PUEBLA, Mexico — LSU freshman Taryne Boudreau and the Under-20 Canadian National Team have defeated squads from Nicaragua and Jamaica this week to advance to the semifinal round of the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championships at Cuauhtemoc Stadium.
The eight-team tournament sponsored by The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football features two groups of four with the top three finishers advancing to the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Chile from Nov. 19-Dec. 7.
Canada is currently tied with Costa Rica for first place in Group B as both teams have opened the competition by winning their first two matches and guaranteeing a spot in the semifinals.
Boudreau earned a starting spot in the midfield in Canada’s 2-0 shutout of Nicaragua on Tuesday before the team dominated Jamaica by a 3-1 margin on Thursday night. The group winner will be decided Saturday as Canada and Costa Rica square off to determine pairings for the semifinals.
A win or draw by Canada will send the squad into the semifinal round on Wednesday to face the second-place team from Group A. Canada has the advantage of goal differential on its side in the event of a tie as it is currently +4 while Costa Rica is +3 after two matches. A loss to Costa Rica will match the squad against the Group A winner for the right to advance to the title match.
Mexico and the United States are currently tied atop the standings in Group A at three points apiece after picking up dominating wins in their opening round matches on Wednesday.
Boudreau has already earned extensive international experience with the U-20 Canadian National Team, and she hopes to compete in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup for the first time in her career. She also represented her country with two appearances at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championships in Moscow, Russia, last summer.
Two semifinal matches at the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championships are set for June 25 with the winners advancing to the tournament final on June 28. The two teams squaring off in the final match will automatically advance to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, while a third-place match with the two semifinal losers is also set for June 28 to determine the third qualifier.