The Canadian under-20 women's soccer team plays Dominica on Friday in a CONCACAF qualifier in Port of Spain, Trinidad, the first step on a journey that hopefully leads to next year's FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
The United States and Mexico, as the top-ranked countries in the confederation, get to skip the qualifying round and will go directly to the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in May. Canada and 23 other teams will have to win their way there.
Those 24 teams have been divided into six pools with only the group winners moving on.
After Dominica, the young Canadians face Bermuda on Sunday and host Trinidad and Tobago next Tuesday in Group E play, with all games at Ato Boldon Stadium.
While Canada has never played Dominica or Bermuda at this level, it has won all four previous meetings against Trinidad and Tobago in under-20 play, with an 18-2 edge in goals.
Thursday marked only the current team's fourth practice together.
"They seem like a solid group, from front to back. And with some good depth," said Canada coach Cindy Tye. "It will be interesting to see how we are tested throughout this tournament and hopefully into the next, which is obviously the goal."
Midfielder Jeneva Hernandez Gray and high-scoring forward Annabelle Chukwu are two of the six returning players from last year's FIFA Women's U-20 World Cup in Colombia where Canada made it to the round of 16 before losing 2-1 to Spain.
Hernandez Gray, who has earned one cap with the Canadian senior side, signed with Portugal's Sporting CP in January.
Chukwu, a freshman at Notre Dame, broke Christine Sinclair’s Canadian youth international goal-scoring record. The 17-year-old has 28 goals in 34 games from the under-15 to under-20 level.
Other returning players are goalkeepers Noelle Henning and Sofia Cortes-Browne and defenders Janet Okeke and Jadea Collin.
Chukwu and Okeke have been called into camp by the Canada senior side but have yet to win a cap.
Heat will be an issue in Trinidad with a high of 30 C forecast for Friday. Fitness is also an issue with most of the Canadian players at NCAA schools that are out of season.
"We're not as fit as we need to be," said Tye. "And should we be successful through here and qualify into May, we will need to be fitter, there's no question about it. The same thing happened last time we were together. This time of year is tough for our players in the environments that they're in right now."
Canada's three games kick off at 4, 4 and 7 p.m. local time.
Four CONCACAF teams will eventually progress to the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Canada has taken part in nine of the previous 11 editions of the FIFA U-20 tournament, missing out in 2010 and 2018.
Canada’s best showing was runner-up in 2002, led by a young Sinclair, in the first edition of the tournament when it was still an under-19 event. The Canadian women reached the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2014 (on home soil), failing to make it out of the group stage on five other occasions.
Canada U20 Roster
Goalkeepers: Olivia Busby, NDC Ontario; Sofia Cortes-Browne, Arizona State (NCAA); Noelle Henning, NDC Ontario.
Defenders: Jadea Collin, University of Wisconsin-Madison (NCAA); April Lantaigne, AFC Toronto (NSL); Ines Nourani, CF Montreal/NDC-CDN Quebec; Iba Oching, Iowa (NCAA); Janet Okeke, North Carolina State (NCAA); Stephanie Schoeley, Providence College (NCAA).
Midfielder-Defender: Sienna Gibson, UBC.
Midfielders: Ava Greco, Ohio State (NCAA); Jeneva Hernandez Gray, Sporting CP (Portugal); Ella Kettles, Arizona State (NCAA); Teegan Melenhorst, NDC Ontario; Juliette Perreault, CF Montreal/NDC-CDN Quebec.
Forwards: Kierra Blundell, Arizona State (NCAA); Annabelle Chukwu, Notre Dame (NCAA); Natelle El Mokbel, CF Montreal/NDC-CDN Quebec; Kaylee Hunter, AFC Toronto (NSL); Lea Larouche, Butler University (NCAA); Keira Martin, Whitecaps FC/NDC-CDC B.C.
CONCACAF U-20 Qualifying Groups
Group A
Haiti, Guyana, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda.
Group B
Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Honduras, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Group C
Dominican Republic, Panama, Cuba, Bonaire.
Group D
Jamaica, Nicaragua, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Group E
Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Dominica.
Group F
Costa Rica, Guatemala, Cayman Islands, Aruba.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2025.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
