China pulls tough draw for U-20 women's World Cup

China will open up its FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup campaign against Brazil on Aug. 5 in Edmonton after being drawn into the tournament's so-called "group of death" on Saturday.

With Canada hosting the seventh edition of the 16-nation, 32-game U-20 tournament on Aug. 5-24, in the draw held to determine the four groups China was drawn into Group B that also includes perennial powerhouses USA and Germany.

Following the Brazil game in the Alberta capital, China will face two-time champions Germany on Aug. 8 in Edmonton. The team will then move across the country to Moncton, New Brunswick, for an Aug. 12 clash with defending champion USA, a three-time winner of the tournament.

It is the second consecutive U-20 tournament China has been grouped with the Germans and Americans, as all three were in Group D, along with Ghana, in 2012.

China finished the group stage 1-1-1 and did not advance as the USA beat Germany 1-0 in the final of the tournament played in Japan.

China has twice finished runners-up at the tournament in 2004 and 2006. The team got to this year's U-20 tournament as one of the three qualifiers from the Asian Football Confederation, along with champions South Korea and DPR Korea.

Canada, which automatically was seeded in Group A, will open the tournament on Aug. 5 in Toronto against Ghana. The other nations in the group are DPR Korea and Finland.

Group C games will kick off in Moncton on Aug. 6 when England meet South Korea. The group also includes Nigeria and Mexico.

New Zealand meet Paraguay in the opening match of Group D on Aug. 6 in Montreal, while European champions France take on Costa Rica in the other group match.

Montreal's Olympic Stadium will host the final and the third-place game on Aug. 24 in the tournament that is seen as a precursor to the women's World Cup, an event Canada will host in 2015 in six cities across the country.