U.S. U-15 Girls National Team captures CFA Tournament title

WEIFANG, China (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-15 Girls’ National Team put on a dazzling performance in a 5-0 domination of China PR in the second match for both teams at the CFA International Women’s Youth Football Tournament Weifang 2018.

Forward Amelia White bagged a hat trick while forward Simone Jackson and midfielder Jillian Shimkin also scored with the USA finding the net four times in the first half and once in the second.

With the victory, the young Americans win the tournament title with a match against Czech Republic on Aug. 26 still left to play. Czech Republic lost to 6-0 China on Aug. 22 and fell 5-1 to Japan in today’s first match. The USA defeated Japan, 3-2, on Aug. 22 and currently sits in first place in the four-team tourney with six points and a plus-six goal difference.

With head-to-head result being the first tie-breaker if teams are tied on points, only China and Japan (which play each other on Aug. 26) can tie the USA at six points, but the Americans already have victories over both teams, securing first place no matter what result the USA gets against the Czechs.

+READ: U.S. U-15 Girls National Team earns 3-2 win over Japan

The USA got on the board quickly, taking a 1-0 lead after five minutes as Shimkin’s corner kick bounced through the goal area and into the net without being touched for the Goal Olimpico.

White tallied her first goal in the 13^th minute, winning the ball about 30 yards from the goal before dribbling at the net with a defender on her back and taking a low, hard shot that beat the diving goalkeeper.

The USA made it 3-0 in the 34^th minute via a full volley from Jackson off a cross from Arianna Manrique and then went into halftime with a 4-0 lead after White got free on a breakaway in the 41^st minute, then rounded the ‘keeper to her left and rolled her shot into the open net.

White completed her hat trick in the 66^th minute on a blistering 40-yard dribbling run that left several defenders in her wake before finishing into the corner of the net.

+READ: U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team plays Korea Republic to 4-4 draw

On Aug. 12, the USA won the Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championship with a 3-0 victory vs. Mexico, but that team was essentially an Under-14 team made up of players born in 2004 and 2005. This roster for the tournament in China is made up almost entirely of players born in 2003, the birth year for this current group of U-15s, with Sentnor as the only player born in 2004.

This is the second international trip of the year for the U-15s, which also traveled to the Netherlands in June and won (2-1) and tied (2-2) with their Dutch counterparts. Thirteen players on this roster also were in the Netherlands for those matches. Fifteen of the 20 players on the roster played in the first year of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

U.S. U-15 Girls’ National Team Match Report

Match: U.S. U-15 Girls’ National Team vs. China PR U-15 GNT
Date: August 24, 2018
Competition: CFA International Women’s Youth Football Tournament Weifang 2018
Venue:  Weifang Olympic Sports Center Stadium; Weifang, China
Weather: 72 degrees
Attendance: 2,024

Scoring Summary:    1          2          F
CHN                           0          0          0
USA                             4          1          5

USA – Jillian Shimkin                                                 5th min
USA – Amelia White                                                   13
USA – Simone Jackson (Arianna Manrique)             34
USA – Amelia White (Simone Jackson)                     41
USA – Amelia White                                                   66

Lineups:
USA: 1-Neeku Purcell; 13-Andrea Kitahata, 23-Baleigh Bruster (capt.) (5-Aidan McConnell, 73), 4-Lilly Reale, 3-Kellie Pagador (14-Ayo Oke, 56); 15-Tatiana Fung (24-Riley Gleason, 46), 21-Annie Karich (6-Devin Lynch, 46),11-Jillian Shimkin; 9-Simone Jackson (7-Allyson Sentnor, 46), 10-Amelia White (18-Karlie Lema, 73), 8-Arianna Manrique
Subs not used:2-Emma Egizii, 19-Farrah Walters, 22-Nadia Cooper
Head Coach: Tracey Kevins

CHN: 1-Hu Yongle (GK); 14-Liu Xin (10-Jian Chenjing, 69), 4-Shi Xiaomin (5-Wang Siqian, 43), 3-Shao Zijia (capt.), 2-Li Xiangzhen; 7-Fu Congcong (20-Zhang Hongyan, 75), 12-Chi Shiying (15-Chen Jiayu, 38), 13-Wang Jingyi (21-Li Lanlan, 41), 8-Dai Xinyao, 6-Wang Yuling; 9-Wang Xinling
Subs not used: 11-Sun Fangxin, 16-Cheng Xue, 19-Huang Mengyu, 23-Pan Hongyan, 25-Han Mengting, 26-Song Lingling, 28-Wang Minhui
Head Coach: Wang Pan

Stats Summary: USA / CHN
Shots: 11 /4
Shots on Goal: 8 / 1
Saves: 1 / 3
Corner Kicks: 5 / 3
Fouls: 7 / 1
Offside: 3 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Dong Fangyu (CHN)
Assistant Referee 1: Lv Lu (CHN)
Assistant Referee 2: Gu Ying (CHN)
Fourth Official: Dong Yu Hong (CHN)

CFA International Women’s Youth Football Tournament Weifang 2018 Standings