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| CANADA WINS CONCACAF WOMEN'S U20 CHAMPIONSHIP |
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http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=241926&lid=sublink05&lpos=headlines_main
PUEBLA, Mexico - Canada won the 2008 CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship after a 1-0 victory over the United States on Saturday.
Forward Karla Schacher scored the lone goal into injury time of the first half while goalkeeper Erin McNulty kept the clean sheet.
It was the team's second-ever victory over the United States, both in CONCACAF finals. Canada previously won the event in 2004 in Ottawa.
"We are so proud of all of them," said Canadian coach Bob Birarda. "No doubt about it, it's extra special beating the U.S.
"(The U.S.) have set the bar for the game around the world . . . to beat them now is really special."
There were few chances in the first half as both unbeaten teams found their footing on the wet surface. It wasn't until the 33rd minute that American Casey Nogueira fired a shot that McNulty bobbled but then stopped.
The first half was all but done save for two minutes of injury time. That was enough time, however, for Canada to open the scoring. Schacher beat an American defender inside the box and then placed a perfect shot past the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, the United States came out firing early. In all, the U.S. would fire nine shots in the second half, but none that would beat the Canadian back four and McNulty. One of the United States' best chances came in the 80th minute after a free kick, but substitute Jessica McDonald's shot went high.
"We felt kind of secure, we were confident that we could keep going with them and we did," Birarda said.
Late in the match and in injury time, the United States created more chances. Keelin Winters headed the ball over the bar and then the United States stayed deep thanks to two more corner-kick opportunities. Time ran out, though, as Canada won its second women's youth confederation championship.
"It was a really gutsy performance from our group and particularly the back four," Birarda said. "I really have to say that Erin McNulty was spectacular."
Birarda's squad has also qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile, which runs from Nov. 19 to Dec. 7. The Canadians have played in every U-20 World Cup tournament since its inception in 2002.
"We know we can compete with some of the best teams in the world and that's a big deal," he said.
Posted by Jeremy Edgar, Sun Jun 29, 2008 @ 2:05 AM 0 Comments |
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| Sat Apr 20, 2024 |
| No events are scheduled. |
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