U.S. U-17 Women qualify for World Cup with 5-0 win over Canada

ST. GEORGES, Grenada (via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team qualified for the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup with a dominating 5-0 win against Canada in the semifinal of the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Championship at Grenada Athletics Stadium.

Alexa Spaanstra, Jordan Canniff, Civana Kuhlman, Sophia Smith and Frankie Tagliaferri all scored, while the team’s defense, solidified up the middle by midfielders Brianna Pinto and Jaelin Howell and center-backs Naomi Girma and Karina Rodriguez, pitched a third consecutive shutout in stellar overall performance for the USA.

Spaanstra opened the scoring with what proved to be the game-winner in the 33rd minute before Canniff provided a decisive goal in first half stoppage-time. At 14 years and seven months old, Canniff is now the second youngest scorer in international competition in U.S. WNT program history. Kuhlmann netted the USA’s third soon after halftime, a goal that put the match of reach, before Smith and Tagliaferri added a final pair of strikes in second-half stoppage time.

In the other semifinal, Mexico swept past Haiti 3-0, to earn a berth to Jordan and setting up a Group B rematch with the USA for the tournament title. The final between the USA and Mexico will take place on Sunday, March 13, and will be broadcast on FS2 and FOX Sports Go at 6 p.m. ET. The USA defeated Mexico, 1-0, in its second Group B match on a goal from Ashley Sanchez.

The 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will be staged from September 30 through October 21 in Jordan. The USA and Mexico become the fifth and sixth teams to qualify along with host Jordan, North Korea, Japan and New Zealand.

Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Alex Spaanstra (Kennedy Wesley), 33rd minute: Wesley overlapped from her right back position and swung in a cross from deep in the right corner. The ball dropped near the penalty spot and Spaanstra timed her run perfectly, beating her defender to the ball to strike a full volley with her instep into the lower right corner for her second goal of the tournament. USA 1, CAN 0 (SEE GOAL)

USA – Jordan Canniff, 45+1 minute: The USA had Canada under extended pressure and Civana Kuhlmann latched on to a cross that had skipped by a Canada defender in the penalty pox. She got off a point blank shot that was saved by Canada goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx, but the rebound fell right to Canniff, who slotted the ball home to double the U.S. lead just before the halftime break.USA 2, CAN 0 (SEE GOAL )

USA – Civana Kuhlmann (Kennedy Wesley), 54th minute: Wesley made a hard charging run down the right side of the field and curled in a low cross to the back post where Kuhlmann met it with a sliding strike, redirecting the ball with her knee inside the left post for her third goal of the tournament. USA 3, CAN 0 ( SEE GOAL)

USA – Sophia Smith, 91st minute: Canada goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx misplayed a back-pass which allowed the sprinting Smith, who had come on just six minutes earlier, to win the loose ball on the right side of the penalty box and shoot back across goal into the lower left corner. USA 4, CAN 0 ( SEE GOAL)

USA – Frankie Tagliaferri (Alex Spaanstra), 93rd minute: The U.S. kept their foot on the pedal through the final whistle and got a fifth as an attack was only half-cleared by Canada. The ball fell to Spaanstra in the right channel and she made a move around her defender before slipping a pass to Tagilaferri who one-timed a low shot inside the left post. USA 5, CAN 0 (SEE GOAL) FINAL

Next on the Schedule: The U.S. will face off against Mexico on March 13 (6 p.m. ET on FS2) at Grenada National Stadium in St. Georges, Grenada. Click here for the full tournament schedule.

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Additional Notes:

• With five goals, Frankie Tagliaferri is tied for the lead in the tournament Golden Boot race with two Haitian players.
• Ashley Sanchez has four goals and Civana Kuhlmann has three.
• U.S. goalkeeper Laurel Ivory collected her third clean sheet of the competition, becoming the only ‘keeper with three in the tournament.
• The USA did not allow a shot on goal from Canada.
• Jordan Canniff is the second youngest player ever to score for the U.S. WNT in international competition, tallying tonight at 5,341 days old. Civana Kuhlman, who also scored tonight, was the youngest, scoring at the 2013 CONCACAF Women’s Championship at 5,314 days old.
• Eighteen of the 20 players on the U.S. roster have started a game in this tournament and 19 of the 20 have played, with only back-up goalkeeper Hillary Beall having yet to see the field.

– U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team Match Report –

Match: U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team vs. Canada U-17 Women’s National Team
Date: March 11, 2016
Competition: 2016 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship – Semifinal
Venue: Grenada Athletics Stadium; St. George’s, Grenada
Attendance: 1,000
Weather: 79 degrees; clear

Scoring Summary: 1   2   F
USA                        2   3   5
CAN                        0   0   0

USA – Alexa Spaanstra (Kennedy Wesley) 33rd minute
USA – Jordan Canniff (Civanna Kuhlmann) 45+1
USA – Civanna Kuhlmann (Kennedy Wesley) 54
USA – Sophia Smith 90+1
USA – Frankie Tagliaferri (Alexa Spaanstra) 90+3

Lineups:
USA : 1-Laurel Ivory; 15-Kennedy Wesley, 16-Karina Rodriguez, 4-Naomi Girma, 19-Kate Wiesner; 8-Brianna Pinto, 18-Jaelin Howell, 17-Jordan Canniff (11-Izzy Rodriguez, 73), 10-Ashley Sanchez (capt.) (20-Frankie Tagliaferri, 77), 7-Alexa Spaanstra; 14-Civana Kuhlmann (3-Sophia Smith, 84)
Subs Not Used: 2-Taryn Torres, 5-Sydney Zandi, 6-Emily Smith, 9-Kiara Pickett, 12-Hilary Beall, 13-Rachel Jones
Head Coach: B.J. Snow

CAN : 18-Lysianne Proulx; 2-Emma Regan, 3-Julia Grosso, 6-Samantha Chang, 16-Ashley Cathro; 8-Sarah Stratigakis, 10-Anyssa Ibrahim (12-Vital Kats, 75), 14-Caitlin Shaw (4-Nahida Baalbaki, 46), 7-Shana Flynn, 9-Jordyn Huitema, 20-Jayde Riviere (11-Camila Gomez, 46)
Subs Not Used: 1-Marissa Zucchetto, 5-Kennedy Faulknor, 13-Nadège L’Espérance, 15-Lauren Raimondo, 17-Teni Akindoju, 19-Aaliyah Scott
Head Coach: Bev Priestman

Stats Summary: USA / CAN
Shots: 16 / 4
Shots on Goal: 11 / 0
Saves: 0 / 6
Corner Kicks: 3 / 0
Fouls: 8 / 2
Offside: 1 / 2

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Tatiana Montes (PAN)
Assistant Referee 1: Thelma Beltran (SLV)
Assistant Referee 2: Lixy Enriquez (MEX)
4th Official: Francia Maria Gonzalez (MEX)