U-20 WWC: The Final Draw – The USA gets China, Ghana, and Germany (Yes, Really!)

The final draw for the Under-20 Women’s World Cup was held in Tokyo earlier today. In a bit of a surprise, reigning and two-time U-20 WWC champion Germany was not seeded as one of the top three teams. Instead, North Korea was placed into the first pot, along with host Japan, Brazil, and the United States. On the positive side for the USA, this meant that they avoided North Korea during the group stage. But, it also opened up the possibility that the USA and Germany could be grouped together. And, guess what happened…

Group A: Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, New Zealand
Group B: Brazil, Italy, Nigeria, South Korea
Group C: North Korea, Norway, Argentina, Canada
Group D: Ghana, United States, Germany, China

Also, the full schedule is available as a PDF file.

Continue reading “U-20 WWC: The Final Draw – The USA gets China, Ghana, and Germany (Yes, Really!)”

U-20 USWNT: 2012 CONCACAF Championship Match Analysis

Adding to my quick recap, here’s a much more detailed look at the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship final between the USA and Canada. All of the USA’s 28 shots and 15 corner kicks are broken down. Plus, for each USA player, notes are included on the good and not-so-good things that the player did during the match. Continue reading “U-20 USWNT: 2012 CONCACAF Championship Match Analysis”

CONCACAF WU-20 Championship: The USA Win, But… (Quick Recap)

…the team has a lot of work to do between now and August.

The USA’s Under-20 Women’s National Team won 2:1 over Canada’s U-20 WNT in the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship final, but had to overcome an early Canada goal scored via an American error. Two late goals in the final eleven minutes gave the USA a comeback lead.

Continue reading “CONCACAF WU-20 Championship: The USA Win, But… (Quick Recap)”

CONCACAF WU-20: USA-Canada Championship Final Pre-Match Notes

In advance of tonight’s CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship final between the USA and Canada, here are some notes on Canada’s roster, as well as predicted line-ups for both teams, plus tables of minutes played for both rosters.

Continue reading “CONCACAF WU-20: USA-Canada Championship Final Pre-Match Notes”

USA-Canada: Past Women’s U-20/U-19 Championship Encounters

This Sunday, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern (EDT),  the USA and Canada will meet once again to decide a Women’s U-20/U-19 Championship. The first time was in 2002, at the final of the inaugural FIFA Under-19 Women’s  World Championship. The two sides have also met in the 2004 CONCACAF Women’s Under-19 Championship final as well as the 2006 and 2008 Under-20 editions of that Championship. Continue reading “USA-Canada: Past Women’s U-20/U-19 Championship Encounters”

CONCACAF WU-20: Semifinals Recap (USA-Mexico, Canada-Panama)

Friday night, the Under-20 Women’s National Teams for the United States and Canada qualified for the 2012 Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Japan by winning their semifinals at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship in Panama. In the first semifinal, the USA defeated an under-powered Mexico side by 4 goals to nil. Then, in the second match, Canada defeated host Panama by 6 goals to nil, with five of Canada’s goals coming in the second half.

Continue reading “CONCACAF WU-20: Semifinals Recap (USA-Mexico, Canada-Panama)”

2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship: Knock-Out Stage Preview

On Friday, the four remaining teams in the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship will face off in a semifinal doubleheader: First, the USA will take on Mexico in the first semifinal, while Canada will play the hosts, Panama, in the second match. The winners of these semifinals will qualify for the 2012 Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Japan. The two losing teams will still have a chance to qualify, as three spots are available, and will play each other in the third-place match on Sunday. The two semifinal winners will play each other in the Championship final, also on Sunday, with only pride and the avoidance of injuries at stake. Continue reading “2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship: Knock-Out Stage Preview”

CONCACAF WU-20: Match Day 1 Recap (Group A)

The 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship kicked off in Panama, yesterday, with everything going to plan except for the late start of the first match. Group A played yesterday, with favorites Canada and Mexico both winning their matches versus Haiti and Jamaica, respectively. Continue reading “CONCACAF WU-20: Match Day 1 Recap (Group A)”

CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship: Group A Preview

Assuming the U-20 USWNT make it out of Group B in the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship (which is a very safe assumption), Group A will contain at least one knock-out stage opponent, and probably two. The two most likely knock-out stage opponents from Group A are Canada and Mexico. The other two teams in the group are Haiti and Jamaica. Continue reading “CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship: Group A Preview”

Canada U-20 WNT Final Roster (CONCACAF 2012)

On Wednesday (correction: not Monday), Canada announced their final 20-player roster for the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship. The U-20 team had been in camp for two weeks with 22 players (canadasoccer.com). Eighteen of the twenty-two players attend American universities. I have listed the final roster below, adding hyperlinks to the players’ team bios, where available. The two players cut from the roster are Rachelle Beanlands ( University of Maryland) and Erin Uchacz (Oregon State).
Continue reading “Canada U-20 WNT Final Roster (CONCACAF 2012)”