Two products from the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite program have been selected for Canada's 21-player squad for the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022. Included on the roster is fullback Mia Pante, now at Texas A&M University, and winger Holly Ward, now at the University of Texas. Also included is former Whitecaps FC Girls Elite player Maya Ladhani.
The Canada squad, selected by U-20 coach Cindy Tye, will travel to Costa Rica next month and be amongst the 16 nations participating in the biennial FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup from August 10 to 28.
"We know that the experience of competing and being exposed to different styles of play is critical for our young players development,” said Cindy Tye, Canada Soccer’s women’s U-20 national team coach. “It will be a great opportunity for this age group to be tested on the international stage and we can’t wait to get started.”
Canada have been drawn into Group C for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022 and will face Korea Republic on Thursday, August 11, France on Sunday, August 14, and Nigeria on Wednesday, August 17. All of Canada’s matches will be broadcast live on TSN and RDS. Beyond the group phase, the quarterfinals are August 20 and 21, the semifinals are August 25, and both the Match for Third Place and Final on August 28. Fans will find extended coverage for the Canadian Championship across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube featuring the hashtag #canw20.
Canada qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup earlier this year by finishing in third place at the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship in the Dominican Republic. Across seven matches in just over two weeks, Canada posted six wins and one loss with 32 goals scored and just one goal conceded in seven international matches against Concacaf competition.
To be eligible for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022, players must be born in 2002 or later. Already this year, Canada Soccer have featured 40 different players in youth camps for this age category, including a recent camp in Ontario that provided coach Tye with an opportunity to assess and reassess players since the Concacaf tournament in February and March.
Of note, this will be the first FIFA youth tournament since the global pandemic canceled global tournaments in 2020 and 2021. Already this year, Canada have qualified for both the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022 and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022. From the Concacaf region, Canada, Mexico, USA and hosts Costa Rica have all qualified for this year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
CANADA
1- GK- Anna Karpenko | USA / Harvard University
2- M- Zoe Burns | USA / University of Southern California
3- FB- Mia Pante | USA / Texas A&M University
4- CB- Jade Rose | USA / Harvard University
5- CB- Annika Leslie | USA / West Virginia University
6- M- Maya Ladhani | DEN / Næstved HG
7- F- Florianne Jourde | CAN / NDC-CDN Québec
8- M- Sonia Walk | USA / Boston College
9- F- Miya Grant-Clavijo | USA / Brown University
10- M- Nikayla Small | USA / Wake Forest University
11- F- Kaila Novak | USA / UCLA
12- CB- Vivianne Bessette | USA / University of South Florida
13- M- Simi Awujo | USA / University of Southern California
14- CB- Brooklyn Courtnall | USA / University of Southern California
15- FB- Élisabeth Tsé | USA / Southern Methodist University
16- M- Keera Melenhorst | USA / University of Pittsburgh
17- W- Holly Ward | USA / University of Texas
18- M- Olivia Smith | USA / Florida State University
19- F- Serita Thurton | USA / University of South Florida
20- GK- Sierra Giorgio | USA / Syracuse University
21- GK- Coralie Lallier | CAN / NDC-CDN Québec
