U-17 Women’s National Team faces Gambia at 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup today

The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team faces Gambia at 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 25, in Baku, Azerbaijan, in its second Group B match of the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The match will be streamed live on ESPN3.

Tuesday’s match will mark the first U-17 meeting between the USA and Gambia at any level of the Women’s National Teams. The USA is coming off a scoreless draw against France on Saturday, Sept. 22, in Lankaran, Azerbaijan.

2012 U.S. U-17 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – DETAILED ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Jane Campbell (Concorde Fire South; Kennesaw, Ga.), 18-Cassie Miller (Sereno FC; Cave Creek, Ariz.), 20-Morgan Stearns (McLean MPS Power; San Antonio, Texas)
DEFENDERS (7): 3-Brittany Basinger (FC Virginia; Purcellville, Va.), 5-Maddie Bauer (Slammers FC; Newport Beach, Calif.), 7-Gabbi Miranda (Colorado Rush; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), 12-Mandy Freeman (Lady Renegades SC; Royal Palm Beach, Fla.), 13-Lizzy Raben (Colorado Rush; Greenwood, Colo.), 14-Morgan Reid (Chelsea Ladies; Cary, N.C.), 15-Claire Wagner (Chelsea Ladies; Cary, N.C.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): 4-Joanna Boyles (Chelsea Ladies; Raleigh, N.C.), 9-Lauren Kaskie (Heat FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), 10-Morgan Andrews (FC Stars of Mass.; Milford, N.H.), 11-Toni Payne (Concorde Fire South; Birmingham, Ala.), 16-Morgan Stanton (Colorado Rush; Lakewood, Colo.), 17-Andi Sullivan (Bethesda SC; Lorton, Va.)
FORWARDS (5): 2-Emily Bruder (Utah Avalanche; Sandy, Utah), 6-Summer Green (Michigan Hawks; Milford, Mich.), 8-Amber Munerlyn (So Cal Blues; Corona, Calif.), 19-Margaret Purce (Freestate Soccer; Olney, Md.), 21-Darian Jenkins (Sparta SC; Riverton, Utah)

GROUP B STANDINGS AND SCHEDULE

Saturday, Sept. 22
Korea DPR 11, Gambia 0
USA 0, France 0

Tuesday, Sept. 25
France vs. Korea DPR, 5 a.m. ET
USA vs. Gambia, 8 a.m. ET

Friday, Sept. 29
Gambia vs. France, 8 a.m. ET
USA vs. Korea DPR, 8 a.m. ET

GROUP B UPDATE:

• USA 0, France 0: U.S. goalkeeper Jane Campbell had 12 saves as the USA defense withstood a dynamic France attack to gain a point in the Group B opener on Sept. 22 in Lankaran, Azerbaijan. France held the bulk of the possession, but the USA kept France off the score sheet. The USA and France share second place in the group behind Korea DPR.
• Korea DPR 11, Gambia 0: Ri Un Sim and Ri Kyong Hyang each had a hat trick as Korea DPR trounced Gambia in its Group B opener on Sept. 22. Ri Hyang Sim added two late goals while Choe Yun Gyong, Kim Phyong Hwa and Kim So Hyang had a goal apiece. Korea DPR outshot Gambia 33-0 and had an 18-0 shots on goal advantage. North Korea won the first-ever U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2008 with a 2-1 overtime victory against the USA.

16 NATIONS, ONE TROPHY: At the U-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup, each confederation (aside from the smallest Oceania) is given three berths to the tournament to help better facilitate the growth of the game for young girls around the world. The 16 nations competing in the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup are host Azerbaijan; two additional teams from Europe in France and Germany; three Asian teams in Japan, Korea DPR and China PR; three from Africa in Nigeria, Ghana and Gambia; the USA, Canada and Mexico from CONCACAF; Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay from South America; and New Zealand from Oceania.

U-17 WWC HISTORY:

• 2008: The inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup was held in 2008, when the USA won the CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament, advanced to the World Cup Final in New Zealand and came within minutes of winning the title before falling in overtime to Korea DPR.
• 2010: The USA failed to qualify for the 2010 event in Trinidad & Tobago, losing in penalty kicks in the semifinal despite outscoring its opponents 38-0 in the qualifying tournament. The 2010 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup was won by Korea Republic, which defeated Japan in a wild match that ended 2-2 through regulation and 3-3 after overtime as each team scored in the extra 30 minutes. South Korea then won 5-4 in the penalty kick shootout.
• 2012: Korea Republic did not qualify for this year’s tournament, marking only the second time in the history of FIFA Women’s competitions that the reigning champion is unable to defend its title. The other occasion was the 2004 Olympics, when Norway did not qualify after winning the gold medal in 2000.

U.S. ROSTER NOTES

• The USA has compiled a 12-0-3 record this year, with two draws coming against England’s U-19s and China’s U-20s.
• Goalkeeper Jane Campbell is 9-0-3 this year with 11 shutouts, most recently posting a 12-save clean sheet on Sept. 22 against France for a scoreless draw. The only match that Campbell has allowed a goal this year was during a 1-1 draw against England in the La Manga Women’s U-19 Ten Nations Tournament on March 6.
• The USA had not been involved in a shutout (offensively or defensively) in previous U-17 World Cup competition. It was the team’s second draw in the World Cup, having played France to a 1-1 draw in Group C of the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
• Defender Lizzy Raben’s substitution for an injured Mandy Freeman in the 13th minute of the 0-0 draw against France marked the earliest substitution in U-17 World Cup history. The previous record was the 19th minute when Brazil’s Juliana replaced Beatriz on Oct. 30, 2008, in a match against England.
• Defender Maddie Bauer leads the team with 14 starts for the U-17s in international matches this year.
• Midfielder Summer Green leads the U-17 WNT with 15 goals and nine assists this year. Green has 17 career goals at this age group and is the USA’s most experienced player at this level with 22 caps.
• All of the U.S. players were born in 1995, but midfielder Andi Sullivan is the youngest player on the USA roster with a Dec. 20 birthday.
• Twenty of the 21 players are still in high school with the exception being Green who graduated a year early and put her freshman season with the University of North Carolina on hold to play in the World Cup.

BY THE NUMBERS

• 4: Countries making their U-17 Women’s World Cup debut: Azerbaijan, Gambia, China PR and Uruguay
• 6: Stadiums for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, the most ever for this tournament
• 10: Shutouts by goalkeeper Jane Campbell
• 12: Goals by Summer Green in CONCACAF qualifying, a tournament record
• 15: Goals by Green in 2012
• 30: Goals scored in the first eight games of the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
• 61: Percent of USA scoring Summer Green was part of in CONCACAF qualifying (12 goals, 4 assists)

IN FOCUS: GAMBIA
Gambia Football Association
Founded: 1952 (joined FIFA in 1966)
Head Coach: Buba Jallow
Best FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Finish: Had never previously qualified

GAMBIA ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Aminata Gaye, Mariama Ceesay, 21-Fatim Jawara
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Amie Jarju, 3-Anna Nyassi, 4-Mariama Bojang, 11-Awa Tamba, 16-Sirreh Jatta, 17-Fatou Fatty
MIDFIELDERS (8): 5-Binta Colley, 6-Ndey Beyai, 7-Fatou Darboe, 9-Sainey Sissohore, 13-Maria Camara, 14-Veronic Malack, 15-Fatoumata Gibba, 19-Metta Sanneh
FORWARDS (4): 8-Penda Bah, 10-Adama Tamba, 12-Awa Demba, 20-Isatou Jallow

GAMBIA ROSTER NOTES

• Gambia’s roster features three of the four youngest players participating in this year’s tournament. Midfielder Sainey Sissohore, 13, is the youngest (born on Dec. 30, 1998), one day older than Nigeria’s Joy Bokiri. Gambia twins Awa Tamba and Adama Tamba, both 13 years old, are the next-youngest as they were born on Aug. 29, 1998.
• Gambia is the youngest team in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with an average age of 15 years, 1 month heading into the tournament.
• Goalkeeper Aminata Gaye made seven saves for Gambia in the Group B-opening 11-0 loss to Korea DPR on Sept. 22.
• Gambia is one of four countries making their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup debuts. The others are host Azerbaijan, China PR and Uruguay. All were losers on the first day except for China, which beat Uruguay.
• Gambia qualified by beating Sierra Leone over two legs in the first round of the regional qualifying tournament, then posting two wins against Tunisia in the second round by scores of 1-0 and 2-1.
• Gambia represents the fourth African side to appear in the U-17 Women’s World Cup, with Nigeria and Ghana qualifying for all three World Cups (2008, 2010, 2012) and South Africa qualifying in 2010.

LAST TIME
On the field for the USA:
Sept. 22, 2012 – Lankaran Stadium; Lankaran, Azerbaijan
2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup; Group B
USA  0
FRA  0

Lineups:
USA: 1-Jane Campbell; 3-Brittany Basinger, 5-Maddie Bauer, 12-Mandy Freeman (13-Lizzy Raben, 13), 7-Gabbi Miranda; 10-Morgan Andrews (capt.), 17-Andi Sullivan, 11-Toni Payne; 19-Margaret Purce (2-Emily Bruder, 63), 6-Summer Green, 21-Darian Jenkins
Subs not used: 4-Joanna Boyles, 8-Amber Munerlyn, 9-Lauren Kaskie, 14-Morgan Reid, 15-Claire Wagner, 16-Morgan Stanton, 18-Cassie Miller, 20-Morgan Stearns
Head Coach: Albertin Montoya

FRA: 1-Romaine Bruneau; 5-Griedge Mbock Bathy, 13-Marion Romanelli, 15-Noemie Carage; 4-Aissatou Tounkara, 10-Sandie Toletti (capt.), 14-Ghoutia Karchouni, 19-Juliane Gathrat (6-Candice Gherbi, 90+3), 20-Delphine Cascarino (8-Laura Blanchard, 85), 7-Lea Declercq (17-Alexandra Atamaniuk, 68), 9-Kadidiatou Diani
Subs not used: 2-Amandine Blanc, 3-Ophelie Gahery, 11-Pauline Cousin, 12-Laurie Saulnier, 16-Claire Jacob, 18-Onema Geyoro, 21-Cindy Perrault
Head Coach: Guy Ferrier