MIAMI, Florida – Concacaf referees achieved new heights at the recently concluded 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in India.
The tournament, which was staged from October 11-30, saw the largest refereeing delegation in Concacaf history for a FIFA Youth World Cup.
A total of 14 match officials were assigned to work last month’s tournament, including three Head Referees, six Assistant Referees and five Video Match Officials.
“Concacaf helped me grow as a person and as a referee,” said Referee Katia Garcia of Mexico, who earned the distinction of being the Head Referee for the Final.
“Concacaf’s commitment to women’s refereeing helped me stay focused and kept me motivated to continue working hard toward achieving my goals. Concacaf’s ongoing support from a technical, physical, and mental aspect of the refereeing provided me the confidence to perform at my highest ability for milestone moments in my career; refereeing the 2022 W Championship Final and the 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup Final,” added Garcia.
In addition to the aforementioned appointments, there were two other officials who played key roles during the tournament. Alan Brown of Costa Rica served as a Fitness Instructor, while Greg Barkey of the United States was a VAR Instructor for his peers.
It was a busy World Cup for all of Concacaf’s officials, as each Referee Trio (1 Referee and 2 Assistant Referees) received a minimum of two match appointments during the group stage and each Video Match Official received three appointments during the group stage.
It was a similar story in the knockout rounds of the tournament, with Concacaf referees leading the way in many regards.
In the Japan vs. Spain quarterfinal match, Garcia (Mexico), Enedina Caudillo (Mexico) and Mijensa Rensch (Mexico) worked as a Concacaf Referee Trio, with Garcia working as the Head Referee and Caudillo and Rensch as Assistant Referees.
Meanwhile, another four Video Match Officials worked three matches during the quarterfinal round.
The semifinal round also saw Myrian Marcotte of Canada serve as the Fourth Official during the Nigeria-Colombia match, while Ekaterina Koroleva and Felisha Mariscal, each of the United States, worked as Video Match Officials.
Another two Video Match Officials from Concacaf, Tatiana Guzman of Nicaragua and Shirley Perello of Honduras, were appointed for the Third-Place Match between Nigeria and Germany.
But the crowning achievement came in the Final, where it was a Concacaf Referee Trio of Garcia as Head Referee and Caudillo and Rensch as Assistant Referees, along with Canada’s Carol Anne Chenard as the Video Assistant Referee.
For Garcia, it was the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I have been working for years on my physical, mental, technical development. Discipline and hard work have been key to achieving my goals, but also the support and development from my country, Mexico, and my confederation, Concacaf.
“Refereeing a final at the FIFA level has always been a dream of mine. It would not have been a reality without my referee commission at the Mexican Football Federation and the Concacaf Refereeing Department believing in my abilities and supporting my development,” said Garcia.
These accomplishments by the Garcia and the other 13 Concacaf referees in India are just the latest example of Concacaf’s commitment to refereeing excellence in all arenas.
