U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team dominates Jamaica 8-0 to take third place at 2013 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (Nov. 9, 2013) – The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team rebounded from a crushing penalty kick loss to Mexico in the semifinal of the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship with a dominating 8-0 victory against Jamaica to take third place in the tournament.

The shootout setback on Nov. 7 meant that the United States did not advance to the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, but the Americans finished the tournament in style and were ahead 4-0 before 28 minutes were gone in a match that saw the USA comprehensively dominate every facet of the game.

The young Americans needed less than two minutes to open the scoring as midfielder Mallory Pugh played a cross in from the right side on the ground and center-back Taylor Otto touched it home from close range for her first goal of the tournament.

The USA made it 2-0 in the 10^th minute after a nice build-up ended with midfielder Anika Rodriguez striking a shot on the ground from 16 yards out. Jamaican goalkeeper Sanay Ricketts spilled the ball to her left and forward Madison Haley pounded her shot into the open net.

In the 22^nd minute, Haley got free behind the Jamaican defense but defender Sashine Smith clipped her down from behind. Smith was eventually shown the red card for being the last defender and denying an obvious scoring opportunity. Pugh stepped up and nailed her penalty kick shot into the lower left corner to make it 3-0 in the 25^th minute and Jamaica had to play a woman down for the remaining 65 minutes of the match.

It took less than a minute for Pugh to score again. This time Rodriguez slipped a pass into the right side of the penalty box to forward Kelcie Hedge, who back-heeled a perfect pass to the onrushing Pugh, who powered her shot into the near post from 12 yards out.

Otto added her second goal of the game and the tournament off a corner kick from the right side that was taken by defender Tegan McCrady. Haley got the first head on the ball, sending her shot off the crossbar. The 5-10 Otto then outvjumped Haley for the rebound and looped a header over the goalkeeper, off the right post and into the net.

Haley added her second of the game in the 53^rd minute after Pugh ran onto a pass that was slipped into the middle of the penalty area. She smoothly rounded the Jamaican goalkeeper to her right and then rolled a pass across the six-yard box for Haley to push into the open net.

Midfielder Marley Canales made in 7-0 in the 83^rd minute after taking a short corner kick from Civana Kuhlmann. She dribbled into the left side of the penalty area and hit a shot through traffic that bounced off the inside of the right post and rolled over the goal line. It was the second goal of the tournament for Canales.

The USA scored its eighth and final goal in the 90^th minute as right back Ellie Jean dribbled all the way to the end line before cutting a pass back into the seam for the 14-year-old Kulhmann who spun her first-time shot into the lower left corner to cap off the USA’s tournament with a 26-1 goal difference.