Canadian coach bullish on team ahead of FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

Defender Bianca St-Georges will captain Canada at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea, starting Sunday with a challenging tournament opener against Spain.

The Spaniards were runners-up to Sweden in European qualifying for the 16-team world championship. Spain also had a fine youth pedigree, finishing second at the FIFA U-17 World Cup two years ago and third in the 2016 tournament

Canadian coach Danny Worthington also has two assistant captains in defender Marike Mousset and midfielder Sarah Stratigakis.

“You won’t see just one captain, you’re going to see 11 captains … wearing the badge with pride, representing Canada,” said Worthington.

“And you’re going to see some players that are going to be the future of the Canadian national women’s team,” he added.

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St-Georges plays collegiate soccer at West Virginia along with Canadian internationals Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence.

The Canadians face a tough task, grouped with Spain, Nigeria and Japan. But Worthington says his team is ready.

“Right now we’ve got some young players bubbling, ready to play, ready to gain some of that tournament experience,” he said. “And why not against Spain?”

“I think you’re going to see some good performances from some young players against a very good Spanish team,” he added.

As head of the Canadian Soccer Association’s Excel U-23 program, Worthington sees a bigger picture than Spain, however. His job is to prepare players for the senior national team and he sees Papua New Guinea, with its heat and challenging field, as an ideal environment to give the young Canadians valuable tournament experience.

Worthington’s team landed in the southwestern Pacific island on Nov. 1 after an eight-day camp in Brisbane, Australia, where the team lost 2-0 to France in pre-tournament friendly.

The Canadians were welcomed in Papua New Guinea by a group of young kids, getting a taste of the local culture upon their arrival.

“It was pretty cool,” said Worthington. “Once in a lifetime, I think.”

The Canadian team also includes Olympians Deanne Rose and Gabrielle Carle.

The 17-year-old Rose scored twice during the 2016 Rio Games, becoming the youngest goal scorer in Olympic women’s football history. The young forward also captained Canada at the U-17 World Cup in Jordan in October.

Worthington’s squad also features Sura Yekka and Marie Levasseur, who like Rose and Carle have been capped at the senior level.

The Canadian women were runner-up to the U.S. in the CONCACAF qualifying championship in late 2015 in Honduras, losing 1-0 in the final.

Papua New Guinea marks the seventh time Canada has qualified for the U-20 World Cup, missing out only once in 2010.

Canada hosted the 2014 U-20 tournament with the home side advancing to the quarter-finals before losing 2-0 to eventual winner Germany. It also reached the quarters in 2004.

The Canadians failed to reach the knockout rounds in the 2006, 2008 and 2012 tournaments. In 2002, host Canada made it all the way to the final of the inaugural event, then for under-19s, only to lose 1-0 to the U.S. after extra time.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press