3 days ago
Mexico defeats Canada in group play at CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship
ALAJUELA — Montserrat Saldivar scored twice Monday to help defending champion Mexico defeat Canada 4-2 and finish atop Group B in a weather-interrupted game at the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship.
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Both teams had already accomplished their goal of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-20 World Cup by virtue of assuring themselves a top-two finish in the group with wins over Panama and Nicaragua. But topping the pool likely means avoiding the seven-time champion U.S. in the semifinal.
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Monday's game, which started in a torrential downpour, was tied 1-1 in the 30th minute when American referee Alyssa Nichols pulled the bedraggled players from the pitch at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.
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The game resumed some two hours 40 minutes later. The heavy rain had stopped by then but there was still some water left on the pitch, making for some difficult distribution.
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Maria Gonzalez also scored for Mexico, which profited from an own goal by Janet Okeke.
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Teegan Melenhorst and Annabelle Chukwu replied for Canada, which outshot Mexico 20-12 (5-4 in shots on target).
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The eight-team CONCACAF tournament, which runs through Sunday, will send four CONCACAF sides to the 24-team FIFA U-20 World Cup, scheduled for September 2026 in Poland.
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The U.S., which has already qualified for the CONCACAF semifinals at 2-0-0, wraps up Group A play Tuesday against Costa Rica (1-0-1) while Puerto Rica (0-1-1) faces Guyana (0-2-0).
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The Americans have lost just three of 64 matches all-time at the tournament.
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Trailing 3-1 at the break, Canada sent on Chukwu, who scored three goals in the first two games of the tournament. And the 18-year-old from Ottawa did not disappoint, cutting the lead to 3-2 in the 59th minute with a header off a Melenhorst cross following a Canadian corner.
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Chukwu, who scored three goals in Canada's opening two wins, added to her Canadian youth international scoring record, previously held by Christine Sinclair. Chukwu now has 38 goals in 40 games from the under-15 to under-20 level.
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Chukwu, who plays collegiate soccer at Notre Dame, has been called into camp by the Canadian senior side but has yet to win a cap.
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Mexico added an insurance goal in the 84th minute via Saldivar, who beat Canadian 'keeper Noelle Henning after a pass by Michel Fong split the Canadian defence.
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The wet conditions made for spotty early handling and Canada went ahead in the 18th minute after an errant clearance by Mexico goalkeeper Mariangela Medina, who plays collegiate soccer at UCLA. The ball went to Melenhorst, who roofed a shot past Medina.
