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France
Women's U-20
The Canadian Soccer Association and its three top professional clubs – Impact de Montréal, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC – announced the schedule today for the 2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship. The three-team, six-match tournament runs six consecutive Wednesday nights from 28 April to 2 June. The 2010 winner will advance to represent Canada in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League season.
“The pride of Canada will be on the line during the 2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship,” said Canadian Soccer Association President Dr. Dominique Maestracci. “Only the best will move forward to represent our nation in 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League and hopefully the FIFA Club World Cup 2011. It should be another thrilling championship between the Impact, Toronto FC and Whitecaps FC.”
Canada’s men’s national team has started the year ranked fifth amongst CONCACAF nations on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Canada has 567 points and is ranked 57th on the world ranking. Canada trails USA, Mexico, Honduras and Costa Rica within its own confederation.
The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings looks at each country’s international results from the last four years. The ranking takes into account the result, the importance of the match, the strength of the opponent, the regional strength, the time period, and the number of matches per year.
Canada’s men’s national team completed its two-week January camp on Sunday evening following an 0:1 loss to Jamaica in an international friendly match. Canada’s opening match of the 2010 season followed the opening leg of the January camp which ran from 18 January to 29 January in Sunrise, FL, USA. The camp and match officially opened Stephen Hart’s campaign as the men’s national coach.
For Hart the camp was the beginning of what will be a long road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Brazil 2014. “We had the opportunity to see many young players in a number of situations,” said Hart. “We are going through a building phase. When we play games of course we want to win, but the most important thing will be to win when it is important to win.”
Canada’s Stephen Hart officially begins his campaign as the men’s national coach this Sunday 31 January. Hart will lead Canada in an international friendly match against Jamaica at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Hart, who previously served as an assistant coach and twice before as the “interim head coach”, is now fully in charge as Canada begins preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.
While Hart is just at the beginning of what will be the long road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Brazil 2014, he already has the attention of a nation. On Friday, he was mentioned amongst those “poised to make an impact on the country’s sporting scene in 2010” as part of The Globe & Mail’s Power50.
It was smiles all around today as Canada’s men’s national team joined His Excellency Mr. H.E. Stephen Hallihan, Canada’s High Commissioner to Jamaica, in making a donation of soccer balls to a local soccer team. The August Town Elementary School football team was invited by the High Commission and Canada’s men’s national team to watch Canada’s Saturday training session in Kingston, Jamaica. Following the session, the young team was invited onto the pitch to receive their new equipment and to meet Canada’s international stars.
“A couple of themes that are very important here in Jamaica and tie into the work we do at the High Commission are youth and sports,” said High Commissioner Hallihan. “When we heard that the Canadian national team was coming down to play the national team of Jamaica, we took the opportunity to bring this team from one of the primary schools in inner-city Kingston down to watch how the professionals play. I know the players will take some of the things they saw our guys do on the field today back with them into their season.”
Canada’s men’s national team will enter a new era on Sunday 31 January as Stephen Hart takes charge of his first official match since being named permanent head coach in early December. Hart’s Canadian squad is set to face off with CONCACAF rival Jamaica in an international friendly match. The Canada-Jamaica match is scheduled to kick off at 18.00 ET (15.00 PT) from the Jamaican National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.
Edmonton Victoria was recognized by the Alberta Soccer Association with both the Golden Shoe and Fair Play awards at this year’s Annual General Meeting. Edmonton Victoria was one of four Golden Shoe winners for winning a national title at the 2009 BMO National Championships. It was Edmonton Victoria’s third Jubilee Trophy in the last six years.
Edmonton Victoria shared the Golden Shoe award with Calgary Foothills Crew U-18 men, Calgary Foothills Athletics U-18 women, and Edmonton Juventus U-14 boys. This marked the second time in three years that Alberta won four national titles at the BMO National Championships.
Canada’s women’s national team has confirmed its participation for the 2010 Cyprus Women’s Cup. Canada will be one of eight teams participating in this year’s event which runs 24 February to 3 March. Canada will play four international games in the tournament in Larnaka and Nicosia, Cyprus.
“It is important that we play in tournaments like this as we prepare for the CONCACAF Gold Cup,” said national head coach Carolina Morace. “It gives us the opportunity to assess our national players in competition against top international opponents.”
L’équipe nationale féminine du Canada a confirmé sa participation pour la Coupe Chypre féminine 2010. Le Canada sera une de huit équipes participant à l’événement de cette année qui aura lieu du 24 février jusqu’au 3 mars. Le Canada disputera quatre matchs internationaux lors de ce tournoi ayant lieu à Larnaca et Nicosie (Chypre).
« Il est important que nous jouons aux tournois comme cela comme nous nous préparons en vue de la Coupe d’Or de la CONCACAF, » a dit l’entraîneur-chef national Carolina Morace. « Il nous donne l’avantage d’évaluer nos joueuses nationales contre les adversaires internationaux supérieurs lors d’une compétition. »
