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Haiti’s semifinal against the USA went down to the wire. A stoppage-time equalizer from Nerilia Mondesir gave the Haitians a lifeline, sending the match to a penalty shoot-out. But the Americans proved to have the stronger nerve from the spot, and clinched a place in the final of the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship with a 3-0 win on PKs.
United States 1 (3) - 1 (0) Haiti Highlights | @ussoccer_ynt @fhfhaiti @GatoradeTT #CU20W pic.twitter.com/iVGhkXFohg
— CONCACAF (@CONCACAF) January 26, 2018
In the second semifinal, Canada and Mexico also played to a 1-1 tie, with Mexico winning the shootout, 4-3.
Both the US and Mexico have qualified for the 2018 Women’s U-20 World Cup, and will face off in Couva on January 28 for the CONCACAF U-20 title. Before that, however, CONCACAF must select its third U-20 World Cup qualifier. Canada and Haiti will play for the prize of a place at the tournament in France.
The two teams played each other in the group stage, with Canada running away with a 4-0 win. But Haiti fielded a second team for that match, resting key starters for the semifinal against the USA. The re-match can reasonably be expected to be a more even contest.
Danielle Etienne - sister of RBNY’s Derrick Etienne - did not make it on to the field in the semifinal against the USA. Expect the 17-year-old to be on the bench when the third-place playoff gets underway.