History
At the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, Canada advanced out of group stage where they were defeated by Germany in the quarterfinals. Canada won the 2010 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship after beating Mexico in the final, but were eliminated at group stage of the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. At the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, Canada matched their best appearance, dropping their quarterfinal game to North Korea.
Bev Priestman took over duties from Bryan Rosenfeld in 2013 to direct the new Women's Excel Program (U-14/U-17). [1] Priestman previously assisted Canada's senior coach, John Herdman, when both coached in the New Zealand women's program. Qualifying second out of CONCACAF, Canada was drawn into the "group of death" at the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup with European champions Germany, African champions Ghana, and Asian runners-up North Korea. Canada tied their first two games and secured a quarterfinal berth by defeating group winners Ghana in the final group stage game. Canada lost their quarterfinal match 3–2 to Venezuela.
At the 2016 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship in Grenada, Canada were drawn in Group A with Haiti, Guatemala, and Grenada. They recorded wins over Guatemala (3–0) and Grenada (7–0), but lost to Haiti (1–2), finishing second in the group. In the semifinals, Canada were defeated 5–0 by United States, then won the third-place match 4–2 against Haiti to qualify for the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. [2]
For the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan, Canada were drawn into Group B with Cameroon, Germany, and Venezuela. Canada opened the tournament with a 3–2 win over Cameroon. They then drew 1–1 with Germany before finishing group play with a 0–2 loss to Venezuela, resulting in a third-place finish in the group and elimination from the tournament. [3]
Canada resumed regional competition at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship, entering Group B alongside Costa Rica, the United States, and Bermuda. The tournament was initially staged in Nicaragua but was suspended due to civil unrest, with CONCACAF later relocating and completing the event in Bradenton, Florida. [4] [5] Canada finished second in the group after a win over Bermuda and a draw with Costa Rica. Their semifinal loss to Mexico (3–2) sent them to the third-place match, where a 4–1 victory over Haiti secured qualification for the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. [6]
Canada returned to the global stage at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay, joining Group D with Spain, Colombia, and South Korea. [7] Group-stage wins over Colombia and South Korea sent Canada to the knockout phase, where they defeated Germany 1–0 in the quarterfinals. [8] [9] A 2–0 semifinal loss to Mexico ended their title hopes, and a 2–1 defeat to New Zealand left Canada in fourth place, marking their best-ever performance at the tournament. [10]
In the cycle following their fourth-place finish in 2018, Canada entered the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship in Mexico, but the tournament was cancelled mid-competition due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, qualification for the planned 2020 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup was voided after FIFA officially cancelled the event. [11]
Canada began their campaign at the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship, hosted in the Dominican Republic. Drawn into Group F with Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Bermuda, the Canadians opened with a 10–0 victory over the Dominican Republic and followed with a 5–0 win against Bermuda. Their final group match ended in a 1–1 draw with Jamaica, leaving Canada second in the group on goal difference and advancing to the knockout stage. In the quarterfinals, they defeated Costa Rica 3–0 to reach the semifinals, where they were eliminated 3–0 by the United States. A 3–0 win over Puerto Rico in the third-place playoff secured qualification for the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. [12]
At the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in India, Canada were drawn into Group D alongside France, Japan, and the Tanzania. They opened the tournament with a 1–1 draw against France, followed by a 4–0 defeat against Japan. In their final group match, Canada tied 1–1 with Tanzania, finishing third in the group and exiting the competition at the group stage. [13] [14]
