Canada set for FIFA Soccer U-17 Women’s World Cup opener against Ghana

Canada is set to make its debut at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Trinidad and Tobago 2010 against Ghana on Monday 6 September. The Group D match will be broadcast live on CBC Bold and CBC sports.ca from Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, Trinidad, at 19.00 ET / 16.00 PT.

“Ghana for us is still the big unknown,” said head coach Bryan Rosenfeld. “They have the same coach as in 2008, so there will be some similarities. We expect them to come out with lots of enthusiasm so it will be a cautious match for us.”

Canada, whose title sponsor is BMO, arrived in Trinidad on Thursday 2 September and has completed three full training sessions ahead of its opener against Ghana. The young Canucks come into the match full of confidence following a positive training camp in Sunrise, FL, USA where they recorded an impressive 2:0 victory over fellow World Cup finalists Korea Republic. In addition to the warm-up matches, the nine-day camp helped acclimatize the team to the hot and humid conditions they will face in Trinidad.

This Canadian squad will be looking to build on Canada’s quarter-final appearance at the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup New Zealand 2008. Canada’s experienced coaching staff of head coach Bryan Rosenfeld, assistant coach Lewis Page and goalkeeping coach Owen Braun all return from New Zealand 2008 and have meticulously prepared the Canadian team for its second appearance at this level.

“From a results stand point I think our preparation has gone well, it’s been positive” said Rosenfeld. “As a coach you always want your team to be better performance wise and you want more time, but we are at the point now where basically it is time for the team to go out and perform. Friendlies are one thing, but when the World Cup comes and it is time for that opening match, then that is what matters now – the result there.”

Ghana qualified as one of two African representatives for Trinidad and Tobago 2010 in relatively easy fashion, having only to defeat Tunisia 11:0 in a home-and-away series to secure its place. Head coach Abraham Allotey returns after leading Ghana to New Zealand 2008. Ghana played well in New Zealand earning a draw with eventual champions Korea DPR, but finished third in its group and did not advance to the quarter-final stage. Canada has recorded a win and a draw in two matches against Ghana at the full national level.

The venue for Canada’s first match, Larry Gomes Stadium, seats 10,000 and was originally constructed for the 2001 FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup Trinidad and Tobago. The 2010 event has made front page news in all the major daily newspapers on the Island.

In the other Group D match on Monday Republic of Ireland will battle Brazil at 16.00 prior to Canada-Ghana at Larry Gomes Stadium. Canada faces the Republic of Ireland of Ireland three days later on 9 September before completing group play against Brazil on Monday 13 September. The top teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarter-final stage.

All of Canada’s matches can be seen live on CBC Bold and CBC sports.ca. In addition to the live broadcast, each match will be replayed on the full CBC network at midnight. Fans can also follow the matches live on CanadaSoccer.com’s Twitter feed.

The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Trinidad and Tobago 2010 officially opened on Sunday with four matches. Nigeria pulled off an early upset by defeating defending champions Korea DPR 3:2, Germany thrashed Mexico 9:0, Korea Republic got by South Africa 3:1, and tournament hosts Trinidad and Tobago earned a 2:1 win over Chile. The official opening ceremony was held prior to the Trinidad and Tobago-Chile match at Hasely Crawford stadium in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad in front of a large and boisterous crowd.