U.S. U-17 WNT set to face Costa Rica in final CONCACAF group match

U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team vs. Costa Rica
2016 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship
Grenada National Stadium; St. Georges, Grenada
March 8, 2016 

(Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team will wrap up group play against Costa Rica on Tuesday, March 8 (Noon ET / 1 p.m. local on FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Soccer GO and FOX Soccer2Go), seeking to secure a spot in the semifinals of the tournament for the fifth straight time.

Having won its first two group matches – against Jamaica and Mexico – the U.S. needs a draw or win against Costa Rica to claim first place in Group B. Even with a loss, the USA could advance pending the result of the Mexico-Jamaica match, which will be played immediately following #USAvCRC, due to the USA’s far superior goal difference (see tie-breakers below).

All the games are live streamed on FOX Soccer 2Go including the semifinals, third-place and championship game. Go to foxsoccer2go.com and enter promo code “U17WNT” on the registration page when prompted.  The promo code can be activated from March 3-13.

2016 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship Group B Standings

TIE-BREAKER PROCEDURES: Should teams be tied on points at the end of the group stage, the tie-breakers are as follows:

1. Best goal difference
2. Most goals scored

If two more teams are tied on goal difference and goals scored, the tie-breakers are as follows:

1. Head-to-head result
2. Goal difference between the teams concerned
3. Great number of goals scored between the teams concerned
4. Drawing of lots

A LOOK AT GROUP A: Haiti claimed the top spot in Group A after winning all three matches, first defeating Grenada 13-0, then beating Guatemala 3-2 and finally claiming a 2-1 win over Canada on Monday night. The Canadian’s also advanced to the semifinals as the second place team in the group, earning wins over Grenada (7-0) and Guatemala (3-0). Haiti will await the second place team from Group B, while Canada will be matched against the Group B winners in Friday’s semifinals at the Grenada Athletics Stadium.

The winners of the semifinals will earn automatic berths to the 2016 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Jordan, as will the winner of the third-place match.

USA-CRC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The U-17 WNT has faced Costa Rica on four previous occasions in this tournament, but this will be their first meeting since the 2010 edition. In each of the first two tournaments in 2008 and 2010, the teams met first in the group stage and again in the next phase, once in the final and once in the third-place match. The USA won all four games by a combined 26-1.

• 2008 Group Stage: USA 6, CRC 0
• 2008 Final: USA 4, CRC 1
• 2010 Group Stage: USA 10, CRC 0
• 2010 Third Place: USA 6, CRC 0

COSTA RICA IN GRENADA: Both of Costa Rica’s group games were decided in the final 10 minutes of play. In their opener against Mexico, the Tico’s fell behind 2-0 early but bounced back to draw even behind two goals from Glorianna Villalobos. Daniela Espinoza gave Mexico the lead in the 81^st minute, and then put the match away with her second in the 88^th for the 4-2 final. Then came Sunday’s dramatic last-minute win over Jamaica. After twice coming back to tie Reggae Girlz, Maria Paula Salas gave the Tico’s a 3-2 victory with a 91^st minute tally off a set piece to keep Costa Rica’s chances alive.

SPOTLIGHT: Costa Rica counts on a player who has already played on senior team experience. Glorianna Villalobos made the Tico’s full women’s team debut in 2014 at the age of 14. Last summer, at just 15 years old, she was the youngest player at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, but did not see action in the tournament.

SANCHEZ ON A ROLL: With goals in her first two games of the U-17 tournament, Ashley Sanchez has now scored in four straight CONCACAF Championship games – in two age categories. In December at the CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship, Sanchez scored twice in the USA’s 7-0 semifinal win over Honduras, and then scored the game-winning goal in the 1-0 win over Canada to claim the championship title.

LINEUP SHUFFLE: Eight players have started each of the first two games for the USA: Laurel Ivory, Kiara Pickett, Karina Rodriguez, Naomi Girma, Jaelin Howell, Brianna Pinto, Ashley Sanchez and Civana Kuhlmann. Head coach B.J. Snow made three changed to the XI that started the opener versus Jamaica for the second match against Mexico, bringing on Kennedy Wesley, Rachel Jones and Sophia Smith for Alexa Spaantra, Kate Wiesner and Sydney Zandi. So far 15 of the 20 players have played.

GROUP SUCCESS: The USA is looking to extend a unique milestone. No U.S. U-17 WNT has ever lost or tied a group match in this tournament, going 14-0 and outscoring opponents 100-2 all-time in group play.

Overall, the USA also has 22-game unbeaten streak in the CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship since 2008. U-17 WNT is now 20-0-2 in the tournament, outscoring opponents 128-4.

SCORING TRIO: Three players have accounted for the nine USA goals so far. Frankie Tagliaferri leads the team with four, followed by Ashley Sanchez with three and Civana Kuhlmann with two. The U.S. has had at least ten different goal-scorers in each of the first four editions of this tournament.

NOTE OF CAUTION: No U.S. player has been cautioned in either of the first two games, meaning no one is endanger of picking up a second caution which would mean a one-game suspension should the team advance. All single yellow cards from the group stage are erased for the next round.

ROAD TO JORDAN: The 2016 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship – the fifth one to be contested – features eight nations divided into two groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group will qualify for the semifinals, with the winners of those games as well as the winner of the third-place match earning berths to the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan.

So far, four countries have qualified for the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup which will be contested with 16 nations. Aside from Jordan which qualifies as host, Japan and Korea DPR earned their berths by reaching the Final AFC U-16 Women’s Championship during November of 2015 in China PR. New Zealand has predictably qualified out of Oceania. In addition to the three teams from CONCACAF, the remaining field will consist of three teams from Africa, three from Europe and three from South America.

U.S. U-17 WNT CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying Roster by Position – Detailed Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): 12-Hillary Beall (So Cal Blues; Laguna Beach, Calif.), 1-Laurel Ivory (Sunrise Sting; Surfside, Fla.)
DEFENDERS (7): 4-Naomi Girma (Central Valley Crossfire; San Jose, Calif.), 9-Kiara Pickett (Eagles SC; Santa Barbara, Calif.), 11-Izzy Rodriguez (Michigan Hawks; Canton, Mich.), 16-Karina Rodriguez (So Cal Blues; Torrance, Calif.), 6-Emily Smith (De Anza Force; Los Gatos, Calif.), 15-Kennedy Wesley (So Cal Blues; Rossmoor, Calif.), 19-Kate Wiesner (Slammers FC; Monrovia, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 18-Jaelin Howell (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), 8-Brianna Pinto (CASL; Durham, N.C.), 20-Frankie Tagliaferri (PDA; Colt Neck, N.J.), 2-Taryn Torres (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), 5-Sydney Zandi (Penn Fusion; West Chester, Pa.)
FORWARDS (6): 17-Jordan Canniff (Richmond United; California, Md.), 13-Rachel Jones (Tophat; Lawrenceville, Ga.), 14-Civana Kuhlmann (Colorado Rush; Littleton, Colo.), 10-Ashley Sanchez (So Cal Blues; Monrovia, Calif.), 3-Sophia Smith (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), 7-Alexa Spaanstra (Michigan Hawks; Brighton, Mich.)

2016 U.S. U-17 WNT Schedule and Results

IN FOCUS: COSTA RICA
Federación Costarricense de Fútbol
U-17 WNT Head Coach: Amelia Valverde

COSTA RICA U-17 WNT CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS: 13-Yendry Rojas (UCEM), 18-Valeria Román (Saprissa), 1-Akira Rubi (Moravia)
DEFENDERS: 15-Stephannie Blanco (Arenal), 2-Valeria Del Campo (Saprissa), 6-Fabiola Lobo (Pococi), 19-Ziuliani Rodríguez (Moravia), 4-Yedry Salas (Puntarenas), 8-María Fer Sanabria (Guatuso)
MIDFIELDERS: 16-Carmen Marín (Futuro Soccer Academy/CAN), 7-Pamela Mora (UCEM), 14-Irela Rodríguez (Saprissa), 5-Sabrina Vásquez (Moravia), 10-Gloriana Villalobos (Saprissa), 20-Emma Víquez (Dallas Texans/USA)
FORWWARDS: 9-Mereilyn Alvarado (Moravia), 11-Priscilla Chinchilla (Perez Zeledón), 17-Hillary Corrales (Dimas Escazú), 12-María Paula Salas (Saprissa), 3-Viviana Villalobos (Dimas Escazú)