Canada Soccer – With qualification for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 on the line, Canada Soccer’s Women’s U-20 team is preparing for Friday’s Semi-Final match versus Mexico where a win will automatically qualify Canada, and advance the team into the CONCACAF Championship Final match.  A loss would force Canada into a critical must-win match for third place to qualify.  Haiti and the USA face each other in the other Semi-Final match also to be played on Friday.
 
“We’ve come out of our group with nine points, that’s what we set out to do – to top our group,” said Bev Priestman Canada Soccer Women’s U-20 Head Coach and Women’s National EXCEL Director U15-U23. “We’ve also shown our attacking quality, with the leading tournament scorer (Jordyn Huitema) on our team, which is always a great confidence boost going into a knockout round.”
 
Canada won Group A, going undefeated across its three matches: 3:1 against Costa Rica, 4:1 against hosts Trinidad and Tobago, and 4:0 against Haiti.   Leading the tournament in points, goal differential and goals scored, Canada is using the confidence the team has built over the group stage having outscored their opponents 11-2.   Huitema leads the tournament with five goals, followed by Canada’s Shana Flynn and Haiti’s Nérilia Mondésir with three goals each. The top scorer of the tournament will be presented with the Golden Boot following the Final match on Sunday.
 
“I think we set ourselves up well for the tournament during our opening game against Costa Rica, and then we went into the host nation, which was a hostile environment, but Jordyn Huitema got a hat-trick in that game, and then going into the last game we had some really tired legs but Shana Flynn, who has just returned from an ACL injury, went out and got another hat-trick for this team,” reflected Priestman on the team’s group stage performance.
 
Canada’s next match against Mexico is expected to be much different from the group stage matches, but will be a familiar situation for some of the players, as it is a repeat of who Canada faced to qualify for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s at the 2015 CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship.  Canada drew Mexico 0:0 but won 5:4 win on kicks from the penalty mark to qualify and earn a spot in the final.
 
“I’ve been really happy with our attacking quality, but going into the next match we are clear we are going to have to take it up a notch,” said Priestman.  “Mexico are a well organised team with excellent offensive capabilities, so we know we have to bring more now and set ourselves up for what we hope to be a final match in the CONCACAF Championship.”
 
Canada’s match against Mexico will take place Friday, 26 January at 18:30 local (17:30 ET/14:30 PT) available in Canada LIVE via CONCACAF at https://www.youtube.com/concacaf.
 
Canada has advanced to the semi-finals in every CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship since it’s inception in 2004, with the exception of 2014 when Canada automatically qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup as hosts.  Canada has won the CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship twice before in 2004 and 2008, and placed second in 2006, 2012, and 2015. 
 
About Canada Soccer’s Women’s National EXCEL Program
Canada Soccer Women’s National EXCEL Program brings together the best with the best at the national youth level, throughout each year. Operating across the U-14 to U-20 age groups, the program is designed to deliver an aligned talent structure and system that progresses more top players to Canada’s Women’s National Team. Major competitions which are viewed as staging posts to assess development, allows for the development of the Women’s EXCEL Team Playing Model and tournament processes and expertise, ultimately preparing players for when they do progress up the system.
 
Additionally, the most talented U14 to U18 players are offered a specialised daily training environment through the Regional EXCEL Program, which is delivers Canada Soccer’s national curriculum year-round through a two tiered talent system, with three Super Centres streamlining Canada’s National EXCEL Players into training environments in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec from smaller provincial licenced Centres.
 
Canada Soccer’s EXCEL System has already produced eight Women’s National Team players, and Olympic bronze medalists in Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence, Jessie Fleming, Rebecca Quinn, Janine Beckie, Shelina Zadorsky, Deanne Rose, and Gabrielle Carle, three of whom are still eligible for youth competition.
 
CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship Trinidad & Tobago 2018 – Canada’s Match Schedule (all times local to Trinidad and Tobago in AST).

• Friday, January 26, 2018 – Semifinals:
  • 16:00 United States vs Haiti
  • 18:30 Canada vs Mexico
• Sunday, January 28, 2018 – 3rd Place Match and Final:
  • 16:00 3rd Place
  • 18:30 Final

Media Contacts:

Brad Fougere Corporate Communications

Gestionnaire, Communications corporatives

bfougere@canadasoccer.com m.

+1 613.299.1587

Richard Scott

Men’s National Teams Program

Programme de l’équipe nationale masculine

rscott@canadasoccer.com m.

+1 613.818.0305

Carrie Croft Women’s National Teams Program

Programme de l’équipe nationale féminine

ccroft@canadasoccer.com m. +1 613.406.4986