BRAZIL 2014 QUALIFIERS:Canada and leading pack climbs in CONCACAF

 

 

Leading pack climbs in CONCACAF

Wednesday 7 September 2011

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Fancied sides Canada, El Salvador, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala all kept up the form in matchday two of CONCACAF group-stage qualifying for Brazil 2014. The leading quintet all won their second consecutive games of the campaign and are looking likely to stroll into the third round. Join FIFA.com for a tour of all the Tuesday-night action in the New World.

Match of the day
Puerto Rico 0-3 CanadaCanada’s 4-1 win at home last week against St. Lucia looked better on paper than it did on the pitch, but their gritty victory on the road in Bayamon against a tricky Puerto Rico outfit on Tuesday seems to tell the true tale of this crafty Canuck outfit. The first goal of the game came from former youth standout Iain Hume, who has made a miraculous return to club and international football after suffering a life-threatening skull fracture in 2008. The fiery striker, who now plays his club football for Preston North End in England, found the back of the net four minutes before the interval. New standout striker Simeon Jackson and Toisaint Ricketts sealed the deal in the last five minutes as Canada, hoping to reach only their second FIFA World Cup™, are looking comfy at the summit of Group D.  

In other actionThe Dominican Republic, usually associated with baseball rather than football, raised a few eyebrows by holding Suriname to a 1-1 draw at home for their first points in Group A. El Salvador, who made heavy weather of their win over the Dominicans last week, picked up their second victory, this time beating Cayman Islands handily 4-1 away from home.  

Group B favourites Trinidad and Tobago kept up the form by beating island neighbours Barbados 2-0 on the road in Bridgetown thanks to goals from Keon Daniel and Darryl Roberts. With two wins from two games, Otto Pfister’s Soca Warriors are sitting comfortably atop the group, alongside Guyana, who beat Bermuda 2-1 in Georgetown with both goals coming from Vurlon Mills.

CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finalists Panama struggled in their opening Group C contest against Nicaragua, but goals from Luis Tejada and Blas Perez eventually led them to a 2-1 victory in Managua.

St. Kitts and Nevis pulled off an impressive result, besting minnows St. Lucia 4-2 for their first win of the campaign. Four different scorers hit the net during the first half for the island side as they move into second place in Group D, two points behind Canada, who put on an impressive winning display in Puerto Rico.

Group E favourites Guatemala didn’t have things all their own way away from home against up-and-comers Belize, but they still managed a 2-1 win with the goals coming from Gustavo Cabrera and Mynor Lopez. The other two teams in the group – St. Vincent and Grenadines and Grenada – meet on 18 September.

Antigua and Barbuda kept up their prolific charge in Group F with an 8-1 win over outgunned US Virgin Islands, whose recent rise in the world ranking is looking little more than an anomaly. The Antiguans are the highest-scoring team in CONCACAF qualifying with 13 goals scored and only three conceded. Haiti aren’t far behind with ten goals overall; their 4-2 win in Curacao sees them tangled for top spot in the section.

Player of the day – Peter Byers (Antigua and Barbuda)Peter Byers, who plays his club football in the USA lower Leagues with LA Blues, is in the mood for goals. After picking up two in the Antiguans 5-2 opening win last week at home against Curacao, the 26-year-old hit-man was on song again on Tuesday, hitting the net three times in less than 20 minutes to put US Virgin Islands to the sword as Antigua and Barbuda roar to the top of top of an all-Caribbean Group F, alongside Haiti. With five goals in two games, Byers is top scorer in CONCACAF qualifying for Brazil 2014.

What they said“We have to go back to the drawing board. Our backs are now firmly against the wall. If we are to have any chance of qualifying, we have to win all of our remaining matches,” Barbados coach Colin Forde on his side’s dwindling hopes after two straight losses.

The number
4 – Say what you will about lightweight St Lucia, but at least they are consistent. The men from the picturesque island nation have conceded the same number of goals in both of their qualifying group games so far – four against Canada and four against St. Kitts and Nevis.

CONCACAF Second Round, Matchday Two
US Virgin Islands 1-8 Antigua and Barbuda
Dominican Republic 1-1 Suriname
Barbados 0-2 Trinidad and Tobago
Belize 1-2 Guatemala
St. Lucia 2-4 St. Kitts and Nevis
Nicaragua 1-2 Panama
Cayman Islands 1-4 El Salvador
Guyana 2-1 Bermuda
Puerto Rico 0-3 Canada
Curacao 2-4 Haiti

Big names prove out in CONCACAF

Saturday 3 September 2011

© AFP

Favourites Canada, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti all picked up predictable wins in the first group stage of North, Central American and Caribbean qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. Join FIFA.com for a look at all the Friday-night action around the New World.

Match of the day
Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 Bermuda
Group B favourites and Caribbean powers Trinidad and Tobago, led by new German coach Otto Pfister, had their hands full on home soil at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. Up against Caribbean neighbours Bermuda, the Soca Warriors, on paper at least, should have had an easy day. However, the 2006 FIFA World Cup participants met stiff resistance from skipper Khano Smith and the rest of the Bermudans, who defended stoutly and were unlucky not to escape with a point for their efforts. The only difference on the day was a goal from T&T’s Stoke City striker and newly named captain Kenwyne Jones who blasted home a volley on the stroke of halftime. Bolstered by their positive performance, Bermuda will surely fancy their chances in the return leg at the National Stadium in Hamilton, the very same venue where they shocked Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 in South Africa 2010 qualifying.

In other action
Suriname opened their Group A account with a steady, if unexciting, 1-0 win over the Cayman Islands at home in Paramaribo. Long-time coach Kenneth Jaliens had scorer Friso Mando to thank for the three-point haul, but the gaffer will certainly be hoping for much better in the contests to come. Two-time World Cup finalists El Salvador endured quite a scare before beating a dogged Dominican Republic side 3-2 in San Salvador.

In Group B, Guyana made the most of their home-field advantage to beat Barbados 2-0 in Georgetown and now share top spot with Trinidad and Tobago. 

Nicaragua went to the top of Group C with a straightforward 2-0 win on the road against Dominica. Raul Leguias scored early on in Roseau and Felix Rodriguez added another 10 minutes before the interval.

Group D saw Canada ease past island side St. Lucia with a minimum of fuss, a 4-1 result coming thanks to goals from Josh Simpson (2), talismanic midfielder Dwayne De Rosario and Will Johnson. In the section’s other contest, Puerto Rico held on for a share of the spoils in a goalless draw with St. Kitts and Nevis on the road in Basseterre.

Grenada have reached the last two instalments of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and are considered among the top upward-movers in the Caribbean region, making their shock 2-0 loss to Belize at home in St. George’s all the more surprising. The Group E meeting was settled thanks to first-half goals from Honduras-based pair Deon McCaulay and Harrison Roches, seeing Belize move from strength to strength after eliminating Montserrat in the previous round. Guatemala join Belize at the top of the section after their 4-0 win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Haiti, unsurprisingly, hit the ground running in Group F, making light work of perennial strivers US Virgin Islands. Goals were shared throughout the team in the 6-0 drubbing in Port au Prince, with James Marcelin, Jean Eudes-Maurice, Kennel Pierre-Louis and Jean Alexandre (2) all getting on the scoresheet in a humbling of USVI, who had gone into the game with an improved world ranking and higher-than-usual hopes. In the other clash in the group, Antigua and Barbuda made easy meat of Curacao (formerly the Netherlands Antilles) 5-2, Peter Byers leading the way with a pair of well-taken goals.

Player of the day – Josh Simpson (CAN)
Former Canada youth national team standout, Simpson was a constant threat in Toronto against St. Lucia. Up against stiff resistance from a Caribbean side with little to lose, the Turkey-based Manisaspor man offered the hosts a cutting edge, carving out dangerous openings throughout the contest and laying claim to a pair of the Canucks’ goals.

What they said
“It’s a win and we’re happy with it. Of course we would have liked to put in a better performance and play better football, but at the end of the day the three points are the most important thing,” Simpson reflects on the less-than-convincing nature of Canada’s win over St. Lucia.

The number
1 – The number of minutes it took Nicaragua’s Raul Leguias to silence the crowd in Roseau. The coolly struck goal got the ball rolling on the Central Americans’ road win against lightweight Caribbean side Dominica.

CONCACAF Second Round, Matchday One
Suriname 1-0 Cayman Islands
Dominica 0-2 Nicaragua
Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 Bermuda
Grenada 0-2 Belize
Haiti 6-0 US Virgin Islands
El Salvador 3-2 Dominican Republic
Guyana 2-0 Barbados
St. Kitts and Nevis 0-0 Puerto Rico
Canada 4-1 St. Lucia
Guatemala 4-0 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 

CONCACAF GOLD CUP 2011: Canada boosts Gold Cup hopes with 1-0 win

TAMPA — A second-half penalty kick from Dwayne De Rosario gave Canada a 1-0 victory over an undermanned Guadeloupe on Saturday, and revived its hopes of reaching the quarterfinals at the Gold Cup.

The win improved Canada to three points in Group C, while Guadeloupe lost its second in as many games and will need a win against the United States on Tuesday in its first-round finale to have any chance of advancing.
"We got the three points, that's all it came down to," Canada striker Simeon Jackson said. "We're glad we got three points, and now we just look forward to the next game."
The Canadians next face Panama in Kansas City, Kansas, on Tuesday, before Guadeloupe takes on the United States.
The Gwada Boys were reduced to 10 men in the fourth minute when Jean-Luc Lambourde was ejected for a lunging studs-up challenge on Will Johnson just outside the Guadeloupe penalty area. It was the second consecutive match in which the Caribbean islanders had to play with a man disadvantage.
"We want to show that in Guadeloupe we have good football and good players," captain Stephane Auvray said. "Having one down man for the whole game was hard for us, but we showed that we have good players and a good team. Unfortunately we lost, but we showed something good tonight."

The goal for Canada didn't come until the 51st minute. Canada was awarded a penalty after Stephane Zubar pulled the shirt of Canadian striker Ali Gerba and shoved him down. De Rosario then bounced the penalty to the right as goalkeeper Franck Grandel dived the other way.
"I think you've got to give some credit to [Guadeloupe]," Canada midfielder Terry Dunfield said. "Once we got that goal it was a sense of relief, and it definitely gives us something to build on for Tuesday night."

Canada had the advantage early with Lambourde's ejecting, enabling it hold possession and make Guadeloupe chase the ball. Its patience led to some attractive build up play and pinned Guadeloupe in its own half for much of the opening half.

Ali Gerba appeared to have given Canada the lead in the 15th minute, but his swift turn-and-chip past Grandel was ruled offside. Gerba had another chance in the 33rd minute, but he scuffed it wide after receiving a pass from Josh Simpson inside the six-yard box.

After a long stretch in which both teams slowed the pace, Canadian defender Mike Klukowski nearly put his side ahead a couple of minutes before halftime. The left back burst into the area and an exchange of passes, but his shot went just wide of the right post.
"It was a tough situation to play in," De Rosario said. "Obviously their going down a man helped us out a lot in terms of finding space and keeping the ball. That was our main focus -- controlling the tempo of the game."

Despite being a man down, the Gwada Boys seemed fresher to start the second half. David Fleurival forced Canadian keeper Milan Borjan into a reaction save less than a minute after the restart.

The pressure wouldn't help Guadeloupe, however, and they went down to De Rosario's penalty in the 51st minute.
The goal brought about more tentative play from both sides, as neither team could muster anything threatening for the remainder of the match.

"We didn't want to change what we set out to do [after scoring], just be patient, it was very, very hot," coach Stephen Hart said. "We wanted to keep the ball moving, and sort of make them do the bulk of the running."

Panama ends U.S. streak at Gold Cup

TAMPA -- Panama ended the United States' 26-game unbeaten streak in group play at the Gold Cup, withstanding a second-half charge to upset the Americans 2-1 Saturday and assure itself of a place in the quarterfinals.

Luis Tejada and Gabriel Gomez scored first-half goals to put Panama ahead 2-0 before the United States tried to rally with a 68th-minute tally by Clarence Goodson.

The win, the first by Panama over the United States in nine tries, put "los Canaleros" atop Group C with six points, three more than the Americans and Canada.

The United States faces winless Guadeloupe in its group finale Tuesday in Kansas City, Kansas, while Canada will play Panama. Two teams from each group are assured of qualifying along with two of three third-place teams.

The United States walked dejectedly off the field, while the Panamanians celebrated with their small contingent of fans behind one of the goals at Raymond James Stadium.

"Panama usually doesn't need a reason to celebrate, but this will definitely make them celebrate," Panama coach Julio Cesar Dely Valdes said.

"It's an historic moment. We, as a coaching staff, have to keep our feet on the ground to make sure that we are successful in the other games."

Panama had been outscored 18-4 in their eight previous encounters with the United States.

Dely Valdes said he told the team after defeating Guadeloupe on Tuesday that it was going to beat the United States.

"I guess it was the faith the players had in themselves and in the coaching staff," he said. "When they make up their minds to do something, they go ahead and do it."

Valdes said there was nothing in particular about the Americans that he concentrated on in his game plan."As anyone does, they do have faults and we took advantage," he said.

The Panamanians did so in the 19th minute, taking advantage of some shoddy American defending in front of 27,731.

Armando Cooper sent a diving header off a Gabriel Gomez left-wing feed that goalkeeper Tim Howard knocked away. But the ball rebounded into the middle of the area, where Goodson appeared to get a foot on the ball, but Tejada was able to knock over the line for his seventh goal in Gold Cup competition.

"On the night, we were not good enough," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "But Panama certainly was, and then some.
"Give Panama a lot of credit," U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan said. "They started the game well, took the initiative to be aggressive. When you dig yourselves a hole that huge sometimes you can't get out of."

The Central Americans doubled their lead in the 36th minute on a penalty by Gomez.

U.S. defender Tim Ream tripped Blas Perez at the right edge of the penalty area and referee Marco Rodriguez of Mexico immediately pointed toward the penalty spot. Gomez shot into the upper left corner for a 2-0 advantage.

"You can't start that way," Donovan said. "For some reason we were a little lackadaisical, a little complacent early. We had some of the ball and we felt OK about ourselves. They put us on our heels a few times and they made a play that changed the game. And then the penalty's a little fluky and now we're chasing the game."

The Americans pressured Panama in the second half and cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 68th minute. Donovan sent in a free kick from the left side that Michael Bradley headed backward to a diving Goodson, who headed it home from four meters.

The Americans replaced Goodson with Chris Wondolowski, Major League Soccer's leading scorer last season, as it shifted to a three-man backline in an attempt to equalize. The move almost paid off in the 81st minute as Wondolowski, off a Jozy Altidore feed, missed an open goal from inside the six.

The Americans almost equalized again in the 90th minute when Bradley volleyed a 16-yard attempt that sailed just wide right of the net.

"We had the ball in pretty good spots, but we didn't finish off well enough," Bob Bradley said.

http://www.canadasoccer.com/

Lavolpe set to face familiar foe Mexico

CHICAGO - Costa Rican players kicked balls back and forth through the wet grass of Soldier Field Saturday night.
They dribbled, volleyed and sprinted after balls through cones with several assistant coaches watching under light showers.
Every person on Costa Rica's roster was counted for except for its head coach. Ricardo Lavolpe was absent. Lavolpe didn't want to be part of the practice session that was open to the media during only the first 15 minutes.
Where was Lavolpe? Why was the former Mexico coach missing?
A team spokesperson did not give many details other than Lavolpe chose not to attend the training session.
Costa Rica practiced earlier in the day with Lavolpe present.
Lavolpe could be avoiding all media in anticipation to Costa Rica's match against his former team.
Mexico takes on Costa Rica Saturday night at Soldier Field in what is being considered El Tri's toughest challenge in this Gold Cup.
The game will decide the Group A winner.
But this match goes beyond a berth in next week's quarterfinals. There is some bitter history between Lavolpe and Mexico.
The Argentine-born coach with a bristly black mustache coached El Tri from 2002 to 2006. He led Mexico to the second round of the 2006 World Cup, where it lost to Argentina with a spectacular second half goal by Maxi Rodriguez.
Many in the soccer community say Mexico had never played a better World Cup match than that one. And Lavolpe was at the helm. Lavolpe was later fired.
Lavolpe is well known in Mexico. He has coached several of its first-division clubs. Many of the players on Mexico's current roster have stopped to chat with Lavolpe on several occasions in between training session during this tournament. They even hugged on several occasions.
"There will always be respect for him because he was an important person in my development as a player," Mexico midfielder Andres Guardado said. "We know his style of play and what he likes to do, and we know it's going to be a real challenge."
("Siempre Habra un tipo de respeto porque el fue una persona importante en mi desarrollo como jugador. Sabemos su estilo en la cancha y lo que le gusta hacer y sabemos que tenemos una tarea grande que enfrentar.")

So, why all the hype prior to this match?
Mexico coach Jose Manuel de la Torre played down the scenario. There is no hype in his eyes.
"There is nothing more other than the fact that we know (Lavolpe) well," de la Torre said during a news conference Saturday. "It's not Ricardo against me. It is the Mexican national team against the Costa Rican national team. There is the same hype that there is when we face any other team."

("El hecho que tenemos conocimiento, queda ahi nada mas No es yo contra Ricardo. Es la selección mexicana contra la selección de Costa Rica. Y el sabor sigue siendo el mismo que cuando nos enfrentamos a cualquier otra selección.")

De la Torre was asked what he has learned from Lavolpe while Lavolpe was in charge of Mexico.
"It is not only about Ricardo," de la Torre said. "It's also about other coaches. He always managed his teams well. It's not just him but other coaches in Mexico."

("No solo es de Ricardo si no de siempre de otros (tecnicos). Siempre sus equipos como los manejo es agradable. No es solo el pero otros tecnicos en mexico.")

In Mexico, Lavolpe is disliked. Even in the United States.
Lavolpe was jeered several times in Dallas and in Charlotte when his picture was displayed on the scoreboard screens. The boos echoed throughout each stadium.
Lavolpe responded to the jeers after Costa Rica's 5-0 win against Cuba in Dallas.
"The fans sometimes make decisions but they forget that we qualified to the Olympic Games (Athens 2004), we won the Gold Cup (2003) that qualified us to the Confederations Cup," Lavolpe said. "The fans let the media drive them and by some people. For me, Mexico is a thing of the past."
Lavolpe has mostly been very vocal in the past. He continued his diatribe in Dallas.
"It's been a while since they've made it to the Olympic games," Lavolpe said about Mexico. If they boo me, they should bomb or shoot the coaches that came after me.
"If they are booing me, let's remind them about the development of (Ricardo) Osorio, (Carlos) Salcido, (Aaron) Galindo, (Pavel) Pardo, all players who were responsible for how the team functioned. What am I going to say about the fans? "
Lavolpe hasn't said much to reporters since.
Most of his training sessions have been closed. Perhaps he has something in store for Mexico. It might be something that was worth leaving his team to the assistant coaches at Soldier Field.

El Salvador seeks win against reeling Cuba

CHICAGO - Cuba coach Raul Gonzalez answered questions about leaving the Gold Cup during a news conference in Charlotte. His team was coming off a 5-0 loss to Mexico.
Gonzalez might have not been aware his team still has a chance of advancing despite being losing second consecutive game by a lopsided score. It lost to Costa Rica 5-0 in Dallas on June 5.

Cuba must beat El Salvador Sunday to keep its hopes alive. The group winners and second-place teams advance, along with the two best third-place teams.
Coach Gonzalez's squad would need a lot of help since it has yet to score a goal and has allowed 10. Only Grenada has given up as many goals in the tournament. Grenada finally scored in a 7-1 loss to Honduras Friday night.
The odds of Cuba advancing are bleak. Gonzalez probably knows it. That is why he answered questions about leaving the tournament. He didn't give the impression his team would still be in contention.
"We have faced two rivals that are the powerhouses of CONCACAF," Gonzalez said. "The first one wasn't in the last World Cup but it is a team that is always tough and interesting. The second one owns CONCACAF."
The second one was Mexico, the defending champion and five-time winner of the Gold Cup.

Cuba held Mexico to one goal in the first 45 minutes before El Tri exploded with four second-half goals, leaving the island nation helpless, unable to defend.
"I think Cuba had plenty of discretion in the defense during the first match," Gonzalez said. "We stood better on the field defensively in this last game. Cuba is under a building process. We hope that the future of this national team gets better."
Gonzalez could help his team become better if he sends them out to beat El Salvador. That is a task that might not be any easier than Costa Rica and Mexico.
El Salvador is coming off a 1-1 draw against Los Ticos in Charlotte. La Selecta thought it had earned the three points and it was going to be a true contender to qualify for the quarterfinals. It led 1-0 with a goal by Rodolfo Zelaya into injury time of the second half.
But a right-footed shot across his body from right to left by Costa Rica's Marco Ureña killed the moment.
That play changed the outlook of the group. El Salvador must now beat Cuba to finish group play with four points and hope that Mexico, who has already qualified, beats Costa Rica by a considerable amount of goals. If that doesn't happen, El Salvador could still sneak in as a third place team if it gets some help from other teams.
El Salvador defender Luis Anaya said the team had some miscues that led to Costa Rica's late goal.
"The truth is that we were marking their key men well," Anaya said. "They were attacking as much as we were. They had not scored. But it still bothers us that we couldn't finish the game. We were not 100-percent focused and it caused us the game."

Anaya said El Salvador will play Cuba as if it was a tournament final. They understand this is the opportunity they cannot waste.

"There can be a variety of results, that's the good thing" Anaya said. "We are thinking that we must go with everything against Cuba. This is our advanced final. We need to give more than before. We are dreaming of the next round."

	DALLAS - Cowboys Stadium	COSTA RICA 5  CUBA 0 MEXICO 5  EL SALVADOR 0
MONDAY, JUNE 6TH	LOS ANGELES - The Home Depot Center	JAMAICA 4  GRENADA 0 HONDURAS 0  GUATEMALA 0
TUESDAY, JUNE 7TH	DETROIT - Ford Field	PANAMA 3   GUADELOUPE 2 USA 2   CANADA 0
THURSDAY, JUNE 9TH	CHARLOTTE - Bank Of America Stadium	COSTA RICA 1  EL SALVADOR 1 CUBA 0    MEXICO 5
FRIDAY, JUNE 10TH	MIAMI - FIU	JAMAICA 2    GUATEMALA 0 GRENADA 1   HONDURAS 7
SATURDAY, JUNE 11TH	TAMPA BAY - Raymond James Stadium	CANADA 1   GUADELOUPE 0 USA 1   PANAMA 2
SUNDAY, JUNE 12TH	CHICAGO - Soldier Field	EL SALVADOR vs. CUBA MEXICO vs. COSTA RICA
MONDAY, JUNE 13TH	NEW YORK - Red Bull Arena	GUATEMALA vs. GRENADA HONDURAS vs. JAMAICA
TUESDAY, JUNE 14TH	KANSAS CITY - LIVESTRONG Sporting Park	CANADA vs. PANAMA GUADELOUPE vs. USA
SATURDAY, JUNE 18TH	QUARTERFINALS DOUBLEHEADER NEW YORK - New Meadowlands Stadium	A2 vs. B2 A1 vs. B3 or C3
SUNDAY, JUNE 19TH	QUARTERFINALS DOUBLEHEADER WASHINGTON DC - RFK Stadium	B1 vs. C2 C1 vs. A3 or B3
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22ND	SEMIFINALS DOUBLEHEADER HOUSTON - Reliant Stadium	GAME 1 GAME 2
SATURDAY, JUNE 25TH	FINAL PASADENA - Rose Bowl	FINAL

Canada faces Mexico today for CONCACAF title

Canada will face Mexico in the CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifier championship final on Monday 8 November in Cancún, Mexico. The two sides have already qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011, but will now play for the CONCACAF championship trophy and a set of gold medals on Monday night.

The championship final kicks off at 20.00 (local time) at the Estadio Andres Quintana Roo. The match will be broadcast live on CBCSports.ca, bold television, Radio-Canada.ca/sports and CONCACAF TV (21.00 ET / 18.00 PT). The Canada-Mexico final will be preceded by the match for third place between USA and Costa Rica (17.00 local).

'The numbers suggest we have been one of the best teams in tournament,' said national coach Carolina Morace. 'We must now try to win the tournament.'
Canada is the only undefeated team left standing in the tournament. Canada is 4-0-0 after three wins in the group stage and a 4:0 win over Costa Rica in the semi-final stage. Mexico also won its semi-final match (an impressive 2:1 win over USA), but its record is 3-0-1 including an 0:3 loss to Canada in the group stage.

The 2010 championship will mark the second time Canada and Mexico meet in a CONCACAF women’s final. Twelve years ago, the two sides met in the 1998 CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Etobicoke, ON, with Canada taking gold after a 1:0 score line in the final. USA did not participate that year as it had already qualified as host of the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 1999; Canada and Mexico, meanwhile, both booked tickets for USA 1999.

In 2011, Mexico will be taking part in its second FIFA Women’s World Cup while Canada will be taking part in its fifth-consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup (all since Sweden 1995). USA and Costa Rica still have a chance to qualify for Germany 2011, but only the CONCACAF third-place finisher will get that chance when it faces Italy in a two-leg playoff in late November.
Canada, whose title sponsor is Winners and presenting sponsor is Teck, has 20 healthy players for Monday’s final. While it will be facing a pro-Mexican crowd at the Estadio Andres Quintana Roo, it will have the support of all Canadian fans back home as well as the contingent of Canadian fans who traveled to Cancún for the tournament.

To date, the Canadian Soccer Association has won eight CONCACAF titles, including the one by Canada’s women’s team at the 1998 CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifier. Canada’s national teams have also won gold in 1985 (Men’s Championship), 1986 (Men’s U-20 Championship), 1996 (Men’s U-20 Championship), 2000 (Men’s Gold Cup), 2004 (Women’s U-20 Championship), 2008 (Women’s U-20 Championship) and 2010 (Women’s U-17 Championship in March).