Latest news with #U20Championship
National Post
3 days ago
- Climate
- National Post
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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content Maria Gonzalez also scored for Mexico, which profited from an own goal by Janet Okeke. Article content Teegan Melenhorst and Annabelle Chukwu replied for Canada, which outshot Mexico 20-12 (5-4 in shots on target). Article content 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. Article content 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). Article content The Americans have lost just three of 64 matches all-time at the tournament. Article content Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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.
National Post
29-05-2025
- General
- National Post
Canada dispatches Panama in opening game of CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship
Article content ALAJUELA — Anabelle Chukwu scored twice as Canada opened play at the CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship on Thursday with a comfortable 7-1 win over Panama. Article content Article content The 18-year-old from Ottawa added to her Canadian youth international scoring record, previously held by Christine Sinclair. Chukwu now has 36 goals in 38 games from the under-15 to under-20 level. Article content Jadea Collin, Jeneva Hernandez Gray, Lea Larouche, Stephanie Schoeley and Liana Tarasco also scored for Canada, which led 5-1 at the half. Article content Chukwu and Hernandez Gray were substituted at halftime with the game well in hand. Article content Canada continues Group B play on Saturday against Nicaragua before facing defending champion Mexico on Monday. Article content The eight-team CONCACAF tournament, which runs through June 8 at Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium in Alajuela, will send four CONCACAF sides to the 24-team FIFA U-20 World Cup, scheduled for September 2026, in Poland. Article content Group A features host Costa Rica, the United States, Puerto Rico and Guyana, The top two from each group will advance to the semifinals, securing World Cup qualification in the process. Article content Hernandez Gray, who plays in Portugal for Sporting CP, has one senior cap for Canada. 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. Article content Sherline King scored for Panama, taking advantage of a Canadian turnover to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the 24th minute. Article content Canada outshot Panama 17-1 (10-1 in shots on target) in the first half and had five corners to none for Panama with 68 percent possession. The final shot count was 30-2 (12-2 in shots on target). Article content Article content Hernandez Gray's goal, which put Canada up 2-0 in the 18th minute, was a beauty. She shifted the ball to her right to evade a defender and then, from the edge of the penalty box, fired a low shot into the corner. Article content Schoeley and Tarasco added late goals in the 85th and 93rd minute. Article content Panama had to replace injured goalkeeper Nicollete Mas just seven minutes into the game with Elsa Grant taking over. Article content The U.S. and Mexico, as the top-ranked countries in CONCACAF, skipped the qualifying round and were given direct entry to the CONCACAF championship. Canada and 23 other teams had to win their way there, with Costa Rica, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama and Puerto Rico also topping their groups. Article content Canada booked its ticket to the main CONCACAF tournament by winning its qualifying group with ease in February. The Canadians outscored their qualifying opposition 43-0, dispatching Dominica 22-0, Bermuda 9-0 and host Trinidad and Tobago 12-0. Article content The Dominica win was the second-largest in CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Qualifiers history, behind the Dominican Republic's 25-0 romp over the British Virgin Islands in September 2005. Article content Canada coach Cindy Tye has retained 18 players from that qualifying squad. Article content Panama went 2-0-1 in winning its qualifying group, outscoring the opposition 16-1. Article content Canada won the CONCACAF tournament in 2004 and 2008 and was runner-up to the U.S. in 2002, when the age group was under-19. The Americans are looking for their eighth title, having last won in 2020 and 2022. Article content
The Citizen
22-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
20-minute red card trial gets green light
The World Rugby Council has approved the global trial of the 20-minute red card in elite competitions. This decision follows an extensive review of successful closed trials conducted in international and elite club rugby over the past year. World Rugby said the 20-minute red card aims to maintain the spectacle and competitive integrity of elite matches, while upholding rugby's unwavering commitment to player welfare. The trial will operate in all elite competitions ahead of a final decision on permanent adoption in 2026. Under this trial, a player who commits foul play that is not deemed deliberate or intentional will receive a red card and be permanently removed from the game. However, their team may return to a full complement after 20 minutes by bringing on one of their available replacements. This ensures that individual players – not the contest as a whole – bear the consequence of reckless actions. Importantly, referees retain the authority to issue a full and permanent red card for any foul play considered deliberate and highly dangerous. Two yellow cards will constitute a 20-minute red card, unless the second offence meets the threshold for a full red card. The 20-minute red card will join the suite of global law trials already in effect and will make its world cup debut at the women's event in England this August, as well as being used in the U20 Championship in June. 'Our mission is to ensure rugby is a compelling sport to play and watch,' said World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson. 'The 20-minute red card preserves the fairness and drama of elite competition by punishing the individual, not the entire team or the spectacle. 'Player welfare is non-negotiable. We monitor data around head injuries, tackle height, and concussion rigorously – and transparently. If evidence ever indicated this trial posed greater risk, we would end it immediately.' ALSO: France red cards World Rugby's plans In other measures, the World Rugby Council approved a closed trial of a centralised disciplinary process, allowing for quicker and more consistent decision making. The council also approved a measure so that from 2025, all law trials in the men's game will begin on August 1 each year, ensuring that all international matches are played under the same set of law and trials regardless of where in the world they are played. The post 20-minute red card gets green light appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
Daily Maverick
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Lessons learned: Junior Springboks eye redemption following narrow losses in Rugby Championship U20
The South Africa under-20 rugby side have failed at the annual southern hemisphere tournament again, this time on home soil. The Junior Springboks' tightly contested and highly entertaining 48-45 loss to the Baby Blacks on Sunday means they ended the Rugby Championship U20 in third place, behind Champions New Zealand and Australia. It's the second consecutive loss the Junior Boks suffered, having lost 29-24 to the Junior Wallabies five days earlier. In the opening round they had to come from behind to beat Argentina 36-25 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, where all the matches in the competition took place. Last year the Junior Boks finished second, when the inaugural tournament was held in the Sunshine Coast in Australia. They were also beaten by Australia then while drawing with New Zealand and beating Argentina. Both of South Africa's defeats this year came after initially opening up a substantial lead and then allowing the Australasian sides back into the contest. Against Australia, the Junior Boks held a 17-0 lead shortly after halftime before the Junior Wallabies clawed their way back. Similarly, South Africa scored three tries in the first 15 minutes to take a 19-0 lead against New Zealand only to see the deficit reduced to two points by halftime as the home team led 26-24. While the Junior Springboks' results have disappointed home supporters who have seen this edition of the team run out for the first time over the past two weeks, head coach Kevin Foote has said the Rugby Championship U20 was just part of the journey. The destination is the Under-20 World Championship, which gets under way at the end of June in Italy. 'There are a lot of positives to take from that performance,' Foote said. 'We are on a massive journey together and I only met (captain) Riley Norton and the guys back in November, so we are definitely working hard on our game model and principles, which everyone understands now. 'From a character and leadership perspective, we are in a good place, and the lessons we learnt will be of huge benefit as we approach the U20 Championship next month in Italy.' High scoring The Junior Springboks were entertaining with ball in hand, scoring 14 tries across the three matches with Foote crediting young attack coach Melusi Mthethwa. South Africa's set piece got better as the tournament went on, but soft shoulders in defence let in more points than scored. 'I think Melusi [Mthethwa] has done a great job in terms of our attack, and I really feel that the players have clarity on how we want to play,' Foote said. 'We played some exciting and brilliant attacking rugby during the tournament, and just to hear the crowd get behind us when we started to light it up was exceptional. 'We know we are not the finished product, and we know we have a lot of work to do, but I do think our attack has come a long way and the guys are loving the way we are attacking.' Enforcer lock and captain of the junior side Riley Norton, like Foote, sees the tournament as a stepping-stone for the Under-20 World Championships. 'To have played these high-pressure games against such quality opposition before the World Champs is going to be vital for us,' he said. 'The lessons we learnt, the connections and relationships we have managed to build, not only on the field but off-field as well, and the trust we managed to create, are extremely important to us.' In order to ensure the players remain sharp and in top condition in the 50 days before the World Championship kicks off, Foote will be sending a number of players back to their unions to play in the ongoing Under-21 Cup competition. 'We will take it case by case, but some players will go back to their provinces to play in the U21 competition,' he said. 'It's a strong competition and the players are well coached there, and we are keen for them to keep going. There will be some whose load we will have to manage, but we will do our medicals and take it case by case.' The last time South Africa won the Junior World Championship was more than a decade ago in 2014, and they have only made the final four twice in the 11 years since. Last year, a strong Junior Boks side finished fifth overall. With a new coaching structure this year and the second year of the Under-20 Rugby Championship, more is expected from the national junior side. DM
The Citizen
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Junior Boks aim to gain from U20 Rugby Championship pain
Head coach Kevin Foote and skipper Riley Norton say the Junior Springboks can take key lessons from a tough home tournament for the U20 World Championship next month. The South Africans fell short in their bid to capture The U20 Rugby Championship in the republic when they lost 48-45 to New Zealand at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha yesterday. The hosts beat Argentina in fine style their opener, before going down to Australia and New Zealand. But Foote said the players can take huge positives from their courageous effort against the young Kiwis. 'There are a lot of positives to take from that performance; we are on a massive journey together and I've only met Riley Norton and the guys back in November, so we are definitely working hard on our game model and principles which everyone understands now,' he told reporters post-match. 'From a character and leadership perspective, we are in a good place, and the lessons we learnt will be of huge benefit as we approach the U20 Championship next month in Italy. 'I think Melusi (Mthethwa, the team's backline coach) has done a great job in terms of our attack and I really feel that the players have clarity on how we want to play,' Foote added. 'We played some exciting and brilliant attacking rugby during the tournament and just to hear the crowd get behind us when we started to light it up was exceptional. 'We know we are not the finished product, and we know we have a lot of work to do, but I do think our attack has come a long way and the guys are loving the way we are attacking.' Foote said the SA U20 coaching staff are keen to send some players back to their provincial unions to play in the SA Rugby U21 Cup competition: 'We will take it case by case, but some players will go back to their provinces to play in the U21 competition. 'It's a strong competition and the players are well-coached there, and we are keen for them to keep going. There will be some whose load we will have to manage, but we will do our medicals and take it case by case.' Norton, who started all three of the Junior Boks' games of the competition, praised the players' efforts, on and off the field. 'To have played these high-pressure games against such quality opposition before the World Champs is going to be vital for us,' he said. 'The lessons we learnt, the connections and relationships we have managed to build, not only on the field but off-field as well, and the trust we managed to create, are extremely important to us.' The post Junior Boks aim to gain from U20 Champs pain appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
