Canadian women beat Costa Rica, advance to CONCACAF U-17 soccer semifinals

Williams opened the scoring in the 18th minute on a play triggered by a long pass from Jade Rose just inside the Costa Rican half. Costa Rican goalkeeper Fabiana Solano came off her line to get the ball but ended up tangled with Canadian striker Jordyn Huitema and the ball bounced to Williams, who knocked it home with her right foot.

Williams made it 2-0 in the 51st minute when a long goal kick from Anna Karpenko found her accelerating towards the Costa Rican goal. She outraced several defenders and sent a low shot past Solano.

Costa Rica made things interesting with a goal in the 86th minute. Karpenko made a diving save to deny a shot from Priscilla Chinchilla but the ball went straight to 15-year-old Maria Paula Salas who tapped it in at the far post.

The win was Canada’s second at the tournament which started in April in Nicaragua but lasted just six games before CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, pulled the plug due to violence in Managua.

The tournament resumed at the IMG Academy in Florida, minus Puerto Rico and Nicaragua who lost their first two outings in Managua and were eliminated from advancing to the semifinals.

The Canadian women beat Bermuda 3-0 before being told to leave Nicaragua.

Since suspension of the Nicaragua tournament, FIFA has held the draw for the Uruguay U-17 World Cup.

The CONCACAF champion will play in a group with Brazil, Japan and South Africa while the CONCACAF runner-up is grouped with Colombia, South Korea and Spain. The third CONCACAF qualifier was drawn in a pool with Cameroon, Germany and North Korea.

Canada had qualified for all five previous editions of the U-17 World Cup, making the quarterfinals in 2008, ’12 and ’14.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Canadian women beat Costa Rica, advance to CONCACAF U-17 soccer semifinals

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