MIAMI, Florida – A pair of tickets to the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup will be on the line on Friday in the semifinals of the 2023 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship in the Dominican Republic.
Both matches will be played at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo, with the winners of each semifinal qualifying for the 2024 U20 Women’s World Cup.
The losing team from each semifinal will still have a chance to secure a ticket to the World Cup in Sunday’s Third-Place match.
The day begins with Mexico taking on Canada. El Tricolor could not have asked for a better group stage campaign in Group B with three wins in three matches, while outscoring opponents 11-0 to win the group.
Maribel Flores leads Mexico in scoring with three goals, however Tatiana Flores and Montserrat Saldivar have been just as effective going forward. Flores has been involved in 13 scoring chances, while Saldivar leads the tournament in shots on goal with six.
Canada were very solid in their second place finish in Group A, scoring 11 goals, with the only blemish being a 5-2 loss to the United States.
Olivia Smith has three goals of her own in the tournament, while the talented Nyah Rose leads the CWU20 in assists with three.
In CWU20 play, Canada lead the all-time series versus Mexico with a 4W-2D-2L record, however the margins have been razor-thin. In their last seven encounters in the CWU20, the margin of victory has either been a single goal or the match has ended in a draw.
Mexico emerged with a 1-0 triumph in their last CWU20 meeting in 2022 when Anette Vazquez tallied the game-winning goal.
A win would give Mexico their 10th U20 Women’s World Cup berth, while Canada are seeking their ninth.
The nightcap will feature defending champions United States squaring off with Costa Rica.
The U.S. topped Group A with three wins, scoring a tournament-high 15 goals and conceding just two.
Madeline Dahlien and Ally Sentnor are among a group of three players tied for the tournament lead in scoring with four goals, while Leah Klenke has been a key piece in the middle of the park with 179 completed passes.
Costa Rica boast plenty of talent as well, namely Sheika Scott, who is tied with Dahlien and Sentnor in the scoring table with four goals, and GK Genesis Perez, who is the co-leader in saves with 20.
There have been five previous CWU20 meetings between the U.S. and Costa Rica, with the U.S. holding a 4W-1D-0L advantage. Their last meeting was a 6-0 U.S. win in 2014, but now a new generation of Costa Rica players will look to make history and defeat the U.S. for the first time.
The U.S. are targeting an 11th U20 Women’s World Cup appearance, while Costa Rica will be aiming for their fourth.
Data, statistics in the Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship: CAN vs MEX and USA vs CRC.
