Photo: Paul Rudderow

Friday, October 24 
4:30 pm  — Costa Rica vs Trinidad and Tobago
7:30 pm — United States vs Mexico

Sunday, October 26
3 pm — Third Place Match
6 pm — Championship Match

With Women’s World Cup qualifying coming to PPL Park this weekend, it’s time to look at the four semifinalists and their paths to Philadelphia. The winners of the two semifinal matches automatically advance to next year’s Women’s World Cup in Canada. The winner of the Third Place Match also automatically advances to the tournament. The fourth place finisher will have to face off against Ecuador in a two legged play-in match, with the winner advancing to the World Cup.

Costa Rica vs Trinidad & Tobago

Costa Rica

The Costa Ricans were impressive in the group stage, going undefeated. In their first match, they took down a favored Mexican side 1-0 with Carolina Venegas scoring the only goal of the game. In their second match, one of the best of the group stage, the Costa Ricans left it late, edging out Jamaica by a score of 2-1, scoring the winner in the 87th minute. They finished the group stage in style, taking down the minnows of Martinique with an impressive 6-1 win.

Trinidad & Tobago

With American Randy Waldrum (also the coach of the Houston Dash) at the helms of the Trinidad team, they have proved an organized and quality side. Trinidad & Tobago needed a victory in their final group stage game against Guatemala to secure entrance into the semifinal round. They did so with a closely contested 2-1 win, scoring twice in the second half before Guatemala scored a stoppage time consolation goal. T & T impressed in their first match of the group stage, despite a loss to the heavily favored US team. Goalkeeper Kimika Forbes stood on her head to deny chance after chance and the team was organized defensively in only losing 1-0 to the high powered Americans. Kennya Cordner scored the only goal of T & T’s second group stage match, a 1-0 win over Haiti.

USA vs Mexico

Mexico

The Mexicans got off to a rocky start in the group stage with the 1-0 loss to Costa Rica. But the team rebounded nicely to thump Martinique 10-0 in their second match. The result was the most lopsided of the group stage, with Mexico racing out to a 4-0 halftime lead. Still needing a win to secure passage to the semifinal round, Mexico was able to take down a feisty Jamaican squad with a 3-1 victory. The Jamaicanas scored early in the first half, but the Mexicans fought back well, equalizing before halftime and scoring twice in the second half to secure a place in the semifinals.

USA

With many expecting the US Women to rout the competition in the group stages — and frankly, through the entire qualifying tournament — the Americans struggled in their early matches before rounded into form by the end of the group stage. Abby Wambach was the only one who could break through the resolute Trinidad & Tobago defense in the 1-0 US win in the first group game, nodding in an Alex Morgan cross in the 54th minute. The second game saw the US eventually ease to a 5-0 win over Guatemala. Despite the Guatemalans not mounting much of an offensive threat (they had zero shots in the match), the US only managed a 1-0 halftime lead on the back of a Tobin Heath goal. But four second half goals, and an improved performance, saw the US cruise to victory. Against Haiti in the the last match of the group stage, the US put in their most complete performance. Carli Lloyd and Abby Wambach scored in the first half and the US added four second half goals (including an absolute thumper from Meghan Klingenberg) to run out 6-0 winners.

Tickets are still available for both days at PPL Park. Click here to purchase.