FIFA delegates visit Burnaby
October 26, 2006 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
The Burnaby Site Organizing Committee, led by chair John Rocha and General Manager Don Hardman, escorted a group of over 15 FIFA and Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) delegates, including FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner and CSA COO Kevan Pipe, through a tour of Swangard Stadium as well as possible training sites in the Lower Mainland.
Swangard Stadium will see $500,000 in upgrades including new permanent seating in the west grandstand with seatback seating, improved lighting, and general refurbishing and painting to Swangard. In addition, the stadium will also see some temporary upgrades including an east grandstand, new dressing room area, media conference centre, hospitality centre and field level suites. A more in-depth description will be finalized in the weeks to come.
The 2007 tournament will be the biggest single sport, sporting event ever held in Canada. Canada will host the World's finest U-20 players in six cities across the country - Victoria, Burnaby, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal -June 30 - July 22, 2007.
The biennial event is second only to the FIFA World Cup⢠in size and scope and will showcase the most talented U-20 soccer players in the world. The tournament has been the coming-out party for some of the game's top players - Maradona, Saviola, Raúl, Marco Van Basten, Luis Figo, Ruiz Costa, Thierry Henry, Adriano, Roberto Carlos, Bebeto and Dunga as well as Canada's Craig Forrest and many members of the current Men's World Cup Team including Julian de Guzman, Paul Stalteri, Atiba Hutchinson and Iain Hume.
Last held in CONCACAF in 1983 in Mexico, Canada's most recent participation in this event occurred last June in the Netherlands from June 10 - July 2, 2005.
Canada enjoyed its best ever finish in a World Championship in December 2003, losing to eventual silver medalist Spain on a golden goal in the quarter finals in the United Arab Emirates.
FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 - Team updates
The recently completed Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) U-19 Championships in Poland saw Spain win their third title in five years which ultimately qualified them for next summer's FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007. Joining Spain from UEFA were runner-ups Scotland, semifinalists Austria and Czech Republic and final tournament group phase qualifiers Poland and Portugal.
Worldwide qualifying continues through the fall and winter, with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Youth Championship to be held October 29 to November 11 in India. The top four teams from this sixteen team tournament will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007.
In January the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which will send four teams to Canada, will have their qualifying in Congo; the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), which will also send four teams, will have their representatives determined in Paraguay; the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), which will have one team represent the region, will host their qualifying in New Zealand.
Finally, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) will have qualifying in January and February in Mexico and Panama. Canada, as the host team receives an automatic berth, will be joined by four other teams from CONCACAF based on results from the upcoming qualifying tournaments.
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USL First Division Stories from October 26, 2006
- FIFA delegates visit Burnaby - Vancouver Whitecaps
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