U.S. U-17 WNT routs Jamaica 8-1 in World Cup Qualifying opener

ST. GEORGES, Grenada (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team defeated Jamaica 8-1 with a sterling second half display to begin its 2016 World Cup Qualifying campaign.

Substitute Frankie Tagliaferri put on a show, scoring four second half goals after entering the match in the 70th minute. Her teammates had already built an impressive 4-1 lead through a pair of goals for both Civana Kuhlmann and Ashley Sanchez as well as a commanding majority of possession.

The USA sits atop the Group B table, tied with Mexico (which beat Costa Rica 4-2 in the day’s earlier match) on three points, but possessing a superior goal differential. The scenario is similar in Group A where Haiti and Canada are tied with three points each at the top of the table, with Haiti gaining the edge due a +13 goal differential gained after beating Grenada 13-0, while Canada dispatched Guatemala 3-0 in Thursday’s Qualifying action.

The U.S. next meets Mexico on Sunday, March 6 (2:30 p.m. ET) before finishing group play onMarch 8 against Costa Rica (12 p.m. ET). Both matches will be broadcast on FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Sports Go.

Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Civana Kuhlmann (Brianna Pinto), 16th minute: Brianna Pinto turned out of traffic in the center of the field and advanced up the right touchline before swinging in a deep cross over the heads of Jamaica’s back line. The ball found Kuhlmann in stride and she brought it down with an excellent first touch before tapping an in-step shot low past the goalkeeper into the center of the net. USA 1, JAM 0 (SEE GOAL )

JAM – Shayla Smart (Ebony Clarke), 32nd minute: Fresh off a water break, Jamaica pushed into U.S. territory and Clarke found space to send a pass to Smart, who was stationed at the top left of the USA penalty area. Smart froze her defender with a hesitation move and fired across the face of goal into the far side netting to draw Jamaica level. USA 1, JAM 1 (SEE GOAL)

USA – Ashley Sanchez, 34th minute: Kiara Pickett advanced the ball toward the Jamaica penalty area but had it tackled away, whereupon Sanchez seized the loose ball and cut into the box. With a defender shadowing her, Sanchez cut the ball behind her own leg back toward the top of the box to create space for a lofted shot from a sharp angle that flew over the goalkeeper into the left upper 90. USA 2, JAM 1 (SEE GOAL)

USA – Civana Kuhlmann (Karina Rodriguez), 49th minute: After collecting the ball at the back, U.S. ‘keeper Laurel Ivory passed to her center back Karina Rodriguez, who got her head up and sent a long ball over the pushed up backline of Jamaica for Kuhlmann to chase. Kuhlmann held off a defender and chipped a shot that was deflected by the charging Jamaica shot stopper Sydney Schneider but had enough power to bounce across the goal line. USA 3, JAM 1 (SEE GOAL)

USA – Ashley Sanchez (Jaelin Howell), 56th minute: The USA corralled a Jamaica goal kick at midfield and Howell sprayed a pass wide left to Sanchez, who took off on a slaloming run to beat three Jamaica defenders at speed and tuck a left-footed shot beneath the goalkeeper into the far side netting. USA 4, JAM 1 (SEE GOAL)

USA – Frankie Tagliaferri (Sophia Smith), 72nd minute: After a long spell of possession, the U.S. worked the ball out to Smith near Jamaica’s right corner flag and the defender picked out Tagliaferri with a smart pass into the heart of the penalty area. Tagliaferri, took a touch past a defender and drove a shot into the lower left corner. USA 5, JAM 1 (SEE GOAL)

USA – Frankie Tagliaferri, 74th minute: Jamaica threatened for the only time in the second half with a shot that hit the USA cross bar and was cleared for a corner kick. The corner was cleared by the U.S. and Tagliaferri raced past a Jamaica player to gather to ball for a 70-yard sprint past two more Jamaica defenders before ripping a sharp-angle shot from the right side high into the left side netting. USA 6, JAM 1 (SEE GOAL)

USA – Frankie Tagliaferri (Sophia Smith), 82nd minute : Smith connected with Tagliaferri for the second time in the match after a mazey run through the Jamaica defense saw her get free near the right post and pass across the face of goal for Tagliaferri to tap home her hat trick with a sliding shot at the back post. USA 7, JAM 1 (SEE GOAL)

USA – Frankie Tagliaferri (Rachel Jones), 88th minute: The USA capped off the game with a well-worked team goal as Brianna Pinto received the ball with her back to goal outside the 18-yard box, spun and slipped a through ball to the onrushing Rachel Jones, who cut a pass back toward the penalty spot when she reached the end line. Tagliaferri had read the play and timed her run to perfection to meet Jones’ pass for an easy tap-in to cement the final score and the USA’s place atop the Group B standings. USA 8, JAM 1 (SEE GOAL) FINAL

Next on the Schedule: The U-17 WNT will face Mexico in its second match of the 2016 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship on March 6 (2:30 p.m. ET; FOX Soccer Plus) at Grenada National Stadium in St. Georges, Grenada. The U.S. will wrap up World Cup Qualifying group play against Costa Rica on March 8 (12 p.m. ET; FOX Soccer Plus). Click here for the full tournament schedule.

Additional Notes:

• Three of the USA’s four players with previous World Cup experience (Civana Kuhlmann, Ashley Sanchez and Frankie Tagliaferri) scored all of the team’s goals in the game.
• Tagliaferri is tied for the tournament lead with Haiti’s Nerilia Mondesir; both have four goals.
• This is the second consecutive CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship in which Kuhlmann has scored. She also tallied for the U.S. as a 14-year-old in the last edition of the competition.
• Kuhlmann has now notched a brace in two matches so far in 2016. She also scored both goals in the USA’s opening win of the 2016 U-17 Women’s NTC invitational against England in February.
• Sanchez also scored three goals for the U.S. U-20 WNT in its successful 2016 World Cup Qualifying campaign last December in Honduras.

– U.S. Women’s National Team Match Report –

Match: U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team vs. Jamaica
Date: March 4, 2016
Competition: 2016 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship
Venue: Grenada National Stadium; St. George’s, Grenada
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees

Scoring Summary: 1   2   F
USA                        2   6   8
JAM                        1   0   1

USA – Civana Kuhlmann (Brianna Pinto)               15th minute
JAM – Shayla Smart (Ebony Clarke)                    32
USA – Ashley Sanchez                                       34
USA – Civana Kuhlmann (Karina Rodriguez)          49
USA – Ashley Sanchez (Jaelin Howell)                  56
USA – Frankie Tagliaferri (Sophie Smith)               72
USA – Frankie Tagliaferri                                      75
USA – Frankie Tagliaferri (Sophie Smith)                81
USA – Frankie Tagliaferri (Rachel Jones)                88

Lineups:
USA: 1-Laurel Ivory; 19-Kate Wiesner, 4-Naomi Girma, 16-Karina Rodriguez, 9-Kiara Pickett (capt.) (3-Sophie Smith, 65); 18-Jaelin Howell, 5-Sydney Zandi (20- Frankie Tagliaferri, 70), 10-Ashley Sanchez, 8-Brianna Pinto, 7-Alexa Spaanstra; 14-Civana Kuhlmann (13-Rachel Jones, 77)
Subs Not Used: 2-Taryn Torres, 6-Emily Smith, 11-Izzy Rodriguez, 12-Hillary Beall, 15-Kennedy Wesley, 17-Jordan Canniff
Head Coach: B.J. Snow

JAM: 1-Sydney Schneider; 4-Rachel Walters (capt.), 17-Kendaya Chin-Jackson (2-Peta-Gay Dixon, 57), 12-Erin Mikalsen, 11-Giselle Washington; 16-Ebony Clarke (5-Lyana Steele, 46), 18-Emily Caza, 19-Alyssa Julien, 6-Shayla Smart; 15-Marlee Fray (10-Jody Brown, 77), 20-Dominique Moxie
Subs Not Used: 3-Maya Swaby-Wallerson, 7-Shanhaine Nelson, 8-Sherice Clarke, 9-Tarania Clarke, 13-Oneilia Yearde, 14-Madiya Harriott
Head Coach: Lorne Donaldson

Stats Summary: USA / JAM
Shots: 29 / 6
Shots on Goal: 8 / 1
Saves: 0 / 0
Corner Kicks: 5 / 2
Fouls: 17 / 13
Offside: 2 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Tatiana Montes (PAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Magaly Nimatuj (GUA)
Assistant Referee 2: Thelma Beltran (SLV)
4th Official: Sandra Benitez (SLV)