U-20 USWNT facing Suriname in Concacaf Women’s Championship Round of 16

U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team vs. Suriname
2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship – Round of 16
Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
4 p.m. ET (Fox Soccer Plus, TUDN Digital)

After rolling through Group E with three emphatic victories, the U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team will kick-off the knockout stage at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship on Friday, March 4 vs. Suriname (4 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Plus & TUDN Digital).

The USA rattled off a 20-0 goal differential in the group stage, downing Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and host Dominican Republic. Suriname qualified directly to the Round of 16 as one of four group winners from a pre-qualifying tournament held last fall. 

Friday’s match will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Plus and TUDN Digtal. Follow the U-20 WYNT throughout the tournament on ussoccer.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT:

This year marks the 11th edition of the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. The tournament began in 2002 as the CONCACAF Women’s U-19 Championship, qualifying two teams to the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup.

The 2020 competition introduced a new 20-team tournament format after all previous iterations were comprised of eight teams split into two groups of four. Now, sixteen countries are drawn into four groups of four, while four countries advance directly to the Round of 16 via a pre-qualifying tournament.

The top three finishers in each group qualify to the Round of 16, where they will be joined by the four teams from pre-qualifying. From there, it’s a knockout bracket to the tournament final. The two winners of the semifinal matches, plus the winner of the third-place game, will qualify to the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.

The three teams that earn World Cup berths in the Dominican Republic will join Costa Rica as representatives of Concacaf at this summer’s world championship tournament. Costa Rica qualified automatically as host.

USA VS. SURINAME:

●      This will be the USA and Suriname’s second meeting at the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship. The nations played in the opening match of the inaugural 2002 tournament, a 15-0 win for the U.S.

●      The result is still the team’s largest margin of victory at the competition and included a four-goal outburst from Lindsay Tarpley.

●      This year’s tournament marks Suriname’s third appearance at the tournament and first since 2006. It’s Suriname’s first time playing in the knockout stage.

●      Suriname advanced directly to the Round of 16 after finishing atop Group D during the pre-qualifying tournament held in Curaçao last September. The South Americans came from behind to top Grenada 5-2 and edged Belize 3-2 on an own goal to win the group.

●      Suriname is one of three Concacaf member associations located in South America, along with Guyana and French Guiana.

●      Six players on the Suriname roster played for the senior Women’s National Team during the February international window: goalkeeper Latifah Moedjijo, defenders Fabienne Karsoredjo and Xaviera Krimbo, midfielders Cady Chin-See-Chong and Chayenne Purperhart as well as forward Samanie Loe-a-Fore.

●      All 20 players are based in Suriname with seven players based at Robinhood, the most successful club in Surinamese football.

●      Suriname has called up three players born in 2002, nine born in 2003, two born in 2004, three born in 2005 and three born in 2006.

USA CLOSES GROUP STRONG:

Despite a solid defensive showing from Dominican Republic in the game’s opening 30 minutes, the USA ended the group stage on a high note with a 7-0 victory against the host nation. Forward Andrea Kitahata rocketed a shot for the game’s opening goal in the 33rd, while two nice finishes from midfielder Alexis Missimo put the U.S. up 3-0 at half. Midfielders Talia DellaPeruta and Emily Colton scored their first CWU20 goals after the break and Simone Jackson added a late exclamation point for the final score line.

The USA gave up its first shot of the tournament midway through the second half vs. DR, ending the group stage outshooting its opponents 92-1. It’s the fifth time in 11 editions of the tournament that the U.S. has ended the group stage without allowing a goal.

2022 CONCACAF WOMEN’S U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS

*Qualified to Round of 16

SURINAME TO THE KNOCKOUT ROUND:

Suriname reached the Round of 16 after winning Group D at Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship Qualifying last September in Curaçao. Despite conceding early to Grenada in its opener, the South Americans rallied for four unanswered goals before winning 5-2. In the second match of its three-team group, Suriname took an eighth-minute lead on Belize before going down 2-1 at the half. After the break, an own goal by Belize gave Suriname a 3-2 win and berth to the tournament proper. Saveira Gallant led the Surinamese in scoring at prequalifying, netting four goals.

2022 CONCACAF WOMEN’S U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER BY POSITION (COLLEGE OR CLUB; HOMETOWN; U-20 CAPS/GOALS)

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Mia Justus (Florida State; Lakewood, Ohio; 3/0), 12-Neeku Purcell (OL Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.; 1/0)

DEFENDERS (7): 14-Lauren Flynn (Florida State; Arlington, Va.; 2/0), 13-Samar Guidry (Virginia; McKinney, Texas; 6/0), 4-Emily Mason (Rutgers; Flemington, N.J.; 9/1), 15-Aidan McConnell (Wisconsin; Dexter, Mich.; 2/1), 3-Ayo Oke (California; Lawrenceville, Ga.; 3/0), 5-Lilly Reale (UCLA; Hingham, Mass.; 2/0), 2-Laney Rouse (Virginia, Cary, N.C.; 3/0)

MIDFIELDERS (5): 6-Emily Colton (UNC; Carlsbad, Calif.; 3/1), 20-Talia DellaPeruta (UNC; Cumming, Ga.; 13/1), 17-Sally Menti (Santa Clara; Seattle, Wash.; 3/0), 10-Alexis Missimo (Texas; Southlake, Texas; 3/3), 8-Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; Wilsonville, Ore.; 2/1)

FORWARDS (6): 18-Trinity Byars (Texas; Richardson, Texas; 3/0), 9-Michelle Cooper (Duke; Clarkston, Mich.; 2/1), 7-Simone Jackson (USC; Redondo Beach, Calif.; 2/2), 19-Andrea Kitahata (Stanford; Hillsborough, Calif.; 3/4), 16-Avery Patterson (UNC; Jacksonville, Fla.; 2/4), 11-Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy; Studio City, Calif.; 2/0)

ADDITIONAL NOTES

●      U.S. forwards Andrea Kitahata and Avery Patterson are tied with Mexico’s Aylin Avilez as the top scorers in the tournament, each with four goals.

●      Ten players have scored so far for the USA at CWU20: Patterson, Kitahata (four each), Alexis Missimo (three), Simone Jackson (two), Emily Colton, Michelle Cooper, Talia DellaPeruta, Emily Mason, Aidan McConnell and Olivia Moultrie.

●      Forward Sally Menti was ruled out of the tournament due to a broken wrist suffered in the first game, leaving the USA with a 19-player roster for the remainder of the tournament.

●      Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2002, are age-eligible for the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. U.S. head coach Tracey Kevins’ roster consists of eight players born in 2002, nine born in 2003, one born in 2004 and one born in 2005.

●      The squad is made up of 16 collegiate players, two youth club players and one professional.

●      Colton’s three assists lead the team, as nine U.S. players have recorded assists at the tournament.

●      Defender Samar Guidry has played 225 minutes through three games, most on the team.

●      Ten players logged minutes in all three group stage matches, while defender Laney Rouse is the lone player to start all three games.

SURINAME UNDER-20 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION(CLUB):

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Latifah Moedjijo (Robinhood), 16-Dienthy Schoonland (PVV)

DEFENDERS (6): 2-Ivaria Balsemhof (Robinhood), 4-Chanil Bonjaski (PVV), 18-Shayenne Grebbe (Adonai), 14-Miljora Itieman (Athena), 19-Fabienne Karsoredjo (Robinhood), 3-Xaviera Krimbo (Robinhood)

MIDFIELDERS (5): 6-Cady Chin-See-Chong (Transvaal), 15-Raisa Kromotirto (Robinhood), 5-Chayenne Purperhart (VVID), 8-Pamela van Zichem (Robinhood), 9-Janique van Zichem (Robinhood)

FORWARDS (7): 11-Shequeeni Felter (VVID), 20-Royanie Karjasemita (Transvaal), 13-Odensa Kwasie (PVV), 10-Samanie Loe-a-Foe (PVV), 7-Cheniva Orña (Transvaal), 12-Sharelle Sabajo (PVV), 17-Dareesha Slijngard (VVID)