Canada World Champions In Football. Defeat Team USA 23-17

HT: Austin American Statesman & International Federation of American Football

Canada Upsets USA 23-17 To Win IFAF Championship

Yes the Canadians have pulled off a huge upset defeating Team USA 23-17 to capture the Gold Medal at the International Federation of American Football Under-19 Championship Saturday night in Austin, Texas.

This was the third annual IFAF Under-19 championship and the United States has dominated with no problem winning the first two. 

This year Team USA was cruising defeating American Samoa 27-6 to open the tournament then defeating Austria 70-7 to reach the gold medal game and face the Canadians.

Canada began the game with 10 unanswered points thanks to a 21 yard field goal by kicker Louis-Philippe Simoneau and a 59 yard punt return for a touchdown by Alexandre Huard. 

Team USA finally scored when quarterback Brayden Scott found Demarcus Ayers for a three yard touchdown pass and Team USA was down 10-7 at the half.

The Canadians added a touchdown in their first possession of the second half and the Americans answered when they had the ball for the first time in the second half.

Then the Canadians scored with 5:10 left in the game on a 10-yard run by Mercer Timmis to make it 23-14.

Team USA kicked a 43-yard field goal from Cameron Van Winkle with 1:47 left to cut Canada’s lead to 23-17.

Team Canada ran out the clock to win the gold medal and make history defeating Team USA 23-17.

Some Canadian announcer must have shouted, "Do you believe in miracles, yes!!!" They will owe royalities to Al Michaels.

"We had one goal and one goal in mind and that was to come back with a Gold Medal around our neck," said Canada head coach Noel Thorpe. "These guys believed in it and they played 48 minutes of solid football. I couldn't be prouder of these guys.”

Now before you demand Team USA be stocked with an NFL Dream Team or much less and all-star team made up of SEC players it was high school players were competing however the best or in recruiting jargon five stars weren’t suiting up for Team USA. 

150 of the best high school football players were in Oregon competing in the Nike premier camp “The Opening.”

Team Canada was full of the best from the Great White North.  It seems the talent level north of the border is pretty high.

Now let’s see if the CFL’s Grey Cup champions will play the Super Bowl Champion in a game.