Canada Drops 2-1 Decision to North Korea in Final Match of FIFA U-20 World Cup Group Play
Monday, August 27, 2012 | Soccer
Canada was eliminated from the 2012 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup after a 2-1 loss to North Korea on Monday in Saitama, Japan. Incoming junior striker Adriana Leon played the entirety of the match.
Leon assisted on Christine Exeter's goal in the 12th minute which put the Canadians on top 1-0. North Korea's Kim Un Hwa knotted the score in the 33rd minute – her seventh goal of the tournament. The game-winner came off a penalty kick by Yun Hyon Hi in the 78th minute.
The two teams to defeat Canada – North Korea and Norway – advance from Group C play to the quarterfinal round.
Leon transferred to Florida for this season after playing her first two collegiate seasons at Notre Dame. It was Leon who scored the only goal of the 2010 NCAA College Cup championship match to give the Fighting Irish their third national crown with a 1-0 win over Stanford. As a freshman, she was fifth on the ND team with four goals, two assists for 10 points and ranked second among the Irish in 2011 with six goals, five assists for 17 points.
| Canada's results in Group C play include: | ||||
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | |
| Aug. 20 | Argentina | Kobe, Japan | W, 6-0 | |
| Aug. 23 | Norway | Kobe, Japan | L, 2-1 | |
| Aug. 27 | North Korea | Saitama, Japan | L, 2-1 | |
The top two teams in each of the four groups advance to the quarterfinals, which begin Aug. 30. The four match-ups for the quarterfinal are:
| Date | Opponent | Opponent | Venue |
| Aug. 30 | Nigeria | Mexico | Tokyo |
| Aug. 30 | Japan | South Korea | Tokyo |
| Aug. 31 | North Korea | USA | Saitama |
| Aug. 31 | Germany | Norway | Saitama |
Semifinal play is set for Sept. 4 and the final is Sept. 8.
