U.S. U-16 Girls National Team routs Italy 5-0 in Torneo delle Nazioni

ROMANS D’ISONZO, Italy (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. U-16 Girls’ National Team defeated the Italy U-16 GNT, 5-0, in its second Group A match at the 3^rd U-17 Women’s Torneo delle Nazioni. With the win, the USA qualifies for the championship game at the eight-team tournament with one group match remaining.

The USA which defeated Iran, 8-0, on April 25, has six points from two games. Italy has three points after a 2-1 win vs. Slovenia on April 25. Even if the USA were to lose to Slovenia in its final group game on April 28, and Italy were to beat Iran to tie the USA at six points from three games, the USA would still advance on the first tie-breaker having defeated Italy in the head-to-head match-up. Slovenia tied Iran, 1-1, in today’s other Group A match. In Group A, Norway defeated England, 2-1, and Japan and Russia tied 0-0.

The placement matches will take place on April 29 with the USA facing the winner of Group B. The second-place finishers in the two groups will play for third, the third-place finishers will play for fifth and the fourth-place finishers will play for seventh.

After forward Kailyn Dudukovich bagged four goals against Iran, forward Trinity Byars almost equaled her, scoring a hat trick with goals in the 6^th, 48^th and 66^th minutes over the 70-minute match.

+READ: U.S. U-16 Girls National Team piles up 8 goals vs. Iran U-17s

The USA, which scored early against Iran, got on the scoreboard in just the sixth minute against Italy as midfielder Alexis Missimo played a long diagonal ball through to Byars who took a touch around the goalkeeper and finished into the empty net.

The score stayed 1-0 into halftime, but the USA broke the game open with four goals in the second half starting in the 48^thminute when forward Michelle Cooper dispossessed the Italian center back and poked it ahead to Byars, who went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and finished with a shot over the ‘keeper’s right shoulder that nicked the crossbar on its way in.

Four minutes later, Byars cut through the defense and as she was taken to the ground, chipped a ball through to Missimo who finished on the half-volley over the ‘keeper and off the underside of the crossbar.

Two minutes later, the USA made it 4-0 as Missimo played a pass to forward Dilary Heredia-Beltran who received it at the top of the penalty area. She laid it off first-time for Cooper who took a touch towards the top left corner of the penalty box before finishing with a hard shot across goal and into the bottom right corner.

The goals were the second in two games for both Missimo and Cooper.

The final score came in the 66^th minute as Cooper chipped a ball forward into the path of Byars who volleyed it over the ‘keeper and into the center of the goal.

The tournament is being staged at 14 small venues in the northeast part of Italy and just across the border in western Slovenia, 10 of them in Italy and four in Slovenia.

The Torneo delle Nazioni has been held for boys for the past 15 years (including this one), but this is just the third time it has been held for women. This year’s competition is for players born in 2002 or later. The U.S. team is made up of 10 players born in 2002, which is the age group for this year’s U-16 GNT, and five players born in 2003, which puts them in the U-15 GNT age group. In addition, there are five players on the roster born in 2001, which is the age cutoff for the team that will be participated in the Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament in Nicaragua before it was cancelled last weekend.

U-16 Girls’ National Team Match Report

Match: U.S. Under-16 GNT vs Italy U-16 GNT
Date: April 26, 2018
Competition: 3^rd U-17 Women’s Torneo delle Nazioni
Venue: Campo Sportivo; Romans d’Isonzo, Italy
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny

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

USA – Trinity Byars (Alexis Missimo)                         6^th minute
USA – Trinity Byars (Michelle Cooper)                      48
USA – Alexis Missimo (Trinity Byars)                         52
USA – Michelle Cooper (Dilary Heredia-Beltran)       54
USA– Trinity Byars (Michelle Cooper)                       66

Lineups:
USA: 1-Lindsey Romig; 2-Nya Harrison, 4-Baleigh Bruster (5-Lilly Reale, 47), 13-Tori Hansen, 3-Kellie Pagador (23-Elaine Rouse, 47), 9-Jaelyn Eisenhart (16-Alexis Theoret, 36), 19-Grace Watkins (7-Aislynn Crowder, 47), 15-Alexis Missimo, 25-Trinity Byars, 20-Kalyssa Van Zanten (18-Michelle Cooper, 36), 10-Reilyn Turner (8-Dilary Heredia-Beltran, 36)
Subs not used: 12-Alia Skinner, 6-Kailyn Dudukovich, 21-Ariella Pitty
Head Coach: April Kater

ITA: 1-Beatrice Beretta; 14-Gaia Milan, 4-Marika Massimino (3-Alice Rossi, 68), 2-Benedetta Maroni (6-Giada Abate, 46), 16-Anna Catelli, 10-Alice Giai (8-Valentina Gallazzi, 36), 7-Federica Anghileri (18-Giorgia Miotto, 46), 20-Elisa Pfattner (15-Lucia Pastrenge, 36), 11-Alexandra Stockner (17-Nicole Costa, 55), 9-Giorgia Marchiori (19-Giovanna Coghetto, 67)
Subs not used: 5-Emma Severini, 12-Astrid Sergenti, 13-Chiara Raimondo
Head Coach: Nazzarena Grilli

Stats Summary: USA / ITA
Shots: 13 / 5
Shots on Goal: 10 / 2
Saves: 2 / 5
Corner Kicks: 1 / 1
Fouls: 7 / 5
Offside: 2 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
None