Canadian women to face familiar foes at FIFA U-17 World Cup in Jordan

TORONTO – Canada has been drawn in Group B with Cameroon, Germany and Venezuela at the FIFA-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan this fall.

Two are familiar foes.

Canada tied Germany 2-2 in the pool stage at the 2014 tournament in Costa Rica and was eliminated by Venezuela, losing 3-2 in the quarter-final. The South Americans eventually finished fourth, losing to Italy in a penalty shootout.

Japan won the 2014 tournament, defeating Spain 2-0 in the final.

Canadian coach Bev Priestman, who was also in charge of the 2014 squad, calls it a challenging but positive draw.

“For me personally and probably for some of the girl who went last time, it’s an exciting draw to go back and have another crack at those teams,” Priestman said Monday from Belfast where she is taking her UEFA “A” Licence. “But overall, if I look at the bigger picture, we have three different teams with three different styles of play.

“So from that perspective there’s going to be a lot of learning and experiences these players can take on as they move up the system. Overall I think a positive draw and not to be taken lightly, because both Venezuela and Germany won their qualification tournaments.”

Venezuela’s Deyna Castellanos tied for the Golden Boot as top scorer in 2014 and is eligible to play in Jordan.

The top two teams in each of the four pools advance, with teams from Group A and B meeting in the quarter-finals. Group A features host host Jordan, Spain, Mexico and New Zealand.

Priestman says Spain and Mexico would likely be the two favoured teams to progress out of that group.

Canada, which has taken part in every FIFA-17 championship since the tournament started in 2008, qualified by finishing third at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship in Grenada. The U.S. won the CONCACAF crown, beating Mexico 2-1

Canada also made the FIFA U-17 quarter-finals in 2008 and 2012. In 2010, it failed to advance out of the group stage.

While Priestman has yet to name her team, she can call on four veterans of the 2014 tournament in goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx, midfielders Sarah Stratigakis and Nahida Baalbaki and forward Anyssa Ibrahim.

The tournament runs Sept. 30 to Oct. 21.

Canada opens Sept. 30 against Cameroon before facing Germany on Oct. 3 and Venezuela on Oct. 7.

Monday’s draw was held in the Al-Hussein Cultural Centre in Amman.

Group C is made up of Nigeria, Brazil, England and North Korea while Group D is the U.S., Paraguay, Ghana and Japan.

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