For Peter Montopoli, it’s all about the journey.

The CEO of the Canadian Soccer Association has enjoyed seeing the progression of the women’s national team program over the past 12 years.

For him, it started with the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in 2002 and continues with the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup this summer and the Women’s World Cup next year.

“2002 was a critical success factor as all of our players have mentioned,” said Montopoli after speaking at an Edmonton Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday. “It provided the opportunity for not only a promotional vehicle, but for the players themselves to believe in themselves, to know that Canada is very strong in women’s soccer and to carry that throughout their careers. Our senior women’s team is ranked No. 7 in the world and a lot of that was created based on the success in 2002.”

The Under-20 World Cup, taking place Aug. 5-24 in four different venues throughout the country, including Edmonton, is an appetizer for the Women’s World Cup next summer.

The success of those two tournaments could play a factor in Canada’s bid for the 2026 men’s World Cup.

“The path of where we’re going in terms of soccer in our country started in 2002,” Montopoli said. “We’re weaving in through to 2015 and I don’t think it’s going to end at 2015. We hope that it goes to 2026. We are planning to put a bid in. We will make a serious bid and we’d like to think that FIFA is looking at CONCACAF — in our region.

“We’d like to think it’s time for it to come back to CONCACAF and if it comes back to CONCACAF, we will be ready to be a serious and major bidder for 2026.”

Canada has hosted a number of FIFA events in the past, most recently the men’s Under-20 World Cup in 2007.

But first things first.

Before Canada can land the ultimate prize, they need to prove they can generate interest in tournaments such as the Under-20 event and the Women’s World Cup.

This summer’s tournament features 16 teams, divided into four groups.

Edmonton will be the primary host of Group B, which features China, Brazil, Germany and the United States. Commonwealth Stadium will also play host to a Group C game between Nigeria and England and a Group D match between Paraguay and France.

Edmonton will also be the venue for a second-round game, which could possibly feature Canada.

“At the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup, we are testing all the systems and using it to base our decisions for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015,” Montopoli said. “Whether that would be transportation, field of play, stadiums, training fields, air travel, volunteers, medical, everything that is required protocol, so that our systems are in place and ready to go for 2015.

“It’s a good testing ground for us, as it was in Germany when they hosted the U-20 in 2010 and the Women’s World Cup in 2011.”

Montopoli believes up to 40% of the players taking part in the U-20 tournament could go on to represent their national teams at the Women’s World Cup the following year. The core of Canada’s national women’s team is made up from the 2002 U-19 squad that lost to the United States in the final in front of nearly 48,000 fans at Commonwealth Stadium.

“All our systems are ready for this tournament in terms of transportation, logistics, volunteers,” Montopoli said. “We’re very excited about where we stand right now.

“We want to get started, we’re just waiting for the teams to arrive.”

derek.vandiest@sunmedia.ca

@SUNdvandiest