLeod appeared and started in seven friendlies for Canada from June to August, scoring eight goals and two shutouts in addition to his tour.

McLeod was a member of the inaugural Peace Queen Cup, which took place in South Korea on October 28 to September 4, 2006. She was the starting goalkeeper in all four of Canada's games, losing once against the United States in the final.

McLeod was selected to the 22-player roster that represented Canada in the 2006 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, which served as the qualifying tournament for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played a shutout in Canada's semi-final match against Jamaica, earning the win and a spot in the 2007 World Cup. McLeod was the starting goalkeeper and allowed one goal in normal time, resulting in a tie after 90 minutes in the championship final against the United States. Kristine Lilly of the United States scored on a penalty kick against McLeod, giving the United States the Gold Cup title in the last minute of extra time.

McLeod and the national team began training in Vancouver for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, with a stay camp in Vancouver in the months leading up to the September tournament. McLeod got off to a promising start in three international friendlies for Canada, losing nine goals and recording one shutout in the run-up to the World Cup.

McLeod, Canada's starting goalkeeper at the 2007 World Cup in China, appeared in all three of the team's games during the tournament's group stage. In the match against Ghana, she allowed three goals in 259 minutes played, with one shutout. The squad came in third place in their group, halting their progress in the tournament.

In November 2007, McLeod and the national team gathered for another residency camp to begin preparing for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

McLeod was selected to the 21-player roster for the Four Nations tournament in China in January 2008. In late January, the four-team, three-game tournament brought much-needed preparations for the Canadian team's Olympic qualifying Tournament later this year. McLeod appeared in one match against the United States during the tournament in Canada's first match against the United States. She got off and played for all 90 minutes of the game. McLeod was selected to the roster for a European trip that included the Cyprus Cup from March 5-12 and two international friendlies. McLeod was the starting goalkeeper for two of three matches in the Cyprus Cup, allowing one goal and recording a shutout. On March 14, she had a shutout in an international friendly as the starting goalkeeper against France.

McLeod, Canada's starting goalkeeper at the 2008 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in April, saw three shutouts and allowed one goal in the final against the United States. The team's semi-final victory over Mexico on April 9 was their sixth clean sheet of the season, tying a national team record. With 509 minutes of shutout minutes, she helped Canada beat a CONCACAF record. The team's second-place finish at the tournament earned the team a spot in Beijing's 2008 Summer Olympics. Following the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, McLeod played in two friendlies against the United States and Australia in May until the Peace Queen Cup in Korea in June. During the tournament, she was ranked one shutout. McLeod and Canada's women's national team reopened in Vancouver after the Peace Queen Cup, and the final preparations for the 2008 Women's Olympic Football Tournament in Vancouver continued. In July, the team hosted three friends against Brazil, New Zealand, and Singapore; McLeod began the matches against New Zealand and Singapore and scored two goals.

McLeod represented Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, which ran from August 6 to 21. She was the starting goalkeeper for all three of Canada's matches against Argentina, China, and Sweden during the group stage. She scored four goals in three games, assisting Canada in advancing to the knockout stage.

With McLeod starting in goal, Canada faced the United States in the quarter-finals. Heather O'Reilly, an American player, had a shot on goal in the twelfth minute of the game, but McLeod had it stopped it. Angela Hucles returned to form and scored for the United States. McLeod sustained her right knee injury during the game, but not before. She was down for several minutes before getting up and trying to recover playing. In the 19th minute, she was substituted by goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc. The United States dominated the game 1–2. McLeod had to pull her right ACL out of her right ACL later that day, and it was later revealed.

Following the injury, McLeod said she was relieved because the injury had given her a much-needed break from the national team. She suffered a loss of confidence after the 2007 World Cup, as well as derogatory remarks made by fellow national team members. It took her years for her to return to the national team.

McLeod did not make it to the Canadian national team until July 2009 after suffering an ACL injury. She made one appearance for the team in 2009 during an international friendly against the United States on July 22, where she scored one goal. She was praised for making several impressive saves during the match. McLeod returned to training with the national team in November for the 12-day camp in Florida, which featured 22 players and a pair of exhibition matches against local university teams.

McLeod, a student at the University of Cyprus, and a European friendly against Poland in February 2010, were among the national team's 18-day training camp that included four games in the Cyprus Cup and an international friendly against Poland. McLeod got off to a good start against Poland on February 20, bringing a clean sheet. She got off to a slow start in the Cyprus Cup against South Africa by allowing just one goal. She made one other appearance in a friendly against China in April in April before suffering another ACL injury in July while playing with the Washington Freedom.

McLeod recovered from her second ACL injury quickly and was on the 24-player roster for the Four Nations Tournament in Chongqing, China, late January 2011. On January 21, she appeared in one of three matches against China. The Canadian national team convened for their traditional residence program in preparation for the FIFA Women's World Cup following the Four Nations tournament. The squad was in Italy from February 12 to 22, the Cyprus Cup's predecessors. McLeod was involved in three of the Cyprus Cup's four matches, with two shutouts in between. Following the tournament, the Canadian team took a break, when McLeod hosted Special Goalkeeper Training Sessions from March 17 to 18. The squad returned to Roma, Italy, on March 23 to April 20 to train for the FIFA Women's World Cup. McLeod played in three friendlies and registered two shutouts throughout the camp.

McLeod, Canada's starting goalkeeper at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany, appeared in two of three matches in the group stage, allowing six goals. Despite an impressive effort, the Canadian team did not progress past the group stage and ended last. Following the extensive residency program leading up to the World Cup, several have claimed that the team was burned out. Players were also concerned about head coach Carolina Morace's decision to keep the camp in Italy rather than in Canada. McLeod played in two friendlies against the United States and Sweden after the tournament.

After the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, John Herdman was hired as head coach of Canada's national team. He rebuilt the team and used inclusive words to help create a culture that encouraged players to be honest with each other and grow. McLeod was able to address issues she faced with herself and others, which she attributed to her ability to help her regain her confidence.

McLeod was assisting the Canadian team in qualifying for the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Vancouver from January 19 to 29. On January 21, she started a group stage match against Cuba and ended with a clean sheet. She made one other appearance in the tournament's final match against the United States on January 29 at BC Place. She conceded four goals during the game, resulting in a 4–0 victory for the United States.

McLeod was named to the 21-player roster for the 2012 Cyprus Cup, which ran from February 28 to March 6. Following a 10-day training camp in Cyprus in February 2012, McLeod was promoted to the 21-player roster for the 2012 Cyprus Cup, which ran from February 28 to March 6. She appeared in two of Canada's four matches, including the final against France. McLeod spent her time in Vancouver, from April to late June, training for the 2012 Olympics. During the camp, the team participated in various friendlies; McLeod appeared and started in four friendlies, earning two shutouts.

McLeod was Canada's starting goalkeeper at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She appeared in two games against Japan and Sweden on July 25, 31, respectively, during the group stage. In the two matches, she scored four goals. McLeod started in goal against Great Britain and got a clean sheet in the quarter-finals.

McLeod got off the ground against the United States in a semi-final game on August 6, what some have dubbed a tense match. When the referee found McLeod had held the ball for more than six seconds, a rule that is seldom followed, Canada was leading, 32-0, giving the game's highest penalty zone to the United States. McLeod had no problem with the free kick, but the referee called a penalty after the ball struck Canadian player Marie-Eve Nault on the arm. Abby Wambach, an American, kicked the penalty kick, and it went past McLeod. The game went into extra time, with Alex Morgan leading the ball past McLeod's fingers in the 123rd minute, resulting in a victory for the United States.

McLeod got off to a bronze medal match against France on August 9. Canada received the bronze medal thanks to her clean sheet.

McLeod was named to the national team roster for the Four Nations tournament, which took place in Yongchuan, China, in January 2013. She appeared in two of the three matches, with two shutouts in between. She started in three of the Cyprus Cup's four matches in March, scoring one goal in all three games. McLeod's national team travelled to Europe for eight days in April 2013, where they played two friendlies against France and England, conceding one goal in each match. On April 4, McLeod was named Canada's player of the match in the draw against France. In the rematch against the United States against the United States on June 2 in Toronto, she was the starting goalkeeper. McLeod also played in a friendly against Germany later in June and was named Canada's Player of the Match for the second time in 2013. McLeod started playing in goal four times in 2013, including two friends and two matches in the Torneio Internacional Cidade de So Paulo in December. Both four games were called off.

McLeod played in seven games in 2014, starting with six. McLeod conceded one goal during a friendly against the United States on January 31. She debuted in two matches during the Cyprus Cup in March of the same year. McLeod's last four matches of the year were international friendlies, with one match against the United States ending in a 1-1 draw on May 8. McLeod's 100th appearance for the senior team and was disqualified in a friendly match against Sweden at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles on November 24, 2014.

McLeod joined the Canadian national team in the months leading up to the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in order to prepare and train. At the Four Nations Tournament, McLeod and the Canadian national team began the year off. Although McLeod was on the roster for the tournament, she did not appear in any of the three games, giving fellow Canadian Stephanie Labbé a chance to gain experience. McLeod made her first appearance of the year at the Cyprus Cup in March, where she appeared in three of Canada's four games, with three shutouts. She has also appeared in two other friendlies against France and England in April and May.

McLeod was named to the 23-player Canadian roster for the FIFA Women's World Cup, which was hosted by Canada in April 2015. She played in net for all five of the team's games, recording three shutouts and assisting Canada in its sixth-place finish. The team's one loss came in the quarter-finals against England, which put the team's promotion in the tournament's halt. Despite McLeod's successful tournament, she was left off both the Golden Glove shortlist and the FIFA Technical Study Group All-Star Squad.

McLeod was accepted into the national team roster for the Torneio Internacional de Natal following the 2015 World Cup. McLeod hopped for an incoming ball in the 35th minute during her second appearance of the tournament against Brazil on December 20 and collided with Brazilian player Marta. McLeod landed awkwardly on her right leg, suffering ligament damage in her right knee. She walked off the field on her own initiative.

Despite her injury, McLeod returned to the field quickly, beginning in three games at the CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifier in February 2016, where she had two shutouts in three games. McLeod was a member of the national team for the national team's semifinal match against Costa Rica on February 19. She strained her right knee in the warm-ups for the game and ended the warmup early. However, she appeared in the 90 minutes of the game. Following the tournament, she returned to Sweden to compete for her club team, FC Rosengrd. While playing with FC Rosengrd in March 2016, she collapsed after kicking a ball. It was revealed that she had to pull her ACL in her right knee for the third time. Later, her surgeon reported that the injury most likely occurred in the warm-up before Canada's match against Costa Rica. McLeod has said that her recovery is expected to last one to two years and that she hopes to return to the field in February or March 2017.

McLeod was named as one of four alternates for the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics in June 2021. Following month, it was announced that the IOC and FIFA will be expanding rosters to 22, which means the four alternates will now be drafted to a matchday squad. McLeod was an unemployed substitute for one game, a 2–1 group stage victory over Chile, which made her eligible for a medal as Canada claimed gold for the first time.

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