CONCACAF victory highlight of 2008 youth season

Canada’s women’s U-20 team provided the Association’s youth program’s moment of the year when it won the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship in June. It was Canada’s second confederation championship in three tries against USA since 2004.
Karla Schacher scored the winning goal in the 1:0 victory on 28 June in Puebla, Mexico. Goalkeeper Erin McNulty provided the clean sheet with defenders Rheanne Sleiman, Lexi Marton, Myriam Bouchard and Allysha Chapman in front of her.
Both Canada’s women’s U-20 and U-17 teams qualified for FIFA World Cups in 2008, the U-20s for Chile 2008 and the U-17s for New Zealand 2008. One month after the U-20s finished first in Puebla, the U-17s finished third in Trinidad & Tobago at the 2008 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship.
Canada’s women’s U-20 team, whose title sponsor is Winners, posted a record of nine wins, three draws and three losses in 2008. After finishing first in CONCACAF, it failed to advance beyond a tough group phase at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008. Canada is one of five nations to have participated in four-straight FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cups.
Canada’s top U-20 goal scorer in 2008 was Jonelle Filigno, who scored seven goals including a hat trick at the CONCACAF championship. Filigno missed the opening match at Chile 2008, but then scored her seventh youth goal of the year in a 4:0 win over Congo DR. Seventeen-year old star Monica Lam-Feist scored five goals in 2008, including a team-best two at Chile 2008.
Goalkeeper Erin McNulty played in 14 of Canada’s 15 international matches. She posted six clean sheets. Justine Bernier posted a clean sheet in her lone match of the season (a 3:0 win over Mexico back in May).
Canada’s women’s U-17 team, whose title sponsor is BMO Financial Group, posted a record of five wins, two draws and four losses in 2008. After finishing third in CONCACAF, it reached the quarter-final stage at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup New Zealand 2008. Rachel Lamarre scored the first-ever goal while Canada recorded the first-ever win at the new tournament.
Canada’s top U-17 goal scorer in 2008 was Tiffany Cameron with six goals including the winner in the bronze-medal match at the CONCACAF championship. Nkem Ezurike, meanwhile, finished second with four international goals including two at New Zealand 2008.
On the men’s side, both the U-20 and U-17 teams began preparations for the 2009 CONCACAF championships. The U-20 team played two full internationals – both 1:1 draws (May against Argentina and November against Switzerland). The U-17 team did not play any international matches, but did make a trip to Mexico for some exhibition games against local clubs.
Also in 2008, the Canadian Soccer Association named its new Technical Director, Mr. Stephen Hart. As for the four head coaches, they are Ian Bridge (U-20 women since October), Bryan Rosenfeld (U-17 women), Tony Fonseca (U-20 men since November) and Sean Fleming (U-17 women).