By Troy Langstaff
This past October, Tigers women鈥檚 soccer coach Cindy Tye was named head coach of Canada鈥檚 U-20 women鈥檚 team. Later this week, Tye and her team will be heading to the Dominican Republic to take part in the 2022 CONCACAF Women鈥檚 U-20 Championship. The top three teams from the tournament will earn a berth into the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women鈥檚 World Cup later this year in August.
This will be Tye鈥檚 first head coaching stint with the national team after representing Canada on the pitch in 2001 and 2002. She has served as an assistant at the 2019 World Universiade and was on staff during the 2015 CONCACAF Women鈥檚 U-20 Championship 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit surreal, I never thought that coaching would be something that I would go into like I am right now,鈥� says Tye. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 a neat perspective going from player to coach at that level and I think I can add some valuable experience to the kids in the role I鈥檓 in now.鈥�
The impact of COVID on sport in the last two years has resulted in many athletes missing out on the chance to participate on the international stage. This U-20 roster features more 18- and 19-year-olds than a normal year but Tye is confident that the university level of play has been a good primer for international competition.
鈥淚n this particular cycle, with this [U-20] group, because we had so many of them miss the last two years of international competition, the roster we have is kids that are primarily in first or second year of university and have had that experience in good training environments,鈥� explains Tye. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 the direction we went.鈥�
The last few months have brought lots of excitement for Tye, especially after last month鈥檚 training session where the roster practiced together for the first time. That being said, there are still some nerves surrounding the many challenges that COVID presents.聽
鈥淲e had to go through a lot of鈥rotocols and worrying about athletes and their health鈥he navigation of all that has made [everyone] a little bit anxious,鈥� says Tye.聽
Canada is ranked third out of the 20 participating countries heading into this month鈥檚 CONCACAF championship. The reigning champion United States, along with Mexico are expected to be the other top teams at the tournament. These three countries are the only nations that have won the tournament since its inception in 2002 and although the confidence will be high for these countries, a strong performance isn鈥檛 guaranteed.
鈥淕oing into qualifying there鈥檚 always going to be a little bit of pressure but that鈥檚 good for you,鈥� saysTye. 鈥淲e feel we have a really solid roster鈥� playing against teams that have different styles, we鈥檙e just going to have to adjust, play the way we want to play, and I think we鈥檒l do well.鈥�
With lots to look forward to in the Dominican Republic, Tye kept it simple when asked about what she was most looking forward to.
鈥淗onestly, just that we can train and play,鈥� Tye said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just so many restrictions鈥� [I鈥檓] really looking forward to getting the team together, training freely, being able to play, and giving them the opportunity to test themselves.鈥�
The CONCACAF Women鈥檚 U-20 Championship gets underway on February 25th and concludes with the gold medal match on March 12th. Canada is in a group with Saint Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador. The top three teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage where they will be joined by Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Curacao and Suriname who made it there via a qualifying tournament.