MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Captain Jordyn Huitema opened scoring in the 77th minute as Canada surged to a 3-0 win over Colombia on Wednesday to open up the women’s under-17 World Cup.
Andersen Williams and Jessica De Filippoboth scored from close range in the few minutes of play as Canada overcame a slow start.
“Any FIFA World Cup match, a first one specifically, you’re going to see some nerves and some anxiety just to get the tournament going,” said head coach Rhian Wilkinson “We definitely started slower than we’d like but they built into the game and the confidence kept going. I was really proud of the girls.”
Both sides struggled to find any attacking rhythm in the first half, but the match came to life in the second half.
Midfielder Caitlin Shaw’s strike off the crossbar early in the second half was indication that the Canadians were starting to find their groove.
She then set up Huitema off a set piece, whipping in a corner kick to find the head of Canada’s captain in the penalty area. The towering forward rose above her markers to finish from close range past Lugo.
“The build-up was incredible, and the corner was drawn from an amazing play and opportunity,” said Huitema of the opening goal. “Shaw put in a great ball and I just had to get on the end of it.”
The Canadians next play on Saturday when they take on South Korea.
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