Canada To Play Mexico; National Teams Schedule

Ottawa, Ontario – The Canadian Soccer Association today announced the Women’s World Cup Team will play two internationals against Mexico prior to departing for the 2003 Women’s World Cup in China. The Association also announced some of the upcoming games, camps and tours which will place in the year 2003. Several other projects are currently being discussed and negotiated and will be released upon confirmation.



The CSA will mark the one year anniversary of reaching the final of the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship by hosting a full women’s international friendly against Mexico at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on September 1. The Women’s World Cup team now features several regular starters from the U-19 team which faced the United States at Commonwealth Stadium last year in front of a record crowd of close 50,000 fans. A second game against Mexico will be played in Vancouver’s Swangard Stadium on September 4 before the Canadians leave for China and the World Cup (September 24 – October 11).



Head coach Even Pellerud will begin his preparations for the World Cup with a training camp in Bradenton, Florida from February 10-20 before leaving for Portugal and the Algarve Cup. Canada will now face Norway, the United States and Sweden, following group realignment last month.



The Men’s World Cup Team, under head coach Holger Osieck, has already played a friendly against the United States (January 18) and have already scheduled a number of games leading up to the 2003 Gold Cup.



Canada will play Libya on February 12th in Tripoli, Estonia on March 29 in Tallinn and Germany in Wolfsburg on June 1. The team also has a conditional agreement to play Jamaica on July 6 in Kingston as part of their preparation for the Gold Cup. The game will not take place should Canada and Jamaica be drawn in the same city. Canada is expected to be placed in Miami for the competition which is scheduled for July 12-27.



The Men’s Youth (Under-20) Team will compete in their second consecutive FIFA World Youth Championship from March 25 – April 16 in the United Arab Emirates. In preparation, the team, under head coach Dale Mitchell, will play two games against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain on February 17 and 19. The team will hold a training camp for domestic players in Abbotsford, BC from March 3-10 before leaving for a 10-day training camp in Turkey, March 10-20.



The Men’s Junior (Under-17) Team will play three games in Kingston, Jamaica from February 20-24 and will hold a training camp in Victoria from March 15-25 in preparation for the CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament in Victoria, BC, March 26-30. Canada will face Mexico, Costa Rica and Cuba in their group with the winner advancing to the FIFA Under-7 World Cup in Finland in September.



The Women’s Under-17 Team (head coach Lewis Page) and the Under-16 team (head coach Bryan Rosenfeld) will hold a joint training camp with games against the United States in San Diego from February 1-9.



Ian Bridge will take his Under-18 team (preparing for the 2004 Under-19 Championships) to Oregon from February 22- March 2 with games against local university teams. From March 29 to April 6, the team will play exhibition games against Notre Dame, Michigan, Nebraska and Mexico in a tournament at the University of Notre Dame. The team will also travel to Houston, Texas for the adidas Cup from May 27 – June 1.



In July, Bridge will take the team to Europe with games scheduled against Norway on July 1 and 3 and Germany on July 14 and 17.



Other games and camps will be announced once they are confirmed.



UPCOMING GAMES AND CAMPS



February 1-9 – Women’s Under-17 and Under-16

Training Camp and Games vs USA

San Diego, California

February 22 – March 2 – Women’s Under-18

University Games in Oregon

Portland, Oregon

February 10-20 – Women’s World Cup Team

Training Camp

Bradenton, Florida

February 12 – Men’s World Cup Team

CANADA v. Libya

Tripoli

February 17 – Men’s Youth Team

CANADA v. Trinidad and Tobago

Port-of-Spain

February 19 – Men’s Youth Team

CANADA v. Trinidad and Tobago

Port-of-Spain

February 20 – Men’s Junior Team

CANADA v. Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica

February 22 – Men’s Junior Team

CANADA v. Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica

February 24 – Men’s Junior Team

CANADA v. Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica

MARCHt

March 7-13 – Women’s World Cup Team

Training Camp

Portugal

March 3-10 – Men’s Under-20 Team

Training Camp (domestic players)

Abbotsford, BC

March 10-20 – Men’s Under-20 Team

Training Camp

Turkey

March 14-20 – Women’s World Cup Team

Algarve Cup 2003

Portugal

March 25-April 16 – Men’s Under-20 Team

FIFA Youth Championship

United Arab Emirates

March 15-25 – Men’s U-17 Team

Training Camp

Victoria, BC

March 26-30 – Men’s U-17 Team

CONCACAF Qualifications

Victoria, BC

March 29 – Men’s World Cup Team

CANADA v. Estonia

Tallinn

March 29 – April 6 – Women’s Under-18

CANADA vs Notre Dame, Michigan, Nebraska, Mexico

University of Notre Dame

APRIL

TBAt

MAY

t

May 27 – June 1 – Women’s Under-18 Team

adidas Cup

Houston, Texas

JUNE

June 1 – Men’s World Cup Team

CANADA vs Germany

Wolfsburg

TBA – Women’s World Cup Team

TBA

Canada



JULYt

July 12-27 – Men’s World Cup Team

CONCACAF Men’s Gold Cup

USA

AUGUST

SEPTEMBERt

September 1 – Women’s World Cup Team

CANADA vs Mexico

Edmonton

September 4 – Women’s World Cup Team

CANADA vs Mexico

Vancouver

September 23 – October 11 – Women’s World Cup

Women’s World Cup 2003

China