PREVIEW: U-20 USWYNT set for decisive group stage finale at FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

After falling 1-0 to reigning FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup champions Spain in its opening match followed by a dominating 2-0 win over Morocco in its second Group C contest, the USA will now face Paraguay for a spot in the knockout rounds on Saturday, Sept. 7 at El Techo Stadium in Bogotá (7 p.m. ET; FS2 & Universo).

WIN OR DRAW GETS USA TO ROUND OF 16: Forward Maddie Dahlien’s goal deep into second half stoppage time against Morocco showed how just one goal can change World Cup tournaments. The score, coupled with midfielder Yuna McCormack’s goal early in the second half, gave the USA a 2-0 lead and, most importantly, an advantage in goal difference against Paraguay before the teams’ meeting in their Group C finale. Both teams have three points after losing to Spain and beating Morocco, but the USA heads into the match with a plus-1 goal difference – goal difference being the first tie-break should teams be tied on points — while Paraguay has a zero-goal difference. That means a win or a draw will give the USA second place in the group, while Paraguay must win to finish in second and guarantee advancement. Four third-place teams will qualify for the Round of 16, but several of those teams may not know their knockout round fates until the final ball is kicked in group play. For Morocco to go through, the Atlas Lionesses must beat Spain, a tall task indeed, and hope the three points will be enough to secure one of the four berths available for third-place teams.

Group C Standings

Group C Results

Sept. 1
Spain 1, USA 0
Paraguay 2, Morocco 0

Sept. 4
USA 2, Morocco 0
Spain 2, Paraguay 0

Sept. 7
Spain vs. Morocco
USA vs. Paraguay

24 TEAMS VIE FOR 11TH U-20 TITLE: This year marks the 11th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, FIFA’s most high-profile women’s competition after the World Cup and the Olympic Games. The biennial competition began as the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in 2002 and was held as a U-19 event in 2004 before moving to its current Under-20 format in 2006. The 24 participating nations for the 2024 edition of the tournament were drawn into six groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group along with the four best third-place teams will advance to the first-ever Round of 16 in this tournament, to be played on Wednesday, Sept. 11 and Thursday, Sept. 12. The winners of those matches advance to the Quarterfinals on Sunday, Sept. 15, from which the winners will advance to the Semifinals on Wednesday, Sept. 18. The Third-Place Match will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21 with the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Final taking place on Sunday, Sept. 22.

THE U.S. ROSTER — PROS LEAD THE WAY: Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004, are age-eligible for this World Cup, and this roster will set a record for the most professional players on a U.S. FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Team with eight. All are in their rookie years for National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) clubs with midfielder Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current) and Ally Sentnor (the #1 pick in the 2024 NWSL draft for the Utah Royals) seeing the most minutes among their peers so far this year. Defender Gisele Thompson, who joined her older sister Alyssa at Angel City FC this season, defender Savy King (the #2 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft for Bay FC), midfielder Ally Lemos (the #9 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft by the Orlando Pride), former U.S. U-17 WYNT captain Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage) and forward Emeri Adames (Seattle Reign) have all seen action for their clubs this season. Adames, who signed last march, was the club’s first-ever U-18 signing. The now 18-year-old defender Jordan Bugg signed with Seattle on July 19.While Sentnor, King and Lemos were all high draft picks, the other five pros – Jackson, Adames, Thompson, Hutton and Bugg — all signed professional contracts as high schoolers under the NWSL Under-18 Entry Mechanism, opting out of college soccer.

2024 FIFA U.S. U-20 Women’s World Cup Roster by Position (College or Club; Hometown; U-20 Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Caroline Birkel (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; St. Louis, Mo.; 0), Mackenzie Gress (Penn State; Lyndhurst, N.J.; 5), Teagan Wy (California; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; 10)

DEFENDERS (6): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign; El Cajon, Calif.; 6/1), Elise Evans (Stanford; Redwood City, Calif.; 13/0), Heather Gilchrist (Florida State, Boulder, Colo.; 7/0), Savy King (Bay FC; West Hills, Calif.; 14/0), Leah Klenke (Notre Dame; Houston, Texas; 13/0), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; Studio City, Calif.; 9/1)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Addison Halpern (PDA; Middlesex, N.J.; 0/0), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; Bethlehem, N.Y.; 7/0), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; Roswell, Ga.; 10/1), Ally Lemos (Orlando Pride; Glendora, Calif.; 14/1), Yuna McCormack (Virginia; Mill Valley, Calif.; 4/1), Taylor Suarez (Florida State; Charlotte, N.C.; 10/1)

FORWARDS (6): Emeri Adames (Seattle Reign; Red Oak, Texas; 8/1), Maddie Dahlien (North Carolina; Edina, Minn.; 10/5), Jordynn Dudley (Florida State; Milton, Ga.; 10/3), Giana Riley (Florida State; Manteca, Calif.; 9/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; Hanson, Mass.; 18/9), Pietra Tordin (Princeton; Miami, Fla.; 9/2)

ROSTER NOTES

• Of the USA’s 18 field players on the roster, all but Addison Halpern, the youngest player on the roster, has seen action thus far over the first two matches.
• Four players have played all 180 minutes so far: goalkeeper Teagan Wy, defenders Jordyn Bugg and Savy King and midfielder Riley Jackson.
• Seven played have played more than 150 minutes.
• The USA’s Group C has proven to be one the most competition in the tournament with no team winning by more than a two-goal margin.
• Defender Heather Gilchrist, midfielder Ally Lemos and forward Giana Riley, all made their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup debuts against Morocco.
• Forward Maddie Dahlien’s goal against Morocco was her fifth at the U-20 level and came in her 10th cap.
• Midfielder Yuna McCormack scored her first-ever U-20 international goal vs. Morocco.
• U.S. goalkeeper Teagan Wy picked up her first World Cup shutout vs. Morocco, making two saves.
• The USA’s World Cup roster features eight pros, one rising college freshman, two rising college sophomores, one redshirt college sophomore, seven rising college juniors and high schoolers Caroline Birkel and Addison Halpern. Florida State leads all colleges with four players on the roster.
• Defender Gisele Thompson is the only player on the roster who has seen training time with the senior U.S. Women’s National Team, that coming during the USA’s February training camp this year ahead of the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
• All players on the roster have been capped at the U-20 level except for Birkel and Halpern, who was a late addition to the World Cup Team replacing Sam Courtright, who tore her ACL just days before the team’s departure for Colombia.
• Forward Ally Sentnor, who is in her second U-20 cycle, is unsurprisingly the most experienced player on the roster with 18 U-20 caps heading into the World Cup and is also the USA’s leading scorer with nine international goals.
• Earlier this NWSL season, forward Emeri Adames, a veteran of the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, became the youngest scorer in Seattle Reign history. In her final game before joining the USA in Colombia, Adames sent a header on goal that snuck into the net for the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over the North Carolina Courage on a night that club and USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe had her jersey retired. Adames then celebrated the goal by pulling out Rapinoe’s iconic celebration pose.
• Adames also played for the USA at the 2023 Pan American Games, where she scored in the 2-1 semifinal loss to the senior Chile Women’s National Team, getting the ball past one of the world’s best goalkeepers, Christiane Endler.
• Defender Jordyn Bugg, Hutton and Thompson also played in the Pan Ams, giving them excellent experience against senior National Teams.
• Five-foot-11 forward Jordynn Dudley, along with college teammate Heather Gilchrist, had a big 2023 college season, helping Florida State win the NCAA Championship. Dudley was named ACC Freshman of the Year after scoring a remarkable 14 goals with nine assists, including a goal and an assist in the NCAA Championship Game. Gilchrist, as a sophomore, started all 21 matches for the Seminoles.
• Forward Maddie Dahlien, who tied with Sentnor for leading scorer in qualifying with four goals, is a former Minnesota state track champion in the 100M and 200M.
• Forward Giana Riley, who has since transferred to Florida State, led the West Coast Conference in scoring for Gonzaga last season with 12 goals to go along with six assists.
• Princeton forward Pietra Tordin, a rare Ivy Leaguer on a U.S. World Cup Team, made a dramatic U-20 WYNT debut in February, scoring a late game-winner in a 1-0 victory over Colombia in Bogotá. The USA won the second game of that trip 1-0 as well, on a goal from Sentnor.
• There are eight players on the roster from California — six from SoCal and two from NorCal – two from Texas and two from Georgia.
• Six players on this U-20 WWC roster played for the USA in the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Thompson, Savy King, Bugg, Adames, Leah Klenke and Jackson.
• The USA is one of four teams to have qualified for every FIFA WWC at this age level, along with three-time champions Germany, as well as Brazil and Nigeria.

U.S. U-20 WYNT vs. PARAGUAY:

• This is Paraguay’s third FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, having previously participated in 2014 and 2018, when it did not advance out of the group stage.
• The USA and Paraguay met in the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in France, a 6-0 win that featured goals from future USWNT players Sophia Smith (3), Savannah DeMelo (2) and Ashley Sanchez.
• Paraguay opened its 2024 FIFA Women’s World Cup with its second-ever win in this tournament, downing Morocco 2-0 despite being out-shot 19-13.
• Forward Fatima Acosta scored both goals, in the 37th minute and in the 56th minute from the penalty spot.
• Against Spain in its second Group C match, Paraguay lost 2-0, while Spain had an astounding 84% of the possession, the South Americans managed to fire 16 shots, with six on goal, the same number as Spain.
• Paraguay finished 2nd, behind Brazil, at the 2024 South American U-20 Women’s Championship to qualify for this World Cup. Acosta led her team in goals with seven. No other player had more than two.
• In the final six-team group of qualifying, from which four teams qualified (along with host Colombia), Paraguay beat Venezuela (2-0), lost to Brazil (3-0), beat Argentina (2-0), tied Peru (2-2) and tied Colombia (1-1).
• Paraguay has seven players playing their club soccer outside of Paraguay – in Brazil, Argentina and Chile – but no players playing outside of South America.
• Paraguay’s head coach – Fabio Fukumoto – is a Brazilian of Japanese ancestry.

Paraguay 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Roster by Position (Club)

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1- Araceli Leguizamon (Gremio FBPA, BRA), 12-Luana Rodriguez (Club Guarani), 13-Kamila Benitez (Sol de America)

DEFENDERS (7): 2-Milagros Rolon (AD Taubate, BRA), 3-Sofia Almiron (CD Everton Vina Del Mar, CHI), 4-Naomi De Leon (Club Libertad), 6-Gabriela Valdez (CA Banfield, ARG), 14-Vanessa Arnaboldi (SC Internacional, BRA), 16-Nayelli Torres (Club Cerro Porteno), 21-Luz Cardozo (Club Olimpia)

MIDFIELDERS (5): 5-Danna Garcete (Club Olimpia), 7-Fiorella Fernadez (Club Libertad), 8-Adriana Martinez (Gremio FBPA, BRA), 15-Belen Talavera (Club Libertad), 17-Jorgelina Gonzalez (Nacional-Humaitá)

FORWARDS (6): 9-Lujan Tamay (Club Olimpia), 10-Fatima Acosta (Sao Paulo, BRA), 11-Agustina Varela (Club Olimpia), 18-Claudia Martinez (Club Olimpia), 19-Zunilda Coronel (Club Libertad), 20-Pamela Villalba (Club Olimpia)