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THE CANADIAN PRESSZURICH, Switzerland -- The Canadian Soccer Association suffered another setback Tuesday, losing out to Germany in the race to host the 2011 women's World Cup.Canada earned kudos from FIFA president Sepp Blatter but defending champion Germany ended up with the tournament.Canada had showed "what football can be in a country where so far football was not the sport No. 1," Blatter said after the Canadian presentation earlier in the day at FIFA headquarters. "We appreciate what you've done and we have good hopes for you and what you can do in the future."But we are in a competition and in competition there is always a winner and a loser."Also Tuesday, FIFA confirmed Brazil as host of the 2014 men's tournament. The South Americans were the only bidders.On the women's side, it came down to Germany and Canada after Australia, France and Peru withdrew their bids. Switzerland had also shown interest, according to FIFA."Everybody agreed at the FIFA level, everybody told us that our presentation was very, very good, and they said better than the German one," Dominic Maestracci, chairman of the board for the Canadian Soccer Association, told The Canadian Press. "We did our best."The Canadian presentation was based on improving the level of women's soccer, playing up what hosting the tournament would do for the sport. Germany already has a high-level domestic women's scene."I told them I know this is a very difficult choice you have to make but I will tell you what are the reasons why Canada must be chosen," Maestracci said. "But they didn't agree with me."While Maestracci said the Canadian bid was the equal of Germany's, he pointed to several reasons for the German win:1) France's withdrawal from the competition upped European support for German bid.2) The influence of German legend Franz Beckenbauer, a member of FIFA's executive committee.3) Germany arrived with a full delegation, including top politicians. Maestracci says the federal government sent a video rather than a cabinet minister.4) Negative fallout of the Chilean team scuffle with police at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Toronto.5) The U.S. hosted the event in 1999 and 2003, making another North American host less attractive.All that notwithstanding, Maestracci said that as Blatter was poised to open the envelope, "I was thinking that Canada will win."A bid for 2015 is likely, he said..The Canadian delegation featured Maestracci, Canadian team goalie Erin McLeod, Peter Monotopoli, who was event director of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and Walter Sieber, vice-president of the Canadian Olympic Committee and a longtime FIFA tournament official.Canadian coach Even Pellerud was not brought along because the Canadian delegation held open the fifth available spot for a politician, who was never forthcoming.It's been a rough year for the Canadian association, which is currently without a technical director and chief administrator.Former president Colin Linford quit in late August, decrying the organization's makeup. The association is also the subject of a wrongful dismissal suit from Fred Nykamp, over his aborted hiring as chief executive officer.The Canadian women, meanwhile, failed to advance past the first round at the World Cup in China.Back home, a group of dissident Canadian soccer fans lamented the missed 2011 chance."Canadian soccer, and Canada itself, has lost a tremendous opportunity here," Dino Rossi, co-founder of Canadian Soccer Supporters United, said in a statement. "One can only imagine what impact the women's World Cup would have had for Canadian soccer, especially to the women's program."The group alleged the Canadian bid was sunk by FIFA unrest at a domestic constitution that does not give each province equal voting rights.The Canadian constitution awards votes depending on a province's contribution via player enrolment levies with a voting cap at 25 per cent per province.Spokesman Richard Scott said in Ottawa that the Canadian Soccer Association went to FIFA a year ago to seek advice on its constitution. But revamping the voting procedure is not high on the association's to do list, he said.Buoyed by the success of the inaugural women's under-19 tournament, Canada had originally planned to bid for the 2007 Women's World Cup.But that changed after the 2003 edition was moved to the U.S. from China because of the SARS epidemic. FIFA promised the 2007 tournament to China, prompting the Canadian Soccer Association to turn its attention to the men's U-20 World Cup while focusing on the 2011 women's event.In its final presentation earlier Tuesday, Germany listed 11 reasons it should stage the event, but mainly sold itself as "the land of football."Germany produced FIFA's most financially successful World Cup in 2006, and the German women won this year's World Cup without conceding a goal."This is a great honour for us. We could not absolutely expect it," said Ursula von der Leyen, Germany's minister for women and youth. "We offer a stage for the world to be our guest."The Germans have 12 cities to stage games, with the opener in Berlin and the final in Frankfurt.Other cities are Augsburg, Bielefeld, Bochum, Dresden, Essen, Leverkusen, Magdeburg, Moenchengladbach, Sinsheim and Wolfsburg, if FIFA raises the number of finalists to 24. If the number remains at 16 countries, some of the cities are likely to be dropped.Tournament dates have not been set yet.Notes : Scott says the CSA is attempting to revisit the issue of hosting the CONCACAF women's Olympic qualifying tournament. Scott said the association had received offers to host the event from both the Vancouver Whitecaps and Quebec Soccer Federation. CONCACAF says it is dealing with another country but has taken the Canadian question under advisement, according to Scott.With files from The Associated Press.
Germany beat out Canada to be selected as host the 2011 edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Germany's bid was based on 11 reasons why they should host the FIFA Women's World Cup along with a video Birgit Prinz and Fatmire Bajramaj. Canada's bid was based on its successful staging of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Germany has won the last two FIFA Women's World Cup and never gave up a goal in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.