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Stars Soccer Review (SSR) Magazine |
Qualifiers for Women’s World Cup
Germany
The CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2011 FIFA
Women's World Cup Germany starts with a Group B
double header as
Costa Rica goes up against Guatemala at 6p.m.
and Haiti takes on the heavily favored United
States
in the second match
at 8:30 p.m.
The United States has won six of the previous
seven titles, with the other team’s only chance
coming in 1998, when USA was the host of the
FIFA Women’s World Cup. But the games have to be
played and the Americans should not take
anything for granted.
Canada kicks off the two group tournament this
Friday
against Trinidad & Tobago as the first game of
the
Group A
double header at 6p.m. Host Mexico will test
debutants Guyana in the second match at 8:30
p.m.
With the CONCACAF Women’s championship title the
ultimate goal, the teams (except USA) real
objective will be to make the championship final
which carries automatic spots to the FIFA
Women's World Cup Germany 2011.
The CONCACAF Championship third place team will
get another chance to qualify for the World Cup
via a two-legged (home and away) playoff series,
against the fifth place team from Europe, which
will be coming from either Italy or Switzerland.
Although USA and Canada are favored to advance
to the championship finals, Mexico has been
improving steadily and Costa Rica and Trinidad
and Tobago may prove not to be slouches when
their backs are inevitably against the wall.
Though T&T Women has not advanced past the first
round since the inaugural championship in 1991,
(where they finished in third place), their head
coach Jamal Shabazz seem to have confidence in
the ability of his team while talking to
socwarriors.net.
"For a long time we have just participated in
CONCACAF tournaments, “but for this World Cup
qualifying tournament we're going to compete
with Mexico...we are going to compete with
Canada," says coach Shabazz.
While Canada is favored to win Group A, it
stands the best chance to win the championship.
However, USA seems to have Canada’s number and
has always been the Canucks obstacle. In 2002
and 2006, Canada forced extra time in the final
but eventually succumbed.
Canada is under new coach Carolina Morace, who
has indicated that her team has a chance to end
their 21-game winless streak with USA. But,
Coach Morace and the Canucks should not get
ahead of themselves, since the group games still
have to be won for Canada to advance.
Granted, Canada defeated USA on penalties in the
Women’s U-17 semi finals, but Canada will be
well advise to approach Friday’s game against
T&T as a must win situation in order to come out
atop of what seems to be a very interesting
group.
Canada three group matches will be broadcast
live on CBCSports.ca with an encore presentation
on CBC Television. Canada opening match on
Friday versus Trinidad and Tobago will air at 7
p.m. live on CBC's digital channel bold with its
encore presentation at 9p.m.
Canada's second match against Guyana on Sunday
October 31 has a live broadcast time of 7p.m.
and will encore at 9p.m. The Canucks third match
will be its clash with host Mexico on Tuesday
November 2 at 9:30p.m. on live CBCSports.ca, and
encored on CBC TV at 12pm
The CONCACAF Qualifier runs from October 28 to
November 8, with USA expected to win. However,
the reigning Olympic champion hasn't won the
World Cup since 1999, while its U-20 Women’s
team was eliminated in the quarterfinals at the
World Cup in July by Nigeria.
USA U-17 also failed to qualify for the World
Cup, after being beaten by Canada on penalties
in the semifinals of the CONCACAF championship.
Nevertheless, the Americans are real favorites
and are unbeaten it’s their last 11 matches this
year (9-2-0).
Their unbeaten streak includes a pair of wins
over two-time defending World Cup champion
Germany and an Algarve Cup title, with the
entire U.S. team plays professionally in either
the U.S. Women's Pro Soccer league or in
Germany, with forward Alex Morgan the only
exception.
But the tournament is in Cancun Mexico, where
Mexico’s can pounce on the opportunity before
their passionate home crowd to qualify for the
World Cup for the first time in 12 years since
its best finish as runner-up in 1998.
Costa Rica may have the bench strength since it
qualified for the U-17 Women's World Cup in 2008
and the U-20 Women's World Cup this past year.
Haiti and Guyana may not have a chance to
advance, but Guyana has a lot of Canadians on
its team and may pose a problem for Canada,
while Haiti has all to gain, and nothing to
lose.
Below are the
participating team.
Click here
for
schedule & results!
Click on flags
for their profiles
Group A
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