Canadian women lose heartbreaker to Mexico in CONCACAF U-20 semifinal

Alice Soto scored in the 92nd minute to send Mexico to next year's FIFA U-20 World Cup with a 2-1 comeback win over Canada in semifinal action Friday at the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The goal came on a counter-attack with Hailey Gordon's cross finding Soto at the top of the penalty box. The Mexican forward pivoted and fired a low shot past Canadian 'keeper Faith Fenwick.

The two finalists and third-place side at the eight-team CONCACAF tournament will represent North and Central America and the Caribbean at the FIFA world championship.

The defending champion United States faced Costa Rica in the second semifinal Friday. Canada will now have to beat the loser of that game in the third-place match Sunday to make the World Cup.

Substitute Kayla Briggs put Canada ahead in the 65th minute only to see Mailin Orozco tie it up 12 minutes later, benefitting from a fortuitous bounce off a Canadian defender.

After an even first 45 minutes, the unbeaten Mexicans looked to be taking control in the second half.

But Canada scored against the run of play after Mexican goalkeeper Itzel Velasco came out of her penalty box to clear a ball before Canadian Rosa Maalouf got to it. Velasco squibbed her clearance attempt and the ball went straight to Briggs, who calmly fired it into the empty goal.

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