CONCACAF victory highlight of 2008 youth season

Canada’s women’s U-20 team provided the Association’s youth program’s moment of the year when it won the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship in June. It was Canada’s second confederation championship in three tries against USA since 2004.
​Karla Schacher scored the winning goal in the 1:0 victory on 28 June in Puebla, Mexico. Goalkeeper Erin McNulty provided the clean sheet with defenders Rheanne Sleiman, Lexi Marton, Myriam Bouchard and Allysha Chapman in front of her.
​Both Canada’s women’s U-20 and U-17 teams qualified for FIFA World Cups in 2008, the U-20s for Chile 2008 and the U-17s for New Zealand 2008. One month after the U-20s finished first in Puebla, the U-17s finished third in Trinidad & Tobago at the 2008 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship.
​Canada’s women’s U-20 team, whose title sponsor is Winners, posted a record of nine wins, three draws and three losses in 2008. After finishing first in CONCACAF, it failed to advance beyond a tough group phase at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Chile 2008. Canada is one of five nations to have participated in four-straight FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cups.
​Canada’s top U-20 goal scorer in 2008 was Jonelle Filigno, who scored seven goals including a hat trick at the CONCACAF championship. Filigno missed the opening match at Chile 2008, but then scored her seventh youth goal of the year in a 4:0 win over Congo DR. Seventeen-year old star Monica Lam-Feist scored five goals in 2008, including a team-best two at Chile 2008.
​Goalkeeper Erin McNulty played in 14 of Canada’s 15 international matches. She posted six clean sheets. Justine Bernier posted a clean sheet in her lone match of the season (a 3:0 win over Mexico back in May).
​Canada’s women’s U-17 team, whose title sponsor is BMO Financial Group, posted a record of five wins, two draws and four losses in 2008. After finishing third in CONCACAF, it reached the quarter-final stage at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup New Zealand 2008. Rachel Lamarre scored the first-ever goal while Canada recorded the first-ever win at the new tournament.
​Canada’s top U-17 goal scorer in 2008 was Tiffany Cameron with six goals including the winner in the bronze-medal match at the CONCACAF championship. Nkem Ezurike, meanwhile, finished second with four international goals including two at New Zealand 2008.
​On the men’s side, both the U-20 and U-17 teams began preparations for the 2009 CONCACAF championships. The U-20 team played two full internationals – both 1:1 draws (May against Argentina and November against Switzerland). The U-17 team did not play any international matches, but did make a trip to Mexico for some exhibition games against local clubs.
​Also in 2008, the Canadian Soccer Association named its new Technical Director, Mr. Stephen Hart. As for the four head coaches, they are Ian Bridge (U-20 women since October), Bryan Rosenfeld (U-17 women), Tony Fonseca (U-20 men since November) and Sean Fleming (U-17 women).