Canada Face Germany In Must Win

Canada is a win away from reaching the quarter-final stage at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008. After two matches, Canada is in third place with three points behind Japan (6) and Germany (3). Canada needs to beat Germany in the final group match on 27 November at the Estadio Francisco Sanchez Rumoroso in Coquimbo.

Germany lost 1:2 to Japan on 23 November, but remains ahead of Canada on goal difference. Germany is +4 while Canada (on the heels of a 4:0 win over Congo DR) is +2. Germany needs a win or draw against Canada to advance. The Canada-Germany 27 November match will kickoff at 19.00 local time (17.00 ET / 14.00 PT). The match will be streamed live on CBCSports.ca.

The winner of the Canada-Germany match will likely finish second in Group C and face the winner of Group D in the 1 December quarter-final. The cross-over opponent will likely be Brazil, but could still be Korea DPR or Norway.

Group A
Chile lost 3:4 to New Zealand while England played to a 1:1 draw with Nigeria. England is in first place (4 pts, +2 goal differential), Nigeria is in second place (4 pts, +1), New Zealand is in third place (3 pts) and Chile is in fourth place (no points). On 26 November, Chile plays Nigeria and England plays New Zealand.

Group B
France won 2:0 over China PR and USA won 3:0 over Argentina. USA is in first place with six points, France is in second place with three points, China PR is in third place (1 pt, -2 goal differential), and Argentina is in fourth place (1 pt, -3 goal differential). On 26 November, USA plays China PR and France plays Argentina.

Group D
On match-day two, Brazil won 5:0 over Mexico while Korea DPR won 3:2 over Norway. Brazil is in first place (6 pts), Korea DPR is in second place (3 pts, no goal differential, five goals), Norway is in third place (3 pts, no goal differential, four goals), and Mexico is in fourth place (no points). On 27 November, Brazil plays Norway and Korea DPR plays Mexico.

Canada vs Congo Game Report
Canada put up a convincing 4:0 victory over Congo DR tonight at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008. It was Canada’s first victory in two games at this year’s tournament, also the team’s second game at the Estadio Municipal in La Florida / Santiago, Chile.

There was no doubting Canada’s victory, helping to turn the table on the team’s 0:2 loss to Japan three nights earlier. Loredana Riverso scored in the first minute, connecting on her shot from 20 metres out. It was her first goal with the national team this year.

Monica Lam-Feist then doubled the score in the 40th minute. Chelsea Stewart suggested she might shoot before slipping the pass to Lam-Feist on the left side. Lam-Feist made no mistake in putting the ball past goalkeeper Laurette Kondolo.

With a two-goal lead to open the second half, Canada tightened up its defence to protect the vital three points they were now promised for a win. Congo DR produced but one chance in the second half, but goalkeeper Erin McNulty was well positioned to stop Ivonne Malembo’s shot in the 71st minute.

In the 77th minute, Jonelle Filigno sealed the victory by scoring Canada’s third goal of the evening. It was Filigno’s third goal in her last three matches with the youth team. Karla Schacher played the ball down the right side before centering the ball to an oncoming Filigno. Filigno headed the ball into the net for her seventh youth goal of the season.

Julie Armstrong then came on as a substitute in the 82nd minute and, eight minutes later, scored her second goal at the youth level. Riverso made the centering pass and Armstrong fired the ball into the back of the net for the four-goal lead.

McNulty posted the clean sheet and was never in danger against Congo DR’s 10 shots, two of which were on net. At the other end of the pitch, Canada fired 15 shots in the match, seven of which were on target and four of which went in.

Coach Ian Bridge made three changes to his starting XI, most notably inserting veterans Filigno and Lexi Marton. Youngster Lam-Feist, who like Filigno scored in the win, was the other insertion to the Bridge’s lineup.

Canada’s women’s U-20 team, whose title sponsor is Winners, now has nine wins, three draws and two losses in all 2008 international competitions. Canada had strung together an 11-game unbeaten streak before back-to-back losses to the United States (friendly) and Japan (Chile 2008). Today’s match was the first-ever meeting between Canada and Congo DR in women’s football.

Starters
Erin McNulty, Lexi Marton, Myriam Bouchard, Allysha Chapman, Loredana Riverso, Kaylyn Kyle, Anoop Josan, Monica Lam-Feist, Jonelle Filigno, Karla Schacher, Chelsea Stewart,

Substitutes
Julie Armstrong (Jonelle Filigno) 82′

Scorers
Loredana Riverso 1′
Monica Lam-Feist 40′
Jonelle Filigno. 77′
Armstrong 90′

Coming Up
Canada will continue its journey in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008 group phase this Thursday 27 November. Canada will face Germany in a must-win match that has a 19.00 local kickoff at Estadio Francisco Sanchez Rumoroso in Coquimbo. The match will be streamed live on CBCSports.ca.

About Chile 2008
The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008 features 16 teams divided into four groups. Only the top-two teams in each group advance to the quarter-final stage. The best teams will play their way down to the final this 7 December.