Emma Fletcher's World Cup story is a tale of two different tournaments, two different jerseys and two very different experiences.

In 2012, in the unfamiliar surroundings of Azerbaijan, the midfielder played in the all-white of New Zealand and returned deflated, having lost all three matches. Now, two years on, the 19-year-old is a beaming, conquering hero, having just clinched a place in the U-20 quarter-finals in front an elated home crowd.

But those cheering fans, with the notable exception of her father, were not Kiwis, and nor is Fletcher. Born and bred in Victoria, British Columbia, she is now representing her native country and is thrilled to be doing so on home soil.

"I'm Canadian," she explained, "so Canada has always been my first choice and the natural team for me. When I was younger, it just wasn't the right fit at that time and it was cool to be offered a different experience. I feel I gained a lot from it too. But when the chance came to link up with Canada again, I knew it was the right thing to do.

"I had a great experience with New Zealand at the U-17 World Cup and I loved the girls on that team. But this - playing in my home country for my home country - is something special. It's just amazing. And although both World Cups have been awesome experiences, what I'm doing here is something I've always dreamed of.

"To be able to celebrate a night like this, especially playing at home, has been probably the highlight of my career so far. This tournament has definitely been the craziest thing I've ever experienced. To hear everyone cheering you on has just been so, so cool, and all the girls in that dressing room just want to keep this going for as long as we can."