Jan. 24, 2010
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala -- Lexi Marton (Aurora, Ontario) and the Canadian U-20 Women's National Team will move on to the CONCACAF Championship Semifinals after defeating host Guatemala, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon at Estadio Cementos Progreso.
Guatemala (1-2-0, 3 points), looking to advance to the semifinals with a 2-0 win, began the match hot, but the Canadians (3-0-0, 9 points) counterattacked in the 14th minute as Adriana Leon's second goal of the championship gave Canada an early 1-0 lead.
Canada scored again in the 26th minute on a penalty kick, setting up Marton a gorgeous long free kick that found Bry McCarthy at the top of the penalty area. McCarthy made the most of the ball, slotting it into the upper left corner of the net for an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
Marton, who sat out the Cuba game, was the team's Woman of the Match in a 1-0 victory over Group A runner-up Costa Rica. The Canadian team learns its opponent tomorrow afternoon when the U.S. and Mexico face off in Guatemala City. If Mexico wins, Canada will face the U.S., but a tie or American will see the Mexicans against Canada on Thursday, Jan. 28.
Marton's Penn State teammate Christine Nairn (Arnold, Md.) will lead the Americans against the Mexicans on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Nairn was named the USSoccer.com Woman of the Match against Trinidad & Tobago, a 4-0 win, on Saturday.
--NITTANY LIONS--