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SOCCER MEDIA REPORTS:

CANADA TO FACE US WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM IN FRISCO, TEXAS

20th February 2007

The Canadian National Women's team will meet their USA counterparts 12th May 2007, Mother's Day Weekend at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The U.S. Women's Team will wear special Nike pink jerseys for the game, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. This will mark the first-time the U.S. Women’s National Team has ever worn a special edition jersey.

The U.S. Women’s National Team has consistently featured mothers on its roster since 1994, when Joy Fawcett became the first “Soccer Mom” to give birth and continue playing at the highest levels of international soccer. Carla Overbeck and Danielle Fotopoulos also had babies while on the U.S. team, and most recently, three moms have played for the USA in defenders Kate Markgraf (mother of 6-month-old son Keegan), Christie Rampone (mother of 16-month-old daughter Riley) and Tina Frimpong (mother of almost 6-year-old MacKenzie).

The match will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT. Fans can follow all the action live on Fox Soccer Channel as well as ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker, and same day delay on Fox Sports en Espanol at 11 p.m. ET.

Canada's Head Coach Even Pellerud says “It’s time to play them again, and this time as a warm-up for a major event: The FIFA Women’s World Cup China 2007. Come kick-off time, the rivalry will be there as always.”

Canada and the United States last faced off against each other in the Gold Cup final on 26 November. The United States won the match 2:1 on a controversial penalty kick in extra time. By reaching the final, both teams qualified for the Women’s World Cup in China 2007. At the last Women’s World Cup in 2003, Canada finished fourth overall in the 16-team finals held in the United States. In 2006, Canada posted 10 wins, four draws and three losses in 17 games.“We will have spent considerable time together in our residency camp during the winter and spring months before the 12th May friendly,” says Pellerud. “Our players must prove to the coaching staff that they belong on the final roster for the World Cup. So, each international match performance will count highly towards our final decisions.”

“Canada has qualified for the 2007 Women’s World Cup and deservedly so,” said U.S. head coach Greg Ryan. “They are a highly committed team and the rivalry between the U.S. and Canada makes both teams better. It will be another great opportunity for us to get players quality minutes against a Women’s World Cup-caliber opponent.”

The match between the two North American teams will mark the 39th meeting between them, tying Norway for the most games played against an opponent in U.S. Women’s National Team history. The USA and Canada met three times in 2006 with the USA winning all three games, two in tournament finals, but all in tightly contested matches.

The USA won 2-0 on July 30 in Cary, N.C., downed Canada, 1-0, on Nov. 4 in the Peace Queen Cup Final in Seoul, South Korea, and then beat the Maples Leafs, 2-1, in the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup Final at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on Nov. 26 in the final match of the year. The contest brings the U.S. women back to Texas for the first time since October, 2004 when the Americans defeated Ireland, 5-0, at Reliant Stadium in Houston as Abby Wambach tied a U.S. record with five goals, all in the second half. The U.S. women haven’t played in the Dallas area since 2003 when they defeated Mexico, 3-1, at the Cotton Bowl, and this will be the first trip for the U.S. women to Pizza Hut Park, home to FC Dallas of Major League Soccer.

Canada is ranked 11th in the most recent FIFA world rankings and under head coach Even Pellerud the team has shown its ability to compete with any team in the world. Canada played 17 matches in 2006 and lost just three, all to the USA.For both teams, the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be staged from Sept. 10-30 at five venues in China.

From a US WNT web report