Young Edmonton soccer players have been finding inspiration in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup matches being played across the city.
For 13-year-old Anastasia Stamatakas the quarter-final match between Canada and Germany Saturday validates her love of a sport she has been playing since she was four.
“Girls can do stuff, not only guys,” she said.
Teammate Chloe Geraldes said many of the girls had been watching the competition closely.
“Lots of the girls on the team they want to play for Team Canada one day.”
Coach, Ray Deane, said the number of girls playing soccer has been rising.
“I think it all comes back to the culture, beginning with the Canadian women’s team and the U-20 and all these other events. They are nothing but good.”
Organizers said they have sold over 18,000 tickets and hope to see the lower bowl, which seats 27,000, nearly full.
“These are our future heroes, the girls who are here tonight,” Trish Zimmerman the venue general manager of the FIFA 2015 local organizing committee told CTV News.
“I think we are going to hear some loud cheering for Canada.”
According to FIFA.com Germany has been a tournament winner in the past and Canada will be the underdog of the game.
However, the tournament has been already been a success for Zimmerman and the committee.
She explained that the event has helped the local committee prepare for the Women’s World Cup in 2015.
“For us, just having our FIFA colleagues here, being able to work directly with them to get their experience and to share that with us, the local organizing committee, has been just invaluable.”
The opening ceremony and opening matches of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 will be held in Edmonton. The tournament will run from June 6 to July 5, 2015.
“It is such a great opportunity, not only to see women compete at this level but just to see this level of competition in soccer,” Zimmerman said.
With files from Sarah Richter, Linda Hoang
