There’s one day left of competition in Toronto for the WFDF U-23 Championships, and one of three medals up for grabs have been decided for in each division – the bronze. What’s left then? Six total teams, 3 different countries, and three separate gold medals. Here’s a quick preview of what to expect before each team heads home until next time:
Mixed: USA vs. Canada
The first game of Sunday’s play will be a rematch of one of the most exciting games of the tournament thus far – USA against Canada Mixed. Both teams feature stars from various club teams in all three divisions from North America, and both teams have shown their offense and defense as a force to be reckoned with. They’ve also shown that a deficit can be overcome – both were able to come back in their semifinal games after falling down numerous breaks. These teams previously met in a showcase game on Thursday, with the USA winning 17-16. Fans can expect more of the same in this game, and possibly even more intensity with a lot more on the line this time. Look for strong play from Canada’s Kevin Groulx, Rumi Tejpar and Krista Kotwa; and Sophia Darch, Lisa Pitcaithley and Eli Kerns for the USA.
Women’s: USA vs. Japan
When the two teams first met on Tuesday, the USA needed a close game in order to come out on top, winning on universe point after overcoming the strong lead the Japanese built up. For Japan to advance to this game, they had to battle through an extremely long universe point with Canada in the semifinals; and that was only after coming back from being down huge at half. Will that be the same type of game we see here? Players to watch on the USA include Claire Chastain, Kami Groom and Claire Desmond; while fans should keep an eye on Japan’s Kana Kobayashi, Saki Suganuma, and Yuri Fujii.
Open: USA vs. Canada
These two teams had completely different semifinal games. The USA faced a challenge they certainly were not expecting in the Australian team, finding themselves down 3-0 early in the game before taking control. Canada, on the other hand, saw strong physical play from Germany at first, but were quickly able to pull away and win the game. Still, they both had to fight tooth and nail in order to get here and will have to again to take home the medal they want. Helping the USA reach this point has been Jimmy Mickle, Colin Camp and Justin Allen; and on the Canadian side, Remi Ojo, Andrew Carroll and Fred Lam.
Photo credit Steve Kotvis of f-go.us
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