CP WNT Claims Intercontinental Cup Title with 7-1 win against Australia
Jesslyn Kuhnel Hat Trick, Cassidy Leake’s Brace Leads CP WNT to Second Major Trophy Since Program Launch in 2022
LOUGHBOROUGH, England (Aug. 23, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s Cerebral Palsy (CP) National Team utilized a hat trick from Jesslyn Kuhnel, a brace from captain Cassidy Leake and goals from Kaia Spencer and Joey Martin to earn a 7-1 win against Australia and claim the 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup on Saturday. With the win, the CP WNT gains its second major trophy, going along with the inaugural IFCPF Women’s World Cup title in 2022.
The USA earned a perfect 5W-0L-0D record during the competition, outscoring opponents 41-2 and notably, earned back-to-back wins against Australia in two rematches of the 2022 and 2024 IFCPF World Cup Finals. The victory was also special in that it was revenge for the U.S. after falling to Australia in the of 2024 World Cup Final. Kuhnel led all players in the competition with 12 goals to claim the Golden Boot, while Leake was voted Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
The USA needed just 37 seconds to pick up where it left off from Friday’s 5-0 win against Australia, as Kaia Spencer broke free down the left and unleashed a powerful shot that Australia ‘keeper Carly Salmon was able to parry to her left, but it fell straight to the foot of Kuhnel who smashed home her first of the day.
The attacking momentum continued a minute later as Kuhnel broke free one-on-one with Salmon, but the ‘keeper was judged to handle the ball outside the penalty area, forcing referee Keith Stroud to whistle for a free kick. Set up inside the penalty arc, Leake stepped up and powered her attempt inside the right post to give the USA a 2-0 lead after just three minutes. The goal was the USA captain’s second from a free kick at the Intercontinental Cup.
The third U.S. goal came in the ninth minute, and it was from a great piece of individual skill from the U.S. captain. Spencer collected the ball just inside the U.S. half on the left and played straight into the path of Leake, who took it stride past one ParaMatilda and beat another on the dribble before slotting a low, right-footed effort inside the left post for her second of the match and fifth of the competition. Australia nearly got one back as eighth-minute substitute Georgia Beikoff drove forward into space, letting off a looping effort that beat Yale before it clanged off the left post and was cleared.
Just as that chance came for Australia, the USA found a fourth goal in the 12th minute. Leake initiated the play again, picking up the ball and striding through the center of the park before slotting to Kuhnel at the left post where she one-timed her second past Salmon.
The fifth goal came with a buildup that saw four of the five U.S. players touch the ball. It began with Yale’s short goal kick to Leake, who played a quick combination with Michelle Cross on the right and ran onto the ball at midfield before playing a through pass for Kuhnel at the top of the box. She took a touch and Salmon came out to get a hand on it, but Kuhnel was able to push to her right and slam home her third of the game while also claiming her third hat trick in five matches at the Intercontinental Cup.
The U.S. got one more before halftime off another great buildup. Leake received the ball in the penalty area and lobbed it forward for Kuhnel who held up and played a pass to Cross on the right flank. Cross cut back inside and found Spencer at the top of the box, where she held off an Australia defender and hit a shot with the outside of her left foot that squeezed past the onrushing Salmon in the 25th minute.
While the U.S. held a commanding 6-0 advantage, Australia came out of the break motivated and immediately pulled one back. In the 27th minute, Annmarie De Uriarte received the ball on the right and picked out Beikoff’s run through the middle, playing a great ball to her in stride before the attacker hit a one-time effort with her left that beat Yale inside the opposite post.
Australia stayed on the front foot and nearly got another in the 33rd minute as De Uriarte found space to cut inside and let loose on a low shot that Yale did well to corral.
The U.S. regained composure and with it, its six-goal lead in the 35th minute as an attempted Australia clearance deflected off Spencer and into the path of Joey Martin. The halftime substitute took one touch in stride and threaded a low blast inside the left post to make it 7-1.
The teams were relatively even the rest of the way and the U.S. played intelligently to close out the match and claim the 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup.
With the victory, the CP WNT moves to 14W-2L-1D overall and has outscored opponents 142-22 since beginning play in 2022.
Jesslyn Kuhnel’s 12 goals at the competition took her career total to 22 goals in 15 career appearances, placing her first on the CP WNT’s all-time scoring chart.
Cassidy Leake recorded 14 goal contributions (five goals, nine assists) during the competition, giving her 32 career goal contributions in 14 appearances.
Kaia Spencer (seven goals, four assists) and Michelle Cross (six goals, four assists) also achieved double-digit goal contributions during the Intercontinental Cup.
-U.S. WOMEN’S CP NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Women’s CP National Team vs. Australia
Date: Aug. 23, 2025
Competition: 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup Final
Venue: Loughborough University NFL Field; Loughborough, England
Head coach: Tricia Taliaferro
AUS: 1-Carly Salmon, 2-Trinity McPhie (4-Karina Grigorian 38), 3-Tahlia Blanshard (Capt.) (11-Tamsin Colley 25+1), 5-Lainee Harrison (10-Georgia Beikoff, 8), 8-Annmarie De Uriarte
Substitutes not used: none
Head coach: Alicia Ferguson
Stats Summary: USA / AUS
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