U.S. U-16 Girls National Team defeats Iran 6-0 in historic match

MONFALCONE, Italy (Via U.S. Soccer) – The Under-16 Girls’ National Team defeated Iran, 6-0, in its second game at the 1st International Women’s Tournament of Gradisca. The historic match marked the first meeting in women’s international soccer between the USA and Iran at any age level. It was also the first time a U.S. Women’s National Team has faced a country from the Middle East.

The group matches at this tournament are 70 minutes and the USA scored twice in the first half and four times in the second. Midfielder Summer Yates notched a true hat trick, scoring three consecutive goals in a 22-minute span at the end of the first half and into the beginning of the second.

Emaly Vatne, Olivia Wingate and Rebecca Jarrett (three minutes into second-half stoppage time) added the other three goals.

+Read: U.S. U-23 WNT roster named for training camp in Charlottesville, Va.

The USA fell 1-0 to host Italy on April 25 in its first match in Group A. Italy will play Iran on April 27, and a win or tie for Italy will see the USA finish in second place in the group, which will set up a placement match on April 28 against the second-place finisher from Group B with the winner taking third in the tourney. The placement games will feature 40-minute halves.

The six-team tournament is taking place in northeast Italy close to the border with Slovenia and Group B consists of France, England and Mexico. France defeated England 2-1, while Mexico tied France 0-0.

This age group is in the second year of a two-year cycle before becoming the U-18s and then the U-20s with the goal of playing in the 2020 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup.

+Read: U.S. Soccer releases FAQs list, timeline for Girls Development Academy

– U-16 Girls’ National Team Match Report –

Match: U.S. Under-16 GNT vs. Iran
Date: April 26, 2016
Competition: 1st International Women’s Tournament of Gradisca
Venue: Stadio Comunale Monfalcone; Monfalcone, Italy
Attendance: 100
Weather: Low 60s; Sunny

Scoring Summary:            1             2              F
USA                                      2          4                   6
IRN                                           0            0              0

USA – Emaly Vatne (Summer Yates)                      18th minute
USA – Summer Yates (Jenna Nighswonger)           23
USA – Summer Yates (Madeline Verguru)              40
USA – Summer Yates (Olivia Wingate)                   50
USA – Olivia Wingate (Lia Godfrey)                      57
USA – Rebecca Jarrett (Olivia Wingate)                 70+3

Lineups:
USA: 22-Katie Meyer; 6-Kylie Minamishin, 3-Maycee Bell (13-Madelyn Desiano, 35), 10-Sierra Enge (capt.), 15-Brianna Martinez (11-Makenna Morris, 51); 17-Jenna Nighswonger (19-Cori Dyke, 35), 16-Madeline Vergura (5-Sarah Piper, 51), 20-Summer Yates, 7-Lia Godfrey, 9-Emaly Vatne (8-Rebecca Jarrett, 35), 21-Nohemi Mendoza (14-Olivia Wingate, 35)
Subs not used: 1-Hensley Hancuff, 2-Croix Bethune, 4-Shae Holmes
Head Coach: Tricia Taliaferro

IRN: 1-Fatemeh Mazidi; 2-Shaghayegh Noorizadehigder, 3-Mina Nafeei Kouhi (18-Sanaz Rabie Laleh, 45), 5-Hajar Dabbaghi Ashrafi Varnosfaderani, 6-Fatemeh Motevallitaher; 7-Neda Rahmani, 8-Neda Rezapourlori (15-Zahra Alizadehkaryak, 30), 9-Mahshadossadat Amiri, 10-Seyedeh Fatemeh Hosseini; 14-Melika Mohammadi, 19-Fatemeh Geraelisheikh (capt.)
Subs not used:  4-Hengameh Sefatiboldaji, 11-Marzieh Feizi Jazi, 12-Golnoosh Khosravi, 13- Saba Javadinejad, 16-Asma Nazari Pakdel, 17-Mitra Mohammadi, 20-Fahimeh Arzani
Head Coach: Shadi Mahini

Stats Summary: USA / IRN
Shots: 19 / 4
Shots on Goal: 14 / 4
Saves: 4 / 8
Corner Kicks: 5 / 1
Fouls: 7 / 4
Offside: 5 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
None