U.S. U-20 Women’s Youth National Team defeats France 3-1 in Sud Ladies Cup opener

AUBAGNE, France – The U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team put together high-level performance to defeat host France, 3-1, in its opening match of the Sud Ladies Cup as forward Simone Jackson scored early and forward Trinity Byars bagged a second half brace.

The USA will next face Mexico on June 26 in the four-team tournament and finish against the Netherlands on June 28. All the matches are being played in Aubagne, which is located 12 miles east of Marseille in the south of France.

In a battle between two teams preparing for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, Jackson staked the USA to a 1-0 lead in just the sixth minute. Midfielder Sally Menti fired a shot from the top of the penalty box which deflected off a France defender and landed in front of Jackson, who then shot low into the left corner from about 10 yards out. The goal was the seventh in seven U-20 internationals for Jackson after she scored six times at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship last March.

France tied the game in the five minutes into the second half, but that set the stage for Byars’ heroics. Just two minutes after the equalizer, Byars received as pass from defender Emily Mason at the top of the penalty box and dribbled by two defenders before shooting past the ‘keeper into the lower right corner from eight yards out.

While that goal served as a game winner, Byars clinched the match in the 90^th minute after forward Michelle Cooper played a perfectly weighted long ball from inside the USA defensive half to Byars, who got in the footrace with a trailing France defender and the charging France goalkeeper. Byars beat both to the ball by a step, touched it into space to then scored into the open net. The goals were the first for Byars at the U-20 international level.

The matches in the Sud Ladies Cup will be the final ones for the U.S. U-20s before head coach Tracey Kevins selects a roster for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup to be staged from Aug. 10-28 in Costa Rica. All four teams participating in the Sud Ladies Cup have earned berths to Costa Rica.

The USA was drawn into Group D at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup and opens the tournament on Thursday, Aug. 11 against Ghana, faces the Netherlands on Sunday, Aug. 14 and finishes the group stage vs. Japan on Wednesday, Aug. 17. The U.S. will play its first and third group games at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica and its second group game at the Estadio Nacional in San José.

France is in Group C with Nigeria, Canada and South Korea while Mexico is in Group B with Germany, Colombia and New Zealand.

USA Players Mentioned

-U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States U-20 Women’s National Team vs. France U-20 Women’s National Team

Date: June 24, 2022
Competition: Sud Ladies’ Cup
Venue: Stade de Lattre; Aubagne, France
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny
Audience: 200

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F         
USA                             1          2          3
FRA                             0          1          1

USA – Simone Jackson (Sally Menti)             6^th minute
FRA – Jade Nassi                                               50
USA – Trinity Byars (Emily Mason)                52
USA – Trinity Byars (Michelle Cooper)          76

Lineups:

USA: 1-Mia Justus; 3-Ayo Oke (25-Jaedyn Shaw, 46), 4-Emily Mason, 15-Aidan McConnell, 2-Evelyn Shores (5-Lilly Reale, 46), 8-Carina Lageyre (10-Lexi Missimo, 63), 17-Sally Menti, 6-Emily Colton (21-Korbin Albert, 46), 7-Simone Jackson (18-Trinity Byars, 46), 3-Michelle Cooper (Capt.), 19-Andrea Kitahata

Subs not used: 11-Makenna Morris, 12-Neeku Purcell, 13-Olivia Moultrie, 14-Lauren Flynn, 16-Avery Patterson, 20-Talia DellaPeruta, 23-Ally Sentnor

Head Coach: Tracey Kevins

FRA: 16-Marie Petiteau; 5-Thiniba Samoura, 14-Anaelle Tchakounte, 4-Kysha Sylla, 11-Lou Bogaert (18-Jade Le Guilly, 61), 8-Magnaba Folquet (23-Cyreille Blanc, 61), 13-Laurina Fazer (Capt.), 2-Alice Sombath (3-Celina Ould Hocine, 83), 7-Esther Mbakem Niaro, 10-Vicki Becho, 9-Manssita Traore

Subs not used:  1-Marie-Morgane Sieber, 6-Megane Hoeltzel, 12-Yrma Mze Issa, 17-Oceane Hurtre, 19-Oceane Picard, 20-Hawa Sangare, 21-Oceane Toussant, 22-Kenza Chapelle, 24-Baby Jordy Benera

Head Coach: Sonia Haziraj

Stats Summary: USA / FRA            
Shots: 11 / 4
Shots on Goal: 8 / 3
Saves: 3 / 5
Corner Kicks: 6 / 1
Fouls: 7 / 16
Offside: 2 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
FRA – Vicki Becho (Caution)             24^th minute
FRA – Laurina Fazer (Caution)          57
USA – Sally Menti (Caution)              80

Officials:
Referee: Audrey Gerbel (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Clothilde Brassart (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Camille Daas (FRA)
Fourth Official: Bianca Giuran (FRA)