Bardsley to Compete With England U-19s July 10, 2003– Fullerton, Calif.
Cal State Fullerton goalkeeper Karen Bardsley (Chino Hills, Calif./Ayala
HS) has qualified to compete with the English National U-19 squad this
summer in the UEFA Under-19 Women's European Championships in Leipzig,
Germany. The tournament runs from July 25 to August 3.
Bardsley, who is eligible to compete for England because of her English
parentage, was selected as the lone American on the 18-member squad after
participating in a try-out camp in Colchester, England, in late June.
England has a tough draw in the eight-team championship, facing reigning
champions Germany, Sweden and Italy in Group A. England kicks off the
tournament against Sweden on July 25, faces Italy on July 27, and meets
host Germany on July 29th in a live match televised by Eurosport.
2002 finalists France, the Netherlands, Spain and Norway make up Group
B. The top two teams in each group progress to the semifinals, with the
final three games broadcast live on Eurosport.
Last season, England reached the semifinals of the European championships
before losing to Germany, and also the quarterfinals of the inaugural
FIFA U-19 World Championships, losing to host Canada.
For the Titans last season, Bardsley helped lead Cal State Fullerton to
a 12-5-1 record and a third-place finish in the Big West Conference. She
was the Big West's Freshman of the Year, a second-team All-Big West selection
and a second-team Freshman All-American as voted by Soccer Buzz.
Bardsley, who finished the year 12-3-1 in net with a 0.96 goals against
average in 2002, was also named to the National Soccer Coaches Association
of America's All-West Region third team, and earned spots on Soccer Buzz's
All-West Region and All-Freshman teams.
For more information on the English U-19 squad, please visit www.thefa.com.
