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Tonight, all eyes are on Commonwealth Stadium as the Canadian women’s under 20 team look to upset Germany, and advance beyond the quarterfinals of a U20 tournament for the first time since 2002. Below are some pregame notes.
Looking at Germany
Germany has a fantastic history at the U20 women’s World Cup. They have won two titles, the first in 2004 and as hosts in 2010, were second in 2012 and third in 2002 and 2008. The only U20 tournament that Germany finished out of the top three was Russia 2006.
Sixteen players on Germany’s roster currently play professional football in the highest division of the German women’s Bundesliga. Two other players play for lower division clubs, and the remaining three play in the NCAA. Germany is certainly miles ahead of Canada in terms of having professional environments for their women’s soccer players to play.
As for individual players, Sara Däbritz of Germany currently leads the tournament in scoring, with five goals. Two other Germans, Pauline Bremer and Theresa Panfil, each have three goals.
History
Over the years, Canada has played the Germans twice at U20 tournaments. At Thailand 2004, Canada and Germany met in the group stage, and drew 3-3. In 2008 in Chile, Germany beat Canada 2-1 in the group stage.
Most recently at the youth level, Canada drew Germany 2-2 at the under 17 women’s World Cup last March, after leading the game 2-0 for 65 minutes. Four players on Canada’s current U20 squad featured in that U17 game, but no German players involved in March’s U17 WWC are on their U20 squad. At the senior level, Germany are ranked second in the world by FIFA, although many believe they should have the top spot. The latest friendly Canada’s senior team played this year was against Germany, a 2-1 loss on June 18th at BC Place.
Statistics from the Group Stage
Through three group games, here are some notable stats for the Canadian and German teams:
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Canada
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Germany
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Goals
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4
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12
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Goals Against
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3
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6
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Attempts on Target
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21
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31
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Attempts on Target Against
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21
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28
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Corners Taken
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18
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17
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Corners Conceded
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13
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20
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A few things stand out here. The fact that Germany managed to score 12 goals and get 31 shots on target while in the “group of death” illustrates just how dangerous their attack is. While Canada was only able to score four goals in the group stage, only conceding three goals and none in their last three halves of play is encouraging. The Germans are going to attack with pace and it is imperative that Canada do not concede early.
Quotes
Prior to Canada’s quarterfinal, forward Janine Beckie told FIFA.com, "I don't think we could be more ready. Germany are just another team for us. They're great opponents, I'm excited to play them, but I think where we're at now will keep propelling us through. We have our Canadian DNA and we never give up."
Andrew Olivieri, Canada’s coach, had this to say after Tuesday’s win that put Canada into the quarterfinals: “We had to be patient, and it was really difficult to get behind the Korean defence. We just had to find a different way and needed some individual quality to make the difference. During the final minutes, I didn’t know that Ghana was up, I thought it was still 1-1. But I knew that we couldn’t take a chance. It was crucial to keep that lead.”
After Canada’s win over North Korea on Tuesday, Emma Fletcher told FIFA.com, "Our goal is the semi-finals but getting through the group was always going to be tough enough, so we feel we've really achieved something tonight. But we know there's still a big job to be done at this tournament, and how tough Germany are going to be. For now we're just going to enjoy the night and the fact we've got through. But tomorrow the focus turns to Germany. I've never played against them with either New Zealand or Canada, so it will be a new experience for me. Whatever happens, it's going to be fun."
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