U-19 USWYNT beats Argentina 4-0 to finish sweep of Group B at Pan American Games

VALPARAÍSO, Chile – The U.S. U-19 Women’s Youth National Team defeated Argentina, 4-0, to complete an impressive sweep of all three group matches and will now focus on a semifinal matchup against host Chile.

The win gave the USA the full nine points from its three group matches and set up a meeting with Group A second-place finisher Chile on Oct. 31 in a match that will likely be played in front of a large crowd.

The win over Argentina came on the heels of a 6-0 win over Bolivia to open the tournament and a 3-1 win over Costa Rica in the second game, and once again, the USA started fast.

In the 16^th minute, defender Lizzie Boamah broke pressure by dribbling into midfield and played a long ball to forward Emeri Adames, who was streaking down the left side of the field. Adames won the foot race with an Argentinian defender and lofted a left-footed cross to the back post where midfielder Kendall Bodak was waiting to head it home.

Five minutes later the USA made it 2-0 after midfielder Eleanor Klinger received the ball in midfield and slotted a pass through three defenders to a darting Adames, who took a touch inside and then found midfielder Charlotte Kohler, who timed her run behind the backline perfectly before executing a first-time finish with the outside of her right foot.

The USA took that lead into halftime but then scored twice in a four-minute span early in the second half to put the game away. Once again Boamah started the goal-scoring attack by breaking pressure with a dribble into midfield. Her pass found forward Amalia Villarreal on the backline. Villarreal played a quick combination with Kohler, receiving the through ball back from Kohler inside the penalty area and finishing to the far post with her right foot.

In the 55^th minute, midfielder Grace Restovich jumped on a loose ball on top of the six-yard box after a corner and smashed a first-time shot on the half turn into the upper 90 for the final scoreline.

Argentina, which was playing with numerous full National Team players, out-shot the USA 12-5, but the young Americans were clinical in their finishing and goalkeeper Kealey Titmuss earned the shutout while making six saves.

In the other Group B match, Costa Rica and Bolivia tied 0-0. Mexico won Group A with wins over Chile, Paraguay and Jamaica while scoring 14 goals and allowing just two and will face Argentina in the other semifinal on Oct. 31.

2023 PAN AMERICAN GAMES – WOMEN’S SOCCER — FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Charlotte Kohler, Kendall Bodak and Grace Restovich all scored their first goals of the tournament.
• Amalia Villarreal notched her third goal of the tournament.
• Eight different players have scored for the USA in the tournament.
• This is the first time since 2007 that U.S. Soccer has sent a women’s team to the Pan American Games, a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring Olympic summer sports.
• While the USA is facing teams consisting mostly of senior National Team players, the USA has brought a U-19 team featuring the younger part of the USA’s Under-20 Women’s National Team player pool. The entire roster has yet to enter college as the collegiate players in the U-20 pool are all currently embroiled in their college campaigns.
• Seven players on the roster played for the USA at the 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, in which the USA dominated Nigeria before falling in penalty kicks in the quarterfinal, so they have some experience at a major world event.
• The U.S. players who played in the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup are defenders Nicki Fraser and Jordyn Bugg, midfielders Charlotte Kohler and Lauren Martinho and forwards Samantha Smith (who is a defender on this roster), Emeri Adames and Amalia Villarreal.
• All the players on the U.S. roster are age-eligible for the team that will compete in the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup about a year from now in Colombia. U.S. Under-19 WYNT head coach Carrie Kveton named a Pan Am roster with 15 players born in 2006 and five born in 2005. The age cut-off to play in the U-20 World Cup next year is players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004.
• U.S. Soccer has competed in two Pan American Games for women’s soccer, the first in 1999 in Canada when U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team, coached by Jay Hoffman, won the gold medal with a 1-0 victory over an older Mexico squad.
• U.S. Soccer sent an Under-20 women’s team to the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil and advanced to the gold medal game by beating the senior Canada Women’s National Team, 2-1, in the semifinal, but then ran into a buzzsaw host side at the famed Maracanã Stadium and lost 5-0 to earn a silver medal. That U.S. team, coached by future two-time Women’s World Cup champion Jill Ellis, featured several future USWNT stars, including Alyssa Naeher, Lauren Cheney, Kelley O’Hara and Tobin Heath.

-U.S. UNDER-19 WOMEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States U-19 Women’s National Team vs. Argentina Women’s National Team
Date: October 28, 2023
Competition: Pan American Games – Group B
Venue: Estadio Elias Figueroa; Valparaíso, Chile
Weather: 58 degrees, cloudy
Attendance: 1,000

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                             2          2          4
ARG                             0          0          0

USA – Kendall Bodak (Emeri Adames)                     16^th minute
USA – Charlotte Kohler (Emeri Adames)                 21
USA – Amalia Villarreal (Charlotte Kohler)             51
USA – Grace Restovich                                               55

Lineups:
USA: 12-Kealey Titmuss; 3-Aven Alvarez, 4-Lizzie Boamah, 18-Jordyn Bugg, 13-Sammy Smith (Capt.) (2-Gisele Thompson, 54), 6-Grace Restovich, 17-Eleanor Klinger, 8-Charlotte Kohler (10-Lauren Martinho, 66), 16-Emeri Adames (9-Amalia Villarreal, 46), 11-Katie Collins (7-Ava McDonald, 54), 15-Kendall Bodak
Subs not used: 1-Sonoma Kasica, 5-Nicki Fraser, 14-Claire Hutton
Head Coach: Carrie Kveton

ARG: 1-Vanina Correa (Capt); 3-Eliana Stabile, 4-Julieta Cruz, 5-Camila Gomez (8-Daiana Falfan, 46), 6-Aldana Cometti, 10-Maricel Pereyra (15-Milagros Martin, 59) 13- Sophia Braun, 14-Miriam Mayorga, 16-Brisa Priori (7-Romina Nunez, 32), 17-Agostina Holzheier (9-Paulina Gramaglia, 59), 18-Estefania Palomar (11-Erica Lonigro, 59)
Subs not used:12-Laurina Oliveros, 2-Adriana Sachs,12-Laurina Oliveros, 13-Sophia Braun
Head Coach: German Portanova

Stats Summary: USA / ARG
Shots: 5 / 12
Shots on Goal: 4 / 6
Saves: 6 / 1
Corner Kicks:  6 / 3
Fouls: 7 / 11
Offside: 3 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Sammy Smith (Caution)          18^th minute

Officials:
Referee: Andreza Siqueira (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Barbara Da Costa (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Anne Gomes De Sa (BRA)
Fourth Official: Giselle Giler (ECU)