SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (April 27, 2022) – The USA U-17 Women’s National Team finished first in Group G at the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship with a convincing 5-0 win over Costa Rica to take a step closer to qualifying for the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. USA scored twice in the first half and found the net three times in the second as five different players scored.

With the group title secured, the U-17s will now face Curacao in the Round of 16, who qualified directly for the knockout stage via a pre-qualifying tournament. The match will take place at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal on Saturday, April 30 at 4 p.m. ET.

USA opened the scoring with their fastest goal of the tournament so far when striker Onyeka Gamero, who terrorized Las Ticas on the right wing all game, found striker Amalia Villarreal at the inside the penalty area with a low cross and she finished with authority from six yards out. outside. It was Villarreal’s seventh tournament-leading goal in just three matches.

Costa Rica defended in a tightly organized 5-4-1 formation and it was difficult for the United States to find space in the attacking third. The United States moved the ball and weaved their way into midfield well, but better passes and touches in the third final were needed to move up the score line. That’s exactly what the United States got in the first minute of first-half stoppage time as Villarreal played a perfect through ball behind midfield Charlotte Kohler’s defence. After timing her run perfectly, she only had the goalkeeper to beat, which she did with a smart right-footed shot into the bottom right corner from 12 yards out.

Despite an impressive performance on the night from Costa Rica goalkeeper Genesis Pérez – she made nine saves, at least five of the spectacular variety – the United States found their scoring rhythm after Gamero was brought down inside from the penalty area which led to midfield and team captain Riley Jackson stepping up and converting the penalty confidently to make it 3-0 in the 58^and minute. Just three minutes later, Gamero regained his stolen chance by deftly separating two defenders on the right wing dribble and launching a powerful strike just under the crossbar and into the net. In the 90s^and minute, midfielder Claire Hutton made an impact off the bench after entering the game 11 minutes earlier as she cleverly finished off a cross from midfielder Mia Oliaro just before the final whistle.

Follow the WNT U-17s throughout the tournament on usfootball.com as well as American football Facebook, Twitter and instagram.

GOAL SCORING RECAP:

United States – Amalia Villarreal (Onyeka Gamero), 4th minute – Gamero collected the ball on the right wing, passed his defender and played a low cross into the box, which Villarreal met and finished for the first time from the edge of the penalty area to open the scoring. United States 1, CRC 0

United States – Charlotte Kohler (Amalia Villarreal), 45+1st minute – While controlling the ball near the center of the attacking third, Villarreal chipped a perfectly weighted ball to break the line and find Kohler on the run. She dribbled into the penalty area and beat the goalkeeper one-on-one from around 12 yards with a fine finish in the right corner. United States 2, CRC 0

United States – Riley Jackson (Penalty), 58th minute – After Onyeka Gamero was brought down inside the penalty area, Jackson stepped in and converted cleanly from the penalty spot for the first goal of the second half. United States 3, CRC 0

United States – Onyeka Gamero (Charlotte Kohler), 61st minute – Gamero received the ball on the right flank from Kohler and skillfully split two defenders on the dribble, penetrating into the box before firing a powerful shot that cut under the crossbar and sailed into the back of the net. United States 4, CRC 0

United States – Claire Hutton (Mia Oliaro), 90th minute – Olario took the ball down the left flank and sent a left-footed cross near the penalty spot for Hutton, who finished with a right-footed one-touch strike from 13 yards out. United States 5, CRC 0

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Striker Amalia Villarreal’s fourth-minute opener marked her seventh goal in three games and the team’s fastest opener of the tournament. She is USA’s top scorer so far and has also had two assists.

• On the first goal, striker Onyeka Gamero recorded her fourth assist of the tournament. She then scored her first goal of the competition in the 61^st minute.

• Mia Oliaro also recorded her fourth assist of the tournament.

• Midfielder Charlotte Kohler’s goal marked her fifth of the tournament. His assist was his second of the tournament.

• With her penalty converted, midfielder and team captain Riley Jackson netted her first goal of the tournament.

• With Gamero and Jackson’s first goals of the tournament and of their international careers, USA have now had 13 different goalscorers across three matches in the tournament.

• Goalkeeper Victoria Safradin recorded a save in the evening to score her second clean sheet of the tournament.

-United States Women’s National Under-17 Team Match Report-

Match: United States Women’s National Under-20 Team vs. Costa Rica

Date: April 27, 2022
Competition: Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship

Place: Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Presence: 50

To start up: 4 p.m. ET

Weather: 80 degrees, partly cloudy, windy

Rating Summary: 1 2 F

United States 2 3 5

CRC 0 0 0

USA – Amalia Villarreal (Onyeka Gamero) 4^and minute

USA – Charlotte Kohler (Amalia Vilarreal) 45+1

USA – Riley Jackson (Penalty Kick) 57

USA – Onyeka Gamero (Charlotte Kohler) 61

USA – Claire Hutton (Mia Oliaro) 90

Compositions:

UNITED STATES; 12-Victoria Safradin; 20-Gisele Thompson, 17-Alyssa Gonzalez, 4-Cameron Roller, 3-Savannah King; 7-Riley Jackson (captain), 19-Lauren Martinho (10-Mia Bhuta, 59), 8-Charlotte Kohler (13-Claire Hutton, 79); 18-Onyeka Gamero (11-Nicollette Kiorpes, 79), 16-Amalia Villarreal (14-Melina Rebimbas, 66), 9-Taylor Suarez (6-Mia Oliaro, 58)

Subs not used: 1-Abigail Gundry, 2-Nicola Fraser, 5-Keegan Schmeiser, 15-Shae Harvey

Head Coach: Natalia Astrain

CRC: 1-Genesis Pérez; 2-Brittanny Vasquez (13-Ashly Gonzalez, 65), 3-Josselyn Briceño, 4-Jimena Rodriguez (Capt.), 12-Valentina Rivera; 6-Priscilla Rodriguez (19-Sharon Lobo, 84), 8-Luciana Gonzalez, 10-Sheika Scott (17-Tanisha Fonseca, 77); 11-Veronica Matarrita, 9-Yoselin Fonseca (5-Jimena Jimenez, 64), 16-Monica Matarrita (14-Marian Solano, 84)

Subs not used: 18-Valeria Delgado, 7-Ashley Elizondo, 15-Keishlyn Mena, 20-Sara Ramirez

Head Coach: Patricia Aguilar

Summary statistics: United States / CRC

Shots: 24 / 2

Shots on goal: 14 / 1

Backup: 1 / 9

Corner kicks: 6 / 2

Fouls: 12 / 7

Offside: 5 / 0

Summary of misconduct:

United States – Amalia Villarreal (Attention) 27^and minute

UNITED STATES – Cameron Roll (Caution) 53

Officials:

Referee: Myriam Marcotte (CAN)

1^st Assistant referee: Stéphanie Fortin (CAN)

2^n/a Assistant referee: Suelle Shepperd (SUR)

4^and Official: Mayary Cartagena (GUA)