Preview: U.S. U-17 WYNT Faces Canada For World Cup Berth In Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship Semifinals

U.S. Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team

2022 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship – Semifinal

USA vs. Canada

Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

May 6, 2022
7 p.m. ET (FS2, ViX App in Spanish)

 

USA FACES CANADA FOR BERTH 2022 FIFA U-17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP:

After rolling through the first five games of the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship, scoring 53 goals and conceding zero, the U.S. Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team has arrived to the semifinals and will face Canada on Friday, May 6 at 6 p.m. ET at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic (FS2, ViX App in Spanish) with the winner earning a berth to the 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup. The loser will still have a chance to qualify for the upcoming World Cup in India by winning the Third-Place Match which, along with the Championship Game, will take place on May 8.

 

The USA has played four of its five games so far at Estadio Panamericano, with only the group finale against Costa Rica at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, the venue at which both semifinals, the Third-Place Match and the Championship will be contested.

 

The USA’s goals have come from 14 different players (only four field players have yet to score) and the 53 goals are far and away the most goals scored in a Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship by the USA – through five games or a whole tournament -- albeit coming in the new format that features 20 nations and requires seven games to lift the trophy. Each of the past U-17 Concacaf tournaments have featured eight teams and five games to win the title. Fifteen different U.S. players have registered assists in the Dominican Republic.

 

Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2005, are age-eligible for the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship. U.S. head coach Natalia Astrain selected 16 players born in 2005 and four born in 2006. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Youth National Team programming, all the U.S. players in this tournament made their international debuts in the Dominican Republic.

 

GIVE IT A FOLLOW:

Follow the U-17 WYNT throughout the tournament on ussoccer.com as well as U.S. Soccer Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

U.S. UNDER-17 WOMEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (Club; Hometown; Caps/Goals):

 

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Abigail Gundry (NC Courage; Wake Forest, N.C.; 3), 12-Victoria Safradin (Internationals SC; Eastlake, Ohio; 2)                                                   

DEFENDERS (6): 2-Nicola Fraser (Real Colorado National; Highlands Ranch, Colo.; 4/1), 17-Alyssa Gonzalez (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.; 3/0), 3-Savannah King (LAFC SoCal Youth; West Hills, Calif.; 4/0), 4-Cameron Roller (Solar SC; Sherman, Texas; 3/1), 5-Keegan Schmeiser (Chicago FC United; Bolingbrook, Ill.; 3/0), 20-Gisele Thompson (Total Futbol Academy; Studio City, Calif.; 4/0)                                                     

 

MIDFIELDERS (6): 10-Mia Bhuta (Internationals SC; Pittsburgh, Pa.; 5/2), 15-Shae Harvey (Slammers FC HB Koge; Hermosa Beach, Calif.; 4/4), 13-Claire Hutton (World Class FC; Bethlehem, N.Y.; 5/6), 7-Riley Jackson (Concorde Fire; Roswell, Ga.; 3/2), 8-Charlotte Kohler (Mountain View Los Altos; Woodside, Calif.; 3/6), 19-Lauren Martinho (NC Courage; Cary, N.C.; 5/3)                                        

 

FORWARDS (6): 18-Onyeka Gamero (Beach FC; Cerritos, Calif.; 4/4), 11-Nicollette Kiorpes (NEFC; Worcester, Mass.; 4/5), 6-Mia Oliaro (NC Courage; Chapel Hill, N.C.; 5/3), 14-Melina Rebimbas (Players Development Academy; Warren, N.J.; 5/5), 9-Taylor Suarez (Charlotte SA; Charlotte, N.C.; 4/2), 16-Amalia Villarreal (Michigan Jaguars FC; Lansing, Mich.; 5/8)                                                 

 

2022 CONCACAF WOMEN’S U-17 CHAMPIONSHIP

SEMIFINAL MATCH-UPS

 

May 6

Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez

Mexico vs. Puerto Rico (4 p.m. ET; Fox Soccer Plus / ViX)

USA vs. Canada (7 p.m. ET; FS2 / ViX)

 

USA vs. CANADA -- HOW THEY GOT HERE:

 

USA

 

Date	Match-Up	Result	GoalScorers
Apr. 23	Grenada	W 20-0	Harvey (4), Kohler (4), Kiorpes, Rebimbas (3), O.G., Oliaro (2), Roller, Hutton (2), Martinho, Villarreal
Apr. 25	Puerto Rico	W 13-0	Martinho, Villarreal (5), Suarez (2), Hutton (3), Kiorpes, Fraser
Apr. 27	Costa Rica	W 5-0	Villarreal, Kohler, Jackson, Gamero, Hutton
Apr. 30	Curaçao	W 11-0	Gamero (3), Kiorpes (3), Rebimbas, Martinho, Bhuta (2), Oliaro
May. 4	Jamaica	W 4-0	Villarreal, Kohler, Jackson, Rebimbas

 

 

CANADA

 

Date	Opponent	Result	Goal Scorers
April 24	Dominican Rep.	10-0 W	Adames, Maalouf (4), Watson (2), Allen (2), Hauer
April 26	Bermuda	5-0 W	Logan, Bordeleau, Hauer, Maalouf (2)
April 28	Jamaica	1-1 T	Watson
May 1	Honduras	4-1 W	Maalouf (3), Allen
May 4	Costa Rica	3-0 W	Perrault, Watson, Maalouf

 

 

USA U-17s vs. CANADA:

• The USA and Canada meeting in a Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship is almost a given, as the teams have faced each other in the past six tournaments, including this one.

• Two of the previous meetings have come in the semifinal round, one in the championship game and two in group play.

• The semifinal matches took place in 2010 – where Canada prevailed in penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw – and in 2016 -- when the USA won 5-0. Current USWNT player Sophia Smith scored one of the goals in that match.

• The only meeting in the championship game came in 2012 in Guatemala, a 1-0 USA victory on a goal from former UCLA player Amber Munerlyn.

• The USA won both the group play meetings, 2-0 in 2014 in Jamaica as current USWNT player Mallory Pugh scored and in 2018 in Bradenton, Fla., a 1-0 win on a goal from current UCLA player Reilyn Turner.

• Canada has scored 23 goals over its five games, 10 of them (43%) by forward Rosa Maalour, who leads the tournament in scoring.

• Combine those 10 goals with four from Renee Watson and the duo has scored 60% of Canada’s goals so far.

 

CAPTAINS:

Midfielder Mia Bhuta captained the USA in its first match against Grenada and fourth match vs. Curaçao. Midfielder Riley Jackson captained the team vs. Puerto Rico, against Costa Rica and against Jamaica.

 

SPREADING THE MINUTES AROUND:

All 20 players on the roster have seen action in the tournament, but only six have played in all five games thus far: Mia Bhuta, Claire Hutton, Lauren Martinho, Mia Oliaro, Melina Rebimbas and Amalia Villarreal.

• Defenders Nicola Fraser and Gisele Thompson lead the USA in minutes played (both with 299), but forward Onyeka Gamero has played 294 minutes. Defender Cameron Roller has played 270.

• The minutes have been evenly distributed by the U.S. coaching staff, with no player playing fewer than 180 minutes and no player playing more than 299.

• Abigail Gundry and Victoria Safradin have split time in goal so far, with Gundry playing three games and Safradin playing two.

VILLARREAL LEADS USA WITH EIGHT GOALS:

After scoring one goal against Grenada, five against Puerto Rico (tying a U.S. record for most goals in a game at any level) one against Costa Rica and one against Jamaica, forward Amalia Villarreal leads the USA in scoring with eight goals and is tied for second at the tournament. Villarreal’s goal vs. Jamaica was the USA’s 50th of the tournament. No U.S. youth team has ever scored 50 goals in a Concacaf World Cup qualifying tournament. Midfielders Claire Hutton and Charlotte Kohler have six goals each while forwards Nicollette Kiorpes and Melina Remimbas have five each. In the four-goal club are forward Onyeka Gamero and midfielder Shae Harvey. Fourteen different players have scored for the USA and fifteen different players have assists. Gamero leads the team in assists with six. Villarreal leads the tournament in shots with 33.

 

RACE FOR THE GOLDEN BOOT:

The USA has five of the top 11 scorers in the tournament so far. Canada’s Rosa Maalouf leads the tournament with 10 goals. Mexico’s Valerie Vargas, Tatiano Flores and the USA’s Amalia Villareal have eight each. Mexico’s Maribel Flores and Layla Sirdah both have seven goals. The most goals ever scored in one Concacaf Women’s U-17 Tournament for the USA, albeit in the five-game format, was 12 by Summer Green in 2012. Lindsey Horan scored nine in 2010.

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