U-16 USWYNT wins tournament in France as Kennedy Fuller earns MVP honors

MORTAGNE-SUR-SÈVRE, FRANCE – The U.S. Under-16 Women’s Youth National Team completed an impressive four-game run at the Mondial Montaigu Football Tournament with a 1-0 victory over host France in the championship game.

On its way to the tournament title, the USA defeated Portugal, 4-1, and Norway, 4-0, in group play and downed France, 3-0, in a friendly that did not count in the tournament standings.

In the title game, the USA scored the lone goal of the contest in the 54^th minute when midfielder Kennedy Fuller, who earned tournament’s Best Player honors, one-timed pass out the air to forward Alexandra Pfeiffer. The St. Louis Scott Gallagher striker took on a defender and then cut inside before powering her shot into the upper corner from outside the penalty area.

In the six-team competition, Japan downed Portugal in extra time, 2-1, to finish third and Mexico defeated Norway, 3-0, to finish fifth.

All the players on the U.S. roster were born in 2007, which is the birth year that forms the primary age group working to earn a berth to the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

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— U.S. UNDER-16 YOUTH WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT —

Match: United States U-16 Women’s Youth National Team vs. France U-16 Women’s National Team
Date: April 9, 2023
Competition: Mondial Montaigu Women’s Tournament
Venue: Complexe Maxime Bossis; Mortagne-sur-Sèvre, France
Weather: 65 degrees, partly cloudy

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

USA – Alexandra Pfeiffer (Kennedy Fuller)                54^th minute

Lineups:

USA:1-Molly Vapensky, 8-Daya King, 5-Jordyn Hardeman, 19-Kai Price (2-Alexis Coughlin, 41); 4-Mya Brandon (3-Katherine Scott, 70); 13-Ainsley McCammon (Capt.), 15-Y-Lan Nguyen (6-Trinity Armstrong, 41); 10-Kennedy Fuller, 11-Zoe Matthews (Alexandra Pfeiffer, 22); 14-Mya Townes, 7-Ayva Jordan (16-Madeline Padelski, 57).

Subs not used: 9-Tessa Knapp, 12-Kennedy Zorn, 17-Kiara Gilmore, 20-Caroline Helfrich

Head Coach: Patchy Toledo

FRA:1-Ceylin Yilmaz, 3-Ornella Graziani, 6-Kenza Dufour, 7-Celia Chabod, 8-Messina Fouda, 9-Louna Lemort, 12-Maelle Richelandet, 15-Valentine Sellenet, 17-Ambre Ouazar (Capt.) (20-Meline Rubio, 68), 18-Lea Syljmani (10-Lina Gay, 54), 19-Justine Rouquet (22-Djenna Tenes, 54), 23-Auryane Abdourahim (21-Kentissia Bacoul, 28)

Subs not used:  2-Alaia Peltier, 4-Melia Bourdoncle, 5-Sarah Compaore, 7-Malin Book, 11-Lina Greve, 13-Olivia Rotimi, 14-Leane Lescop, 16-Louise Demarest

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

Misconduct Summary:
None