November 11 – The CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship ended with a penalty shoot-out win for Mexico over Canada in Montego Bay, Jamaica, this weekend. Mexico and Canada will join host Costa Rica as CONCACAF representatives in the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which starts in March.
Mexico won the championship the hard way, starting slowly with a 1-1 draw against Haiti but progressed to the knock-out stages and overcoming a powerful US team in the semi-fiaal on penalties.
CONCACAF, which has 10 million registered female footballers, will be the focus of womens international football over the next two years. Costa Rica host the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup next year, while Canada host the U20 version. Canada host the full FIFA Womens World Cup in 2015.
The FIFA Womens U17 World Cup has been held three times previously. In 2008 in New Zealand, North Korea were winners; South Korea won in 2010 in Trinidad and Tobago; reigning champions are France who won in 2012 in Azerbaijan.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1736914899labto1736914899ofdlr1736914899owedi1736914899sni@n1736914899osloh1736914899cin.l1736914899uap1736914899