CP WNT Downs Australia 5-0 to Claim Top Spot in Group Ahead of Saturday’s Intercontinental Cup Final
Jesslyn Kuhnel Records Second Hat Trick of the Tournament and Kaia Spencer Adds Two Goals; USA Will Face Australia Again in Intercontinental Cup Final on Saturday (11:30 a.m. ET; IFCPF YouTube)
LOUGHBOROUGH, England (Aug. 22, 2025) – The U.S. Women’s Cerebral Palsy (CP) National Team utilized a hat trick from Jesslyn Kuhnel and a brace from Kaia Spencer to defeat Australia 5-0 in the team’s group stage finale at the 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup Final at Loughborough University on Friday. With the win, the USA finishes top of the group and will face second-place Australia in Saturday’s Championship Final (11:30 a.m. ET; IFCPF YouTube).
Friday's victory was temporary revenge for the USA after falling to Australia twice in the ParaMatildas run to the 2024 IFCPF World Cup championship after the USA had defeated Australia twice on the way to winning the 2022 World Cup. Saturday's match will be a de facto rubber match between the two teams who have now played five times in three years, with the USA winning three of those games and the team's splitting World Cup titles.
Both teams came into the group stage finale having already booked their place in the final with three wins apiece against fellow participants Nepal, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Australia went on the front foot early, as Annmarie De Uriarte uncorked a long-range blast which U.S. goalkeeper Echo Yale did well to save in the fifth minute.
Two minutes later, the U.S. provided its first danger as captain Cassidy Leake won the ball at midfield and drove toward goal on the before sliding her low shot just past the left post.
That chance was a precursor to the game’s first goal. Following a nice build up out of the back, Leake received the ball in the center circle and slotted Kuhnel through into the box on the left before tucking her effort inside the left post to make it 1-0 in the ninth minute.
The CP WNT made it 2-0 five minutes later. After another strong save by Yale, the U.S. quickly moved the ball forward and Spencer took an initial shot which was blocked by a defender. Kuhnel collected the rebound and fed Spencer again, who looped her effort from outside the box over Australia ‘keeper Carly Salmon to make it 2-0 in the 14th minute.
The USA stayed hungry and nearly got a third in the 20th minute when Spencer spun around an Australia defender at midfield and drove forward down the left before letting loose on a low effort that forced a diving stop out of Salmon.
Australia initiated the attack early again in the second half, nearly pulling one back as Trinity McPhie collected the ball on the left and cranked her effort off the near post in the 27th minute.
Just as Australia looked like it could get back in the match, the U.S. got its third on the restart. Yale played a short ball for Leake, who hit a long penetrating pass through the middle to Kuhnel and the U.S. striker hit home her second of the match past Salmon in the 28th minute.
The USA found a fourth goal in the 31st minute. Michelle Cross rolled the ball in for Leake on the right, who drove to the middle before passing for Spencer on the left where the U.S. attacker smashed a first-time effort inside the near post to make it 4-0.
Kuhnel secured her second hat trick of the tournament in the 39th minute, when the striker forced a turnover at the back, turned to goal and fired a low shot past Salmon to make it 5-0.
Holding an 13W-2L-1D all-time record, and finishing atop the group with a perfect 4W-0L-0D record at the 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup, the CP WNT gets another crack at Australia in the tournament’s Championship Final on Saturday, in a rematch of the 2022 and 2024 IFCPF Women’s World Cup Finals (11:30 a.m. ET; IFCPF YouTube).
With her hat trick and an assist, Jesslyn Kuhnel now has a team-leading nine goals and four assists in four matches at the 2025 Intercontinental Cup. The three goals also take her career total to 19 in 14 overall appearances, taking over the CP WNT’s all-time scoring lead.
Kaia Spencer’s brace took her to six goals in four matches at the Intercontinental Cup, tying her with Michelle Cross for second on the team at the tournament. Spencer has 17 career goals in 11 appearances, tying her with Cassidy Leake for second on the team’s all-time scoring list.
Leake registered three assists in match for the first time in her international career. The U.S. captain has 17 goals and 11 assists in 13 career matches.
-U.S. WOMEN’S CP NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Women’s CP National Team vs. Australia
Date: Aug. 22, 2025
Substitutes not used: 9-Leah Glaser, 12-Gabby Scotto
Head coach: Tricia Taliaferro
Head coach: Alicia Ferguson
Stats Summary: USA / AUS
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