CONCACAF 2015 Women World Cup Qualifier/CONCACAF 2014 Women's Championship

[elan]

Group A






Group B






Final Stage

[elan]

USA face CONCACAF minnows with World Cup berth on the line



The United States women's national team learned the path it will have to negotiate to the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada on Friday morning as the draw for the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which will double as World Cup qualifying, was made in Miami.
The Americans were drawn into Group A with Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala and Haiti. They avoided Mexico and Costa Rica, the only teams capable of posing something of a threat, who were cast into Group B along with Jamaica and Martinique - a side which isn't actually eligible to qualify, as is actually part of France.

The USA will now face Trinidad and Tobago first in Kansas City on Oct. 15. Two days later, they take on Guatemala in Chicago. They round out group play against Haiti on Oct. 20 in Washington, DC. The semifinals and finals will take place in Philadelphia on Oct. 24 and 26, respectively. All of the games will be aired on the FOX Sports family of networks.


On paper, qualifying ought to be a mere formality for the world's long-time number one team, especially given the soft draw. Four years ago, however, the USA were upset by Mexico 2-1 in the semifinals after demolishing their opposition in the group stage. That meant the Americans had to win a crucial game against Costa Rica to clinch third place, and then beat Italy in a home-and-away playoff. They managed, if only just - by a pair of 1-0 scores - but the experience put a good scare into the eventual 2011 Women's World Cup finalists.

Qualifying for the 2012 Olympics was far more straightforward, as the Americans swept through their five CONCACAF qualifying games by a cumulative 38-0 scoring margin.

This time around, World Cup qualification ought to be a bit simpler. Canada, the second-strongest team in the region by some distance, are qualified automatically as hosts. Now that the Women's World Cup has expanded to 24 teams, from 16, the CONCACAF region will get 3 ½ berths, rather than 2 ½ - in addition to Canada's. That is to say that both finalists and the winner of the third-place game will qualify automatically while the country that comes in fourth will go to a playoff with the third-placed side in South American qualifying.

That means, simply, there exists no excuse for the most laureled side in women's soccer - the only one to have medaled at all six World Cups - to qualify at a canter. But that means winning at least one knockout game and those are unpredictable.


There is a very good chance that the Americans will have to take on Mexico on that all-important semifinal again, in a rematch from four years ago. They should be better prepared this time around though, as the Americans play Mexico in a pair of friendlies on Sept. 13 and 18 in Salt Lake City and Rochester, NY, respectively, following a week-long camp.


They hope to sort out the issues that tripped them up earlier on in this unusually volatile year. So far, the Americans have slumped to seventh place at the Algarve Cup, their worst-ever performance, and unexpectedly saw head coach Tom Sermanni fired and replaced by Jill Ellis in April. Since then, results have been somewhat mixed as Ellis works to modernize and rejuvenate the side.
They have until Oct. 15 to get it right.

[elan]

USA Drawn into Group A at 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, Will Face Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala, Haiti

CHICAGO (Sept. 5, 2014) – The U.S. Women’s National Team has been drawn into Group A for the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship where it will face Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala and Haiti in first-round play. The groups and matchups were set during the Final Draw for the tournament that was held this morning in Miami. Group B features Costa Rica, Mexico, Jamaica and Martinique.

The USA opens its competition on Oct. 15 in Kansas City against Trinidad & Tobago (7:30 p.m. CT), then moves with Group A to Chicago where it will face Guatemala on Oct. 17 (8 p.m. CT) and finishes the first round in Washington, D.C., against Haiti on Oct. 20 (7:30 p.m. ET).


“An opponent at this point is an opponent standing between us and the World Cup,” U.S. head coach Jill Ellis said. “We will prepare for every team with the same respect, resolve and planning while making sure our focus is on our performance. We will approach every game with the intent of maximizing our points and getting to the semifinal.”

The tournament, which will take place from Oct. 15-26, features eight countries divided into two groups of four with each group’s top two finishers after round-robin play advancing to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinal matches and the third-place match will qualify directly to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada. The fourth-place finisher will earn a spot in a two-game playoff against the third-place team from South America for a final berth to Canada.

Martinique cannot qualify for the semifinal stage as it is not recognized as a FIFA country. Therefore, if Martinique finishes in one of the top two spots in its group, the third-place team would advance to the semifinals.

All the countries, including the U.S. Women’s National Team, will play one match in each of the three first-round venues. Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas (Oct. 15-16), Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois (Oct. 17-18), and RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. (Oct. 20-21), will each host two doubleheaders, one each for Groups A and B on succeeding days. PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, will host the semifinal matches on Oct. 24, along with the third-place match and championship games on Oct. 26.

All matches will be televised live across FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 or FOX Soccer Plus and will also be available on multi-platform devices via FOX Sports GO, FOX Soccer 2GO and FOXSportsGO.com.

Additional Notes:

- The United States won the first four CONCACAF Women’s World Cup qualifying tournaments in which it competed (1991, 1994, 2002 and 2006) but fell to Mexico in the semifinal of the 2010 competition, which forced the USA to win the third-place match and then defeat Italy in a two-game playoff to earn a berth to Germany.

- The first four CONCACAF Women’s World Cup qualifying championship games featured a USA vs. Canada matchup, but as host of the upcoming Women’s World Cup, Canada will not be participating in the latest edition of the tournament.

- The U.S. is a combined 12-0-0 against its three group opponents (6-0-0 in World Cup qualifying).

- The USA is 7-0-0 all-time against Trinidad & Tobago, including a 3-0-0 record in World Cup qualifying matches. Those include a 10-0 victory on April 22, 1991, an 11-1 win on Aug. 17, 1994, and a 3-0 victory on Oct. 29, 2002. The USA and Trinidad & Tobago most recently faced each other in Olympic qualifying on Feb. 25, 2004, with the USA earning a 7-0 victory.

- The U.S. WNT has won both of its previous matches against Guatemala – a 9-0 victory during the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s Championship and a 13-0 win on Jan. 22, 2012, during Olympic qualifying. That 2012 win is the second-most lopsided decision in USA history behind only the 14-0 victory against the Dominican Republic just two days earlier.

- The USA has also had its success against its third group opponent, Haiti. The team won its three previous meetings, including a 10-0 decision on April 25, 1991, and a 5-0 victory on Oct. 28, 2010, in World Cup qualifying. The other matchup was an 8-0 USA win in Olympic qualifying on Feb. 27, 2004.

[elan]

We have 1 month to step up training and get ready for this. Hope we can get it done.

[Bakes]

Tough draw.

[Soccer 19]

Tough draw.

I like the draw , we will have tough matches against Guatemala & Haiti however we should win those.
USA well hopefully the soccer gods are smiling on us that day

On the other hand lets say we were in the other group and we end up in 2nd behind Mexico. We would then play the USA in the cross-over game. I like where we are ...... JMHO

I believe camp opens this weekend or Monday at latest for the Princesses.

Best of luck ladies as we all will be cheering 

Cheers

19

[Sando prince]

Tough draw.

I like the draw , we will have tough matches against Guatemala & Haiti however we should win those.
USA well hopefully the soccer gods are smiling on us that day

On what basis you believe we will easily beat Guatemala?. Because we are CFU champions? You believe this team is prepared?

[FF]

Tough draw.

I like the draw , we will have tough matches against Guatemala & Haiti however we should win those.
USA well hopefully the soccer gods are smiling on us that day

On what basis you believe we will easily beat Guatemala?. Because we are CFU champions? You believe this team is prepared?

Who you responding to?

[Sando prince]

Tough draw.

I like the draw , we will have tough matches against Guatemala & Haiti however we should win those.
USA well hopefully the soccer gods are smiling on us that day

On what basis you believe we will easily beat Guatemala?. Because we are CFU champions? You believe this team is prepared?

Who you responding to?

Ok since you choose to be a simpleton. The poster said we should win the Guatemala game. (I bet most in here have not seen the Guatemalan women in action)

So on what basis should this team win the Guatemala game? because we mash up weak Caribbean teams? This team is still not prepared. They have one month to get prepared

[FF]

Haha simpleton.

The man clearly say 2 tough matches.

[elan]

Haha simpleton.

The [wo]man clearly say 2 tough matches.

[Sando prince]

Haha simpleton.

The man clearly say 2 tough matches.

Attorney simpleton you not representing him well

My response was directed to his belief that T&T should beat Guatemala. So again I ask on what basis? If you can't answer then you should wait and allow your client to answer 

[FF]

Haha simpleton.

The man clearly say 2 tough matches.

Attorney simpleton you not representing him well

My response was directed to his belief that T&T should beat Guatemala. So again I ask on what basis? If you can't answer then you should wait and allow your client to answer 

Bossman, well you ent representing english comprehension very well.
I could give as good as I get eh.   

You put words in the original poster mouth. Nothing close to beating Guatemala nor Haiti easily was said nor implied.
But I will stay out of it.

[hg495]

I rounding up ah crew for the DC games for sure RED WHITE and BLACK all the way.

[asylumseeker]

Lawyer in Women's World Cup Turf Case Warns of 'Intimidation'

(Reuters) - Lawyers for over 40 top female players threatening to sue FIFA over the proposed use of artificial grass at the 2015 Women's World Cup are investigating reports that players are being pressured against taking legal action.

Players from Germany, Brazil, Spain and the United States are among those claiming the use of artificial turf instead of grass for the June 5-July 6 event in Canada is discriminatory given the men's World Cup is always played on grass.

Attorney Hampton Dellinger said he is investigating several reports he has received that players are being told by their national federations not to be involved in any legal action.

"Such intimidation may run afoul of anti-retaliation laws which mandate that victims of gender discrimination have the right to institute or participate in legal proceedings without the threat of reprisal," Dellinger wrote in a letter, seen by Reuters, which has been sent to FIFA, tournament organizers and presidents of the six regional confederations that make up FIFA.

"This right is something that lawyers representing the players take very seriously. I urge you to take every necessary step to ensure that your national federations are not violating the players' rights.

"Players must feel free to criticise the gender discrimination proposed for the most important event in their sport and join any legal proceedings necessary to vindicate their human rights under applicable law."

Also attached with the letter was a summary of a 2013 survey carried out on behalf of FIFA which showed top players had made it clear they preferred to play top tournaments on grass.

The survey of 190 'elite female players' found that 77 percent agreed with the statement "all matches at a major tournament should be played on natural turf."

"Instead of following the players' obvious sentiments (as well as anti-discrimination laws), World Cup 2015 organizers simply ignored the very opinions they solicited," wrote Dellinger.

Neither FIFA nor the tournament's local organisers in Canada immediately responded for comment on the letter.

Abby Wambach of the United States and Germany's Nadine Angerer - FIFA players of the year for 2012 and 2013, respectively, are among those who signed the original letter threatening legal action.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup for men in Brazil was played on grass and there are no plans to shift future men's tournaments to artificial turf. Some professional football leagues and some FIFA World Cup age-group matches are played on artificial turf.

Canada will host the Women's World Cup in six cities - Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton, where stadiums with artificial turf predominate.

Source: The New York Times, September 3, 2014

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Frank Pingue)

[gawd on pitch]

Costa Rica is way better than Guatemala. . The road would have been harder if we got Costa Rica. The draw is a good one.. However we still need the preparation. 

[Sando]

Anyone going out there to support our ladies?

I wonder if they got any support to start their preparations?

[Deeks]

I am looking to go to the Haiti match in DC.

[MAJ]

Tough draw.

I like the draw , we will have tough matches against Guatemala & Haiti however we should win those.
USA well hopefully the soccer gods are smiling on us that day

On what basis you believe we will easily beat Guatemala?. Because we are CFU champions? You believe this team is prepared?

On the basis of, the last time both teams met, T&T won 3-2 in tournament play and won 2 friendly internationals against them...

[Soccer 19]

Anyone going out there to support our ladies?

I wonder if they got any support to start their preparations?

My better half and I will be following the team from Kansas City to Chicago to Washington to Philadelphia 


Cheers

19

[elan]

Fast Forward to 3:12

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/vkAIO4JXq2w" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/vkAIO4JXq2w</a>

[maxg]

lawd...we sound worse off than Haiti...but now we maybe can get ah drive in some armored Vehicles..so we could get to games safe   

[Sando prince]

Fast Forward to 3:12

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/vkAIO4JXq2w" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/vkAIO4JXq2w</a>

All about preparation. If we are not prepared we won't qualify for the WC.

[elan]

Fast Forward to 3:12

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/vkAIO4JXq2w" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/vkAIO4JXq2w</a>

All about preparation. If we are not prepared we won't qualify for the WC.

They will qualify. They not aiming for 1st or 2nd they aiming for that 3rd spot or 1/2 spot. Not much preparation if they smart. I hope they learn from the U20s.

The U20 should have put a 2nd string to play the USA (cause was cut tail any way) and let the main players get an extra day of rest, especially with all the injuries we had. Instead we run the team to the ground and run out ah steam vs CR.

Now let's see how we approach this one.

[elan]

USWNT dismantling Mexico 7-0 8-0 right now.

 

[elan]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/2ws84Izhmd4&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;list=UUk1pcWQ5E19g0Cgp4c1eI1w" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/2ws84Izhmd4&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;list=UUk1pcWQ5E19g0Cgp4c1eI1w</a>

[Tallman]

Reggae Girlz Strike Hard (feat Cedella, Stephen & Damian Marley)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/E-FGj6xZk9E" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/E-FGj6xZk9E</a>

Jamaica Reggae Girlz - Strike Hard - Episode 1
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/9jOPxG0LUO8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/9jOPxG0LUO8</a>

[Tallman]

Kimika Forbes prepares for World Cup Qualifiers
By Rene Cloukey (wagmtv.com)

A former University of Maine Fort Kent soccer player will be on the International Stage next month. Kimika Forbes will be the starting goaltender for Trinidad and Tobago when they attempt to qualify for the 2015 World Cup in Canada. Rene Cloukey has the story.

Kimika Forbes who helped lead the UMFK Bengals to a National Championship last year will now try to help guide Trinidad and Tobago to the 2015 World Cup.

Forbes:” Everyone is on the same page. We have a chemistry going and everyone is so excited. This is the first time our team has been excited about a competition. Normally we are going through the motions but now everyone sees we have a good chance to advance, but we are not underestimating any of the other teams in the group but we are working on our game plan and working one game at a time.”

Forbes was named the Outstanding goalie of the Caribbean Cup Championship. Trinidad and Tobago didn’t give up a goal in the tournament outscoring their opponents 20-0.

Forbes:” I know the team is coming together and saying you know what we got to do something for ourselves. This is going to change all lives. It’s not about nobody else it’s about us going on the field and giving our all 100 percent.”

Qualifying for the World Cup won’t be easy. Trinidad and Tobago are in the same pool with the United States. Forbes first game will be against the US on October 15th in Kansas City

Forbes:” We are going to take one game at a time. Even if we don’t come out on top or get a point in the US game we know we got our next focus is the second game and that is Haiti. It’s going to be a test for us. We played those two teams before and we got great results against those two teams, but it’s still when we played them before it is going to be a different team and a different game.”

Forbes continues to attend classes at UMFK in pursuit of her degree. She gives a lot of credit to her soccer coach Lucas Levesque and Athletic Director Bill Ashby for all their support and guidance.

Forbes:” I came to Coach Ashby even before I went to my teachers and said Coach can you help me talk to these teachers. This is a big opportunity for me and I have been really working hard. It’s the best chance of our lives and it is going to be a turning point for us. They have been big inspiration to me being here and moving on.”

Haiti and Guatemala are also in the bracket. The top two teams in each bracket will then meet for three spots in the World Cup. Forbes would love to help put Trinidad and Tobago and the University of Maine Fort Kent on the World map with a strong performance.
LISTEN to Kimika Forbes talk about preparing for the upcoming 2015 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers
http://pdl.vimeocdn.com/96026/326/288378701.mp4?token2=1411008966_c91fcca4f68861199c019c1a40e7b1a8&aksessionid=67ef5de7c24aa1fd

[asylumseeker]

Normally we are going through the motions but now everyone sees we have a good chance to advance, but we are not underestimating any of the other teams in the group but we are working on our game plan and working one game at a time.”

... she eh lie.

[elan]

Roger Sant ‏@RogerSant2  9m
Petrotrin offers Women's senior national football team accommodation at Beach Camp ahead of CONCACAF W Cup qualifiers.