Canada lost 1:2 in the final of the 2012 CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship. Canada took an early lead, but conceded two goals in the final 12 minutes of the 11 March championship final. Jenna Richardson scored for Canada before Maya Hayes and Chioma Ubogagu scored in the 79th and 90th minutes for a gold-medal victory.

Canada held what turned out to be an agonizing 1-0 lead for nearly 75 minutes. The Canadians will return home from Panama with silver medals and their tickets booked for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Japan 2012. USA, Canada and Mexico all qualified for the final 16-team global tournament.

Richardson opened the scoring just five minutes into the first half, picking off a USA pass and heading in alone on goalkeeper Bryane Heaberlin. Richardson shot across the goalkeeper and into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

USA applied plenty of pressure thereafter, maintaining possession and doing its best to break the Canadian wall. Canada was equally excellent in defence, holding back the American attack for the rest of the first half and most of the second half. 

With both teams making changes in the second half, the equalizer was sure to come. Still, both sides traded their turns with possession as Canada maintained a one-goal advantage. 

Shortly after USA made its third and final substitution, USA found its break and evened the score at one goal apiece. Hayes scored the tying goal in the 79th minute. It was subsitute Kealia Ohai who crossed the ball into the Canadian penalty area before Hayes won he ball and knocked it in.

With the match surely heading for extra time, USA scored the winner in the 90th minute. Just a few moments earlier, though, Canada had a glorious chance after Richardson broke past a defender and into the box. With perhaps a few strides too many, she ran out of space and played the ball back to the middle instead of challenging the well-positioned Heaberlin. It could have been a play, but unfortunately there were no Canadians in the box to complete the attack.

Then at the other end of the pitch, USA substitute Ubogagu scored the fatal winner. Ohai again crossed the ball into the area, although it hit a defender and fell to Ubogagu. With only a couple of minutes of added time, Canada did its best to press for an equaliser. The score, however, remained unchanged in USA's favour.

For the final, Canada's starting XI featured Sabrina D'Angelo in goal, Kylie Davis at right back, Shelina Zadorsky and Rachel Melhado at centre back, Nicole Hill at left back, and Jaclyn Sawicki, Constance de Chantal-Dumont, Danica Wu, Christabel Oduro, Jenna Richardson and Nkem Ezurike from the midfield up through to the attack.

In the second half, coach Andrew Olivieri replaced Hill with Vanessa Legault-Cordisco (46'), Ezurike with Catherine Charron-Delage (70'), and Sawicki with Christine Exeter (81').

USA's starting XI featured Bryane Heaberlin in goal, Crystal Dunn at right back, Kassey Kallman and Olivia Brannon at centre back, Mollie Pathman at left back, and Morgan Brian, Lindsey Horan, Vanessa Di Bernardo, Katherine Stengel, Samantha Mewis and Maya Hayes from the midfield up through to the attack.

In the second half, coach Steve Swanson replaced Stengel with Chioma Ubogagu (46'), Di Bernardo with Amanda Laddish (68') and captain Pathman with Kealia Ohai (76').