Canada Soccer have announced their official 20-player squad for the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship. The young group will head to Mexico for training and then Nicaragua for the eight-nation competition, an important development step on the pathway to the Women’s National Team and future FIFA Women’s World Cups and Olympic Football Tournaments.
Fans can watch the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship live via Facebook.com/concacaf. In addition, exclusive behind-the scenes content and post-match commentary are available on Canada Soccer’s digital channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.
At the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship, three nations will qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018. In the group phase, Canada will face Bermuda on 20 April, Costa Rica on 22 April, and USA on 24 April. Two nations from the group will then advance to semi-final phase.
“We have an exciting draw with two familiar opponents in Costa Rica and USA along with an exciting opening match against Caribbean side Bermuda,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National EXCEL Director U-15 to U-23. “This competition provides a great opportunity for players to experience new styles of play, heat, quick turnarounds between matches, and ultimately perform and flourish under pressure to qualify for a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. It is a huge learning experience.”
The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018 runs 13 November to 1 December in Colonia del Sacramento, Montevideo, and Maldonado. Already, 10 of 16 nations have qualified for Uruguay 2018, with only spots in Concacaf and UEFA yet to be decided in April and May. The Official Draw for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018 is 30 May in Zürich, Switzerland.
Under an aligned Women’s EXCEL Program, the 20 Canadian players will have collectively accumulated more than 2,000 player days in Canada Soccer’s women’s youth program by the time their competition starts on 20 April. Three players (Teni Akindoju, Jayde Riviere, and Caitlin Shaw) have already accumulated more than 200 camp days and three players have already earned their first call up to the Women’s National Team (Riviere, Jordyn Huitema, and Ariel Young).
All 20 players are also currently enrolled at Canada Soccer’s Super EXCEL Centres in British Columbia, Ontario, and Québec, with two players previously at Regional EXCEL Centres in Nova Scotia (Akindoju) and Alberta (Andersen Williams).
Also highlighted in the squad, 11 players have previous experience at a Concacaf youth competition, be it at the U-15, U-17, or U-20 level. Among the nine debutants, the three youngest are 15-year old players Stella Downing, Jade Rose, and Élisabeth Tsé.
“We have a really motivated group and the final 20 spots were very difficult to select, but I know the players selected can’t wait until that first whistle at the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship,” said Priestman. “Our players will do everything they can to make Canada proud.”
Canada U-17 Women's Roster
CANADA
1- GK- Anna Karpenko | CAN / Vaughan SC | OPDL
2- FB- Élisabeth Tsé | CAN / CS Phénix des Rivières de Québec
3- F- Jayde Riviere | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite | OPDL Graduate (Markham SC)
4- CB- Sonia Walk | CAN / North Toronto SC | OPDL
5- CB- Maya Antoine | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite | OPDL Graduate (Vaughan SC)
6- CB- Ariel Young | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC Girls Elite
7- F- Serita Thurton | CAN / Markham SC | OPDL
8- M- Caitlin Shaw | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
9- F- Jordyn Huitema | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
10- F- Aaliyah Scott | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite | OPDL Graduate (Markham SC)
11- F- Kaila Novak | CAN / FC London Academy | League1 Ontario
12- F- Teni Akindoju | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
13- CB- Olivia Cooke | CAN / West Ottawa SC | OPDL
14- M- Maya Ladhani | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite | OPDL Graduate (Vaughan SC)
15- M- Wayny Balata | CAN / CS Lakeshore
16- F- Andersen Williams | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
17- M- Stella Downing | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite
18- GK- Sophie Guilmette | CAN / CS Lakeshore
19- M- Jade Rose | CAN / Unionville Milliken SC | OPDL
20- FB- Julianne Vallerand | CAN / AS Varennes
CANADA A-Z
Name | Birthyear | City where they grew up | Active start/first club
Akindoju, Teni | 2001 | Halifax, NS, CAN | Halifax Dunbrack SC
Antoine, Maya | 2001 | Vaughan, ON, CAN | Vaughan SC
Balata, Wayny | 2001 | Montréal, QC, CAN | AS Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Cooke, Olivia | 2001 | Ottawa, ON, CAN | Ottawa South United SC
Downing, Stella | 2002 | Vancouver, BC, CAN |
Guilmette, Sophie | 2001 | Montréal, QC, CAN | Braves d'Ahuntsic
Huitema, Jordyn | 2001 | Chilliwack, BC, CAN | Chilliwack FC
Karpenko, Anna | 2002 | Richmond Hill, ON, CAN | Richmond Hill SC
Ladhani, Maya | 2002 | Guelph, ON, CAN | Guelph SA
Novak, Kaila | 2002 | St. Thomas, ON, CAN | St. Thomas SC
Riviere, Jayde | 2001 | Markham, ON, CAN | West Rouge SC
Rose, Jade | 2003 | Markham, ON, CAN | Markham SC
Scott, Aaliyah | 2001 | Pickering, ON, CAN | Pickering SC
Shaw, Caitlin | 2001 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | Coquitlam SC
Thurton, Serita | 2002 | Ajax, ON, CAN | Ajax SC
Tsé, Élisabeth | 2002 | Québec, QC, CAN | CS Phénix des Rivières de Québec
Vallerand, Julianne | 2001 | Terrebonne, QC, CAN | CS Terrebonne
Walk, Sonia | 2002 | Toronto, ON, CAN | East York SC
Williams, Andersen | 2002 | Calgary, AB, CAN | Calgary South West United SA
Young, Ariel | 2001 | Ottawa, ON, CAN | Ottawa South United