Canada, the reigning champion from two years ago, has been focusing all of its efforts on qualification. The team has qualified for every FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and has won two CONCACAF championships along the way. It has won eight straight games and produced a tournament-best all-time record of 17 wins and just one loss.
Canada is facing Mexico in the semi-final stage for the second-straight time. In 2008, Canada won 2:1 over Mexico in the semi-final stage at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla, Mexico. Two years on, both teams have a new coach and plenty of new faces on the team.
“This team has lots of character, which is very important in a tournament like this,” said national coach Carolina Morace. “What we lack in experience we have made up in character. I can see this in their eyes.”
Canada’s returning members from the 2008 championship are midfielder Chelsea Stewart and central defenders Lexi Marton and Shannon Woeller. Both Stewart (the 2010 captain) and Marton (the 2008 captain) were in the line-up against Mexico on 25 June 2008. All three Canadians have experience with the full national team and have been key players in this tournament.
Mexico’s top threat is forward Verónica Corral. She was part of the Mexico U-20 two years ago and even scored against Canada in that 25 June match. After the loss to Canada, Corral helped Mexico qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008 with a victory in the match for third place.
Mexico has been playing a four-two-three-one formation under national coach Roberto Medina. It has featured Sandra Mayor at the top with Lydia Rangel, Corral and Liliana Godoy lined up below to help provide the offence. Of note, Mexico is very good on the set plays. Like Corral, Mayor and Godoy are returning members from the 2008 team in Puebla.
In the 2010 group phase, Canada finished first in Group A with a perfect nine points. It won 1:0 over Costa Rica, 2:0 over Cuba and 3:1 over host Guatemala. Mexico, meanwhile, finished second in Group B with six points. It won 2:1 over Trinidad and Tobago, won 2:0 over Jamaica and lost 1:2 to group winner USA. In its final match against USA, Mexico rested many of its key players.
While Canada has improved with every match at the 2010 championship, its players have been battling sickness in Guatemala. Key players have missed each of the last two matches because they were sick.
While the 28 January semi-final will provide the first opportunity to qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Germany 2010, it won’t be the last.
The eight-team championship will qualify three teams to Germany 2010 – the two semi-final winners on 28 January and the third-place winner on 30 January. Canada, whose title sponsor is Winners, has finished first or second in three previous CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championships.
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