U-15 USWYNT cruises to 3-0 win over Costa Rica in Concacaf group play

ALAJUELA, Costa Rica – The U.S. Under-15 Women’s Youth National Team made it two wins in two games during Group A at the 2024 Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championship in Costa Rica with a 3-0 victory over the hosts.

Combined with an 11-0 victory over Jamaica on Aug. 5, the USA sits atop the group and has secured a berth to the tournament semifinals. The top two finishers in each group cross over for the semifinals on Aug. 9, with those winners meeting on Aug. 11 for the championship.

The USA will face Haiti on Thursday, Aug. 8 (11 a.m. local time / 1 p.m. ET) to finish group play with a win or a tie securing the top spot in Group A for the USA. All matches of the 2024 Concacaf Girls U-15 Championship will be streamed through the Concacaf YouTube platform and Concacaf Go.

Costa Rica put up a good fight against the young Americans, but forward Carolina Reyna broke through in the ninth minute to open the scoring and tally her fifth goal of the tournament.

Forward KK Ream put pressure on the defender after a pass from the Costa Rica goalkeeper to a defender, stole the ball and played Reyna at the top of the box for her to put it away.

The match, being played with 35-minutes halves, was 1-0 at halftime, but midfielder Caroline Swann buried a penalty kick in the 49th minute to double the lead before midfielder Kendall Conway took a free kick from about 25 yards out, blasting the ball over the wall and past the diving goalkeeper. The goals were Swann’s first of the tournament and Conway’s second.

The USA outshot Costa Rica 15-4 and were in control of the physical match throughout. Ella McNeal and Anne Fowler combined for the shutout in goal for the USA.

This year marks the fifth Concacaf tournament for this age group and the League A competition is being held in Costa Rica from Aug. 5-11. The U.S. has won all three Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championships in which it has participated (2016, 2018 and 2022).

Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, are age-eligible this tournament. U.S. head coach Ciara Crinion selected 16 players born in 2009, one born in 2010 — forward Mak Whitham — and one in 2011, midfielder Loradana Paletta, who came off the bench vs. Jamaica and started against Las Ticas. Whitham, the youngest signing in NWSL history, missed the first two matches as her club NJ/NY Gotham FC was participating the NWSL Summer Cup 2024, but she will be available for the remainder of the matches.

The 2024 Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championship is the largest ever, featuring 36 Concacaf nations divided into League A (eight teams competing in Costa Rica), League B (16 teams competing in Trinidad & Tobago) and League C (12 teams competing in Aruba).

In the other Group A League A match, Jamaica beat Haiti, 2-1. In the Group B League A matches, Canada beat El Salvador, 1-0, and Mexico downed Puerto Rico, 3-0.

– U.S. U-15 Women’s Youth National Team Match Report –

Match: United States U-15 Women’s National Team vs. Costa Rica U-15 Women’s National Team
Date: August 6, 2024
Competition: Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championship
Venue: Proyecto Gol Ruta Nacional Secundaria – Field 3; Alajuela, Costa Rica
Kickoff: 9 a.m. local (11 a.m. ET)
Attendance: 200
Weather: 75 degress, overcast/sunny

Lineups:
USA: 12-Ella McNeal (1-Anne Fowler, 36); 2-Alex Han (13-Bristol Kersh, 36), 18-Meila Brewer (15-Chloe Miller, 36), 5-Elena Vera, 3-Taylor Morrell, 4-Loradana Paletta (6-Kendall Conway, 48), 16-Caroline Swann, 10-Deus Stanislaus (Capt.) (8-Mia Corona, 48); 14-Carolina Reyna, 17-Amari Manning (7-Maddie DiMaria, 36), 11-KK Ream
Subs not used: None
Absent: 9-Mak Whitham
Head Coach: Ciara Crinion

CRC: 1-Ashley Quesada; 13-Emma Kupferschmeid, 2-Brithany Arronis, 4-Tiara Ruiz (Capt.), 3-Naydelin Barquero, 6-Mariom Garcia (16-Isabella Marin, 48), 15-Isska Chaverri, 7-Ema Azofeifa, 8-Veronica Solano (14-Sofia Osorio, 57), 9-Michelle Murillo (11-Nubia Medina, 36), 10-Lucia Paniagua
Subs not used: 5-Nicole Herradora, 12-Andrea Jaen, 17-Luciana Gutierrez, 18-Meylin Castro
Head Coach: Jose Rubido

Stats Summary: USA / CRC
Shots: 15 / 4
Shots on Goal: 10 / 3
Saves: 3 / 7
Corner Kicks: 7 / 1
Fouls: 11 / 9
Offside: 2 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Bristol Kersh (Caution) 60th minute
USA – Caroline Swann (Caution) 68

Officials:
Referee: Andrew Samuel (TRI)
Assistant Referee 1: Katherine Prescod (PAN)
Assistant Referee 2: Delia Roxana Vega Recinos (GUA)
Fourth Official: Nathalya Williams (TRI)