Canada looks to reach semifinals at FIFA U-17 World Cup for first time

“We didn’t have a great game. There’s no way of hiding that,” Canada coach Rhian Wilkinson said of the loss to Spain. “I think we learned a lot about ourselves and how we react when things are not going our way. Having a connected team is easy when things are going well.”

“What I’m very proud of is that we are 21 strong,” she added.

Twenty of Canada’s 21-woman roster saw action in the group phase, with only goalkeeper Sophie Guilmette yet to get on the field.

The other quarterfinals are Spain versus North Korea, Japan versus New Zealand and Ghana versus Mexico.

Huitema, Canada’s star striker, says she is expecting a “big battle” against the Germans.

“Our team is gritty and ruthless and we’re ready for the fight,” she said. “I think we’re all super-excited.”

The skipper was sent off in Canada’s 2-0 win over South Korea for an elbow during an aerial challenge. Ariel Young served as skipper in Huitema’s absence against Spain.

“When you’re watching your team fight so hard in a game, it’s hard to sit in the stands,” said Huitema, who said the elbow was accidental. “I did as much as I possibly could to get my vocals across the field.”

It was the first red card of the 17-year-old’s career.

Wilkinson says her team is special on and off the field, noting its journey to Uruguay was anything but routine.

The Canadians had to be evacuated out of Nicaragua in April after CONCACAF, the governing body of soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, pulled the plug on its regional qualifying tournament due to violence in the capital city Managua. Play resumed some 45 days later in Florida with Canada scoring in the 79th minute of the third-place game against Haiti to qualify for the World Cup.

Wilkinson, an assistant coach during qualifying, took over the squad when head coach Bev Priestman left to join the English women’s team. Several regional coaches also left in Vancouver.

“It’s been hard,” said Wilkinson, who won 181 caps for Canada as a player.

“They’ve had to work for everything,” she added. “We didn’t have any camps before I (took over) the team. They had to impress me in their home environments. It was a unique pathway to get here.

“They’re all very grateful, as well, to be here. It was never a right given to them. They had to earn it. And they appreciate that they get this opportunity, I think.”

Wilkinson put her own stamp on the roster, choosing six new faces from the side that in Nicaragua.

The Canada-Germany winner will face the Ghana-Mexico victor in the semifinal. Canada lost 2-1 to the Mexicans in the CONCACAF Championship semifinal in June.

The Germans lost to Spain 2-0 in the European championship game but beat an American team that downed Canada 1-0 at the CONCACAF Championship.

Germany’s Wiebke Willebrandt was the only goalkeeper to win player of the match honours in the first round. She received the award after blanking the U.S., which outshot Germany 26-13 (Germany had seven shots on target to the Americans’ five). The U.S. hit the woodwork three times, had eight corners to Germany’s one and had 56 per cent possession.

Earlier, Germany downed North Korea 4-1 and lost 1-0 to Cameroon.

Germany has won the European title four times since 2012 — and six times since 2008,

Uruguay marks Canada’s sixth appearance at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The Canadian women finished seventh in 2008 (New Zealand) and 2012 (Azerbaijan) and eighth in 2014 (Costa Rica). Canada was 10th in 2010 (Trinidad and Tobago) and ninth in 2016 (Jordan).

Germany was third in 2008 and fourth in 2012.

Canada tied Germany 1-1 and 2-2 when they met in pool play at the 2016 and 2014 tournaments.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Canada looks to reach semifinals at FIFA U-17 World Cup for first time

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