Canada qualified for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

Canada came from behind to qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with a 5:3 a.e.t. victory over Costa Rica at the 2023 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship. Down 3-2 after 45 minutes, Olivia Smith equalised in the 73rd minute and then Annabelle Chukwu scored twice in extra time to qualify Canada for the 2024 FIFA tournament.

“I’m really proud, our number one objective for this tournament was to qualify for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and we did that,” said Cindy Tye, Canada Soccer’s Women’s U-20 Head Coach. “They had no doubts going into this match and that’s all we needed. All the players stuck to the process and showed it through their resilience and their mindset in today’s comeback.”

Canada finished in third place at the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship after playing an incredible five matches in a short 10-day tournament at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Mexico won the tournament after a 2:1 score over the United States in the Concacaf Final. In Canada’s Match for 3rd Pace, Ella Ottey and Florianne Jourde scored in the first half for the 2-1 lead, but Marian Soloano, Sheika Scott and Josselyn Briceño all scored for Costa Rica to give them the 3-2 lead after 45 minutes.

With the win, they became the first Canadian women’s youth team to score a qualification match winner in extra time and the first Canadian women’s youth team to qualify after trailing in their decisive match. Canada had qualified twice before on kicks from the penalty mark, but Chukwu is the first Canadian women’s youth player to score a FIFA qualification winner in extra time.

In all, Canada scored 16 goals across the five matches with both Smith and Chukwu the co-leaders with four goals each. With 24 career youth international goals, Smith moved past Jordyn Huitema for second most all time in Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Teams Youth Program behind only Christine Sinclair (27 goals).

MATCH CENTRE & MATCH REPORT CANADA SOCCER : 
https://canadasoccer.com/national-team-match-past/?matchId=4466

CAN 5 : 3 CRC
2023-06-04 Santo Domingo, DOM
OneSoccer ; Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez
Referee / Arbitre : Odette Hamilton (Mijensa Rensch, Brooke Mayo, Astrid Gramajo)

Goals / Buts
CAN 16′ Ella Ottey (right foot / pied droit) 1-0 (interception)
CRC 23′ Marian Solano (left foot / pied gauche) 1-1 (a.Priscilla Rodriguez)
CAN 27′ Florianne Jourde (left foot / pied gauche) 2-1 (a.Olivia Smith)
CRC 45’+1 Sheika Scott (PK right foot / pied droit) 2-2 
CRC 50’+6 Josselyn Briceno (FK eft foot / pied gauche) 2-3 
CAN 73′ Olivia Smith (left foot / pied gauche) 3-3 (a.Kayla Briggs)
CAN 101′ Annabelle Chukwu (right foot / pied droit) 4-3 (a.Ella Ottey)
CAN 120’+1 Annabelle Chukwu (right foot / pied droit) 5-3 (a.Ella Ottey)

CANADA – 20 GK Faith Fenwick, 12 Nyah Rose (19 Jadea Collin HT), 5 Clare Logan, 4 Zoe Markesini, 3 Ella Ottey (2 Mya Archibald 101′), 18 Jeneva Hernandez Gray, 8 Ella McBride (6 Thae Mouratidis 70′), 13 Florianne Jourde, 16 Renee Watson (9 Annabelle Chukwu HT), 10 Olivia Smith (15 Jaime Perrault 96′),11 Rosa Maalouf (17 Kayla Briggs HT). Coach / Entraîneure Cindy Tye. Unused substitutes / substituts non utilisés :1 GK Coralie Lallier, 21 GK Noelle Henning; 7 Amanda Allen. Absent/absents : 14 Sophie Murdock INJ.

Performance Player of the Match / Performance Joueuse du match:
Florianne Jourde