Jordyn Huitema scored two goals and added an assist in Canada’s 3-1 win over Costa Rica on Thursday in their first match of the CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship.
Canada sought to impose their play on the Costa Ricans from the early minutes of the game, building out from the back line and putting cross after cross into the box, but, it was Catalina Estrada of Costa Rica who struck first, scoring off a misplayed ball by Canada in the 28th minute.
After heading into halftime down a goal, Canada rebounded coming into the second half with an offensive thrust that put them ahead 12 minutes in with goals seven minutes apart (Huitema 50’, Carle 57’). Huitema went on to pick up a second goal (66’) to clinch three points for Canada.
Huitema, 16, was one of six players from the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BC Soccer REX program who started the match for Canada.
“We are really pleased. We wanted to go out there and earn those critical three points and we did. I think the team played very well,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer Women’s U-20 Head Coach and Women’s National EXCEL Director U15-U23 after the match. “There are some things we will take away from this match, but we are now looking ahead to a match against a very different opponent, hosts Trinidad and Tobago, only two days from now.”
Canada will face Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday and Haiti on Monday to round out the group stage. The top two teams from each group will go on to compete in the knockout round to determine the three CONCACAF nations to qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 to be held later in the year.
