U.S. to face Ghana, China PR and Germany in Group D at 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team will face Ghana, China PR and Germany in Group D at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, taking place at five venues in Japan from Aug. 19-Sept. 8. The Final Draw took place in Tokyo on Monday evening (early morning Eastern Time).

The U.S. plays its first two Group D matches at the Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium in Hiroshima, opening its tournament on Aug. 20 against Ghana at 4 p.m. local (3 a.m. ET) before facing China PR on Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. local (6 a.m. ET). The USA will finish group play on Aug. 27 against Germany in what will be an extremely rare meeting during group play between former U-20 world champions. The clash between the countries, which have both won this tournament twice, takes place at Miyagi Stadium in the town of Rifu near Sendai at 4 p.m. local (3 a.m. ET).

“We are excited about the other teams in our group and certainly the challenges our team faces as we prepare for each of these games,” said U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team head coach Steve Swanson. “We have played both Germany and China this year and have a great deal of respect for, not only how these teams compete but also how they play the game. Both of these teams are excellent technically and tactically and have some outstanding individual talent that play well together. We do not know much about Ghana at this time, but obviously having made their way through African qualifying they must be a quality side.

“Without a doubt, this group will provide some entertaining, competitive, high quality soccer matches in the World Cup. We are proud to represent CONCACAF in this tournament and look forward to continuing our preparations now that we know who we are playing in the group phase.”

The USA’s opening match will be a reprise of the first group game of the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, when the Americans drew 1-1 with Ghana on a goal from Sydney Leroux. The USA previously met China in the final game of group play at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, a 2-0 loss that was the only setback in that competition for the Americans, who would go on to win the tournament.

The meeting with Germany will be the first in group play for any U.S. women’s team in any FIFA tournament as the Germans did not earn a seed. Host Japan, Korea DPR, the USA and Brazil were seeded into the first pot for the draw.

The USA and Germany, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup champion in 2004 and in 2010 when it hosted, have met in four of the five U-20/U-19 Women’s World Cups that have been contested, but always in a knockout round game. The USA-Germany history in this tournament features three semifinal meetings (two won by the USA and one by Germany) and one quarterfinal match (won by the USA in 2006).

The revealing of the tournament’s Final Draw corresponds well with the upcoming U.S. trip to Japan to face the hosts in two exhibition matches that will serve as excellent Women’s World Cup preparation for both countries. Japan, which has been strong at FIFA youth women’s tournaments in recent years, has put together another talented squad for this age group.

The USA will depart for Japan on June 10 and Swanson will take 21 players for the two friendly matches, matching the roster size he will bring to the Women’s World Cup this fall. The U.S. team will be based in Osaka and will face Japan on June 17 at the Nagai Stadium and on June 20 at the J-Green Sakai National Training Center.

U.S. U-20 WNT Japan Tour Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3) : Bryane Heaberlin (North Carolina; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Jami Kranich (Villanova; Hamden, Conn.), Abby Smith (Dallas Texans; Dallas, Texas)
DEFENDERS (6): Stephanie Amack (Mustang Blast; Pleasanton, Calif.), Olivia Brannon (Virginia; Troy, Mich.), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina; Rockville Centre, N.Y.) Kassey Kallman (Florida State; Woodbury, Minn.), Mollie Pathman (Duke; Durham, N.C.), Cari Roccaro (Albertson Fury; East Islip, N.Y.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Morgan Brian (Virginia; St. Simons Island, Ga.), Vanessa DiBernardo (Illinois; Naperville, Ill.), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara; Mesa, Ariz.), Sarah Killion (UCLA; Fort Wayne, Ind.), Mandy Laddish (Notre Dame; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Ashley Meier (Cleveland Whitecaps; Strongsville, Ohio), Samantha Mewis (UCLA; Hanson, Mass.)
FORWARDS (5): Maya Hayes (Penn State; West Orange, N.J.), Lindsey Horan (Colorado Rush; Golden, Colo.), Kealia Ohai (North Carolina; Draper, Utah), Katie Stengel (Wake Forest; Melbourne, Fla.), Chioma Ubogagu (Stanford; Coppell, Texas)

Japan, which was placed into Group A, drew Mexico, New Zealand and Switzerland into its group. Group B features Brazil, Italy, Nigeria and the Korea Republic. Korea DPR, which was placed into Group C, drew Norway, Argentina and Canada.

The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will feature 16 teams, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the quarterfinals. Should the U.S. advance to the second round by winning the group, it would meet a second-place team from Group C. If the USA finishes second in the group, it would face the first-place team from Group C.

• The tournament was staged as a U-19 event in 2002 and 2004 before moving to U-20s for the past three competitions in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
• The USA won the tournament in 2002 and 2008, with Germany winning in 2004 and 2010. North Korea won in 2006.
• The inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup saw the USA and Germany meet in an epic semifinal match in Edmonton, Canada. The USA prevailed 4-1 on two goals from Kelly Wilson and one each from Lindsay Tarpley and Jill Oakes.
• In 2004, Germany got the better of the USA in the semifinal in Bangkok, Thailand, prevailing 3-1.
• In 2006, the USA knocked Germany out of the tournament in the quarterfinal match played in St. Petersburg, Russia, winning 4-1 as Danesha Adams scored twice while 2012 Olympians Kelley O’Hara and Amy Rodriguez also tallied.
• In 2008, the USA defeated Germany 1-0 in the semifinal in Coquimbo, Chile, by virtue of an own goal.
• The USA and China PR met in the semifinal in 2006 in Moscow, Russia, with the match ending 0-0 after regulation and overtime and the USA falling 5-4 in penalty kicks.
• China finished runner-up at this tournament in Thailand in 2004 and Russia in 2006.
• Ten of the 18 players on the USA’s 2012 Olympic roster played in a FIFA U-20 or U-19 Women’s World Cup.
• The five venues for the tournament are Miyagi Stadium in Miyagi (the northernmost venue), Komaba Stadium in Saitama (just north of Tokyo), National Stadium in Tokyo, Kobe University Stadium in Kobe (south of Tokyo) and Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium in Hiroshima (the southernmost venue).
• Four players on the USA’s roster for the June trip to Japan (Crystal Dunn, Mollie Pathman, Samantha Mewis and Maya Hayes) played in the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and four (Morgan Brian, Dunn, Mandy Laddish and Mewis) played in the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Zealand in 2008
• Bryane Heaberlin was the third goalkeeper on the USA’s 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Team, but did not see action.

2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

Group A (Miyagi, Tokyo, Kobe):
Japan
Mexico
New Zealand
Switzerland

Group B (Saitama, Tokyo, Kobe):
Brazil
Italy
Nigeria
Korea Republic

Group C (Kobe, Saitama, Miyagi):
Korea DPR
Norway
Argentina
Canada

Group D (Hiroshima, Saitama, Miyagi):
Ghana
USA
Germany
China PR

U.S. 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Schedule