History has been made by Canada at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup currently being contested in Uruguay.

Captain Jordyn Huitema’s 83rd-minute goal was the difference in a 1-0 win over Germany on Sunday, a result that allowed Canada to reach the tournament semifinals for the first time in its history.

Now, a date with Mexico on Wednesday in Montevideo awaits the Canadians, who can become only the second team (either male or female) from Canada to reach the final of a FIFA competition. Canada lost 1-0 to the United States in extra time of the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s Championship in 2002 held in Edmonton, so the showdown with the Mexicans is a chance for the Canadians to make more history in Uruguay.

But Canadian coach Rhian Wilkinson insists that going down in the record books is the furthest thing from her mind at the moment.

“The self-belief has been good within the group from the first game and they’ve been testing themselves, improving along the way and learning valuable lessons. The results have been good, but we’re not done yet,” Wilkinson told Sportsnet ahead of Wednesday’s semifinal.

What a whirlwind journey it’s been for Wilkinson in recent months. Former U-17 coach Bev Priestman left the program in August to take a job as an assistant coach with England’s senior women’s team. Wilkinson, a 36-year-old native of Quebec, was only recently named as Priestman’s successor after serving as one her assistants.

Wilkinson entered this World Cup without a wealth of coaching expertise, but she did have a ton of first-hand experience in the women’s game. The former defender debuted for Canada in 2003 and went on to earn 181 caps (150 as a starter), and score seven goals and tally 23 assists. She also won a pair of Olympic bronze medals, in 2012 and 2016, before announcing her retirement last year.

This World Cup has been as much of a learning experience for Wilkinson as it has been for the young Canadian players she’s overseen in Uruguay.

“It would be a mistake for me to say I’m anywhere near the coach that I need to be. I’m still learning and [the players] are teaching me a great deal. What I’ve learned is to give them the tools to succeed, but also not to hover, and just allow them to thrive. I have to help them when they need it, but also know when to step back and let them sort things out on their own,” Wilkinson said.

The Canadian team has had to overcome a fair amount of adversity at the World Cup. The Reds had a penalty kick decision go against them in what was a tight contest at that time, but goalkeeper Anna Karpenko made a big save and Canada went on to beat Colombia 3-0 in its opening match. In Canada’s next game, Huitema was red carded and the team had to play most of the second half with only 10 players, but still managed to earn a 2-0 victory against South Korea. After suffering a 5-0 loss to Spain in its final group stage game without the suspended Huitema, Canada bounced back to beat the Germans in the quarter-finals.

Canada’s path towards qualifying for the World Cup was no walk in the park, either. Four days into the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship staged in April in Nicaragua, the tournament was suspended due to violence in the capital city Managua. The competition was moved to Florida in June when Canada only managed to qualify for the World Cup thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win over Haiti in the third-place match courtesy of Andersen Williams decisive goal in the 89th minute.

“This is a very resilient team. We were evacuated out of Nicaragua, so this team has suffered incredible amounts [of] setbacks along the journey, including Bev leaving before the World Cup. They have stuck together, and it’s [a] privilege to lead them, but it’s all them,” Wilkinson offered.

A testament to Canada’s depth at this competition is that 20 players on the 21-woman roster have seen action in Uruguay. Goalkeeper Sophie Guilmette is the exception.

“Sophie hasn’t played but she’s integral to this team as the heartbeat of the team. When you can put aside your individual disappointment and be an example of someone who can be there for the team even though it must be hurting her, it means nobody has any excuses,” Wilkinson offered.

While it has been a complete team effort from the Canadians, there’s no denying that Huitema has been a major standout.

The 17-year-old forward from Chilliwack, B.C., is one of Canada’s brightest prospects, having become a somewhat regular fixture for the senior team since making her debut last March. Since then, she’s earned 15 caps (three as a starter) and scored six goals to raise expectations of her in Uruguay, and she’s delivered. Huitema leads the team in scoring with three goals, all of them game-winners.

“She’s exceeded my expectations. She wears the [captain’s] armband because she earned it, and not because of her reputation. When you have someone like her who is considered a rising star who never lets that cloud her vision of being an ultimate professional and the glue that holds this group together, that’s very impressive,” Wilkinson explained.

Spain plays New Zealand in Thursday’s other semifinal. The Spanish defeated reigning U-17 champions North Korea in a penalty shootout in the previous round while New Zealand overcame Japan in a shootout to book its spot in the semifinals.

Canada lost to Mexico 2-1 in the semifinals of the Concacaf CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship, with Teni Akindoju scoring the Reds’ lone goal.

Both the third-place match and the final are scheduled for Saturday in Montevideo.

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