THE CANADIAN PRESS
GUATEMALA CITY — Defending champion Canada opens against Panama on Wednesday to kick off the CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship.
Eight teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean are battling for three berths in the U-17 Women’s World Cup that starts Sept. 22 in Azerbaijan.
Canada is in Pool A with host Guatemala, Jamaica and Panama. Pool B consists of the Bahamas, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S.
The tournament turns though May 12.
Canada qualified for the two previous U-17 world championships, losing to Germany in the quarter-finals in 2008 and failing to advance out of the first round in 2010.
North Korea won the inaugural event in 2008, followed by South Korea two years later.
At the last CONCACAF championships, the Americans outscored their opposition 38-0 in the tournament but had to settle for third place after losing on penalties to Canada in a semifinal that ended 0-0.
Canada went on to defeat Mexico 1-0 in the final.
The Bahamas are just glad to be here this time. Thanks to a 1-0 win over Guyana in December, the Bahamas are at their first CONCACAF championship at any level.
Canada, coached by Bryan Rosenfeld, had its first training session in Guatemala on Tuesday after an eight-day camp in Sunrise, Fla., that ended Monday.
Besides Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, only two other CONCACAF countries have qualified for the U17 World Cup. Costa Rica, didn’t qualify for the regional finals this time, and Trinidad and Tobago served as host of the 2010 World Cup.
The 16-country Azerbaijan World Cup will also feature three teams from Asia (China, Japan and North Korea), three teams from Africa (Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria), one team from Oceania (New Zealand), three teams from South America (Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay), host Azerbaijan and two more teams from Europe (to be determined in late June).
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Canada
Goalkeepers: Taylor Bucklin, CFC United; Kailen Sheridan, Pickering SC.
Defenders: Madeline Iozzi, Pickering SC; Lindsay Agnew, Ohio Premier Eagles; Kadeisha Buchanan, Erin Mills Mighty Eagles U-16; Nicole Loncar, Brams United SC; Victoria Pickett, Glen Shields; Rebecca Pongetti, Oakville SC; Carley Radomski, Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite; Larisa Staub, Angels SWU.
Midfielders: Jasmin Dhanda, Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite; Ashley Lawrence, Erin Mills Mighty Eagles U-16; Rebecca Quinn, Erin Mills Mighty Eagles U-16; Sabrina Santarossa, CS Vallee Richelieu; Summer Clarke, Richmond Red Hot Selects U-16.
Forwards: Elissa Neff, Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite; Kajal Parmar, Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite; Amandine Pierre-Louis, Saint-Leonard; Nichelle Prince, Pickering SC; Valerie Sanderson, FC Boisbriand U-16.