U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team advance to CONCACAF Women’s Championship semifinals with 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago
The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team defeated a hard-working Trinidad & Tobago side 5-0 on Saturday at the Estadio Cementos Progreso to qualify for the all-important semifinal match at the 2012 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship. Emily Bruder and Joanna Boyles each had a goal and assist while Summer Green tallied once with two assists as the U.S. U-17s broke down the Trinidad defense with a four-goal second half.
Mexico defeated the Bahamas in the second Group B game meaning that both USA and Mexico are through to the semifinal stage. The winners of the semifinals and the third-place match in this tournament qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan later this year.
The U.S. U-17s finish Group B play against Mexico on Monday, May 7, at 6:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. local) with the winner claiming first place in the group. All matches for the 2012 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship can be watched live on CONCACAF.com.
On Saturday, the USA struggled to finish in the first 45 minutes despite creating at least a half-dozen clear-cut chances and Bruder scored the lone goal of the first half in the 20th minute. Her pinpoint strike from well outside the penalty box flew over Trinidad goalkeeper Lebrisca Phillip and skimmed off the underside of crossbar in the upper left corner. Green had her team-leading sixth assist of the year in setting up Bruder.
The USA could have added to its first-half scoring total, but missed numerous close range chances or unleashed shots right at Phillip. Two of the team’s best scoring chances in the first half came off corner kicks that were taken short. In the 16th minute, Green took the short corner from the left and played it to left back Gabbie Miranda whose left-footed cross found Maddie Bauer at the back post, but the U.S. center-back sent her point-blank header just wide. A similar buildup took place in the 36th minute with Miranda again crossing the ball that slipped through to Bauer, but Phillip made the save on her close-range shot.
Phillip also came up with a clutch save in the 38th minute to stop a Green shot that she didn’t strike cleanly, but nevertheless was part of a good buildup from the U.S. and Bruder in particular who sent the cross from the right.
Trinidad & Tobago closed out the half in better form and came close to finding an equalizer in the 41st minute on Jonelle Warrick’s shot from outside the box that clipped the crossbar as U.S. ‘keeper Jane Campbell dove to cover the goal.
Trinidad’s other scoring chance of the game came in the 53rd minute as Donika Murray slipped behind the U.S. back line into the left side of the penalty area. She struck a hard ball at frame, but Campbell made an excellent flying save to her right defuse the chance.
After pounding away at the T&T back line for the entire match, the USA finally put the game away with goals from Andi Sullivan in the 65th minute and Sarah Robinson in the 67th minute. Campbell actually picked up the assist on Sullivan’s goal, sending a prodigious goal kick that flew over the Trinidad defense. Sullivan ran onto the ball and raced in on the breakaway, sending a left-footed shot from 13 yards into the right corner past the charging Phillip.
Two minutes later, Bruder dribbled up the middle and laid off the ball to the right to Robinson. On a nifty play inside the penalty area, the diminutive U.S. midfielder worked the ball to her left at the top-center of the box before shooting from 17 yards into the right corner past Phillip.
Green, who scored five goals during the USA’s 10-0 rout of the Bahamas on Thursday, then added her sixth goal of the tournament in the 86th minute, a left-footed shot into the right corner after she had broken free into the left side of the penalty area off a nice pass from 79th-minute substitute Joana Boyles.
Boyles then capped off the scoring with a long-distance strike nearly three minutes into stoppage time for the USA’s fifth goal of the match and 15th of the tournament.
U.S. head coach Albertin Montoya rested several players in the match with Midge Purce, scorer of a hat trick against the Bahamas, and midfielder Lauren Kaskie getting the game off. Boyles, defender Morgan Reid and forward Darian Jenkins also saw their first action of the tournament as second-half substitutes.
– U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team Match Report –
Match: United States U-17 Women’s National Team vs. Trinidad & Tobago U-17 WNT
Date: May 5, 2012
Competition: 2012 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship – Group B
Venue: Estadio Cementos Progreso; Guatemala City, Guatemala
Kickoff: 2 p.m. MT (4 p.m. ET)
Attendance: 200
Weather: 72 degrees, warm and cloudy
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 4 5
TRI 0 0 0
USA – Emily Bruder (Summer Green) 20th minute
USA – Andi Sullivan (Jane Campbell) 65
USA – Sarah Robinson (Emily Bruder) 67
USA – Summer Green (Joanna Boyles) 86
USA – Joanna Boyles (Summer Green) 90+3
Lineups:
USA: 1-Jane Campbell; 3-Brittany Basinger (20-Morgan Reid, 73), 5-Maddie Bauer, 16-Mandy Freeman, 6-Gabbi Miranda; 10-Morgan Andrews (capt.), 17-Sarah Robinson, 11-Morgan Stanton (12-Joanna Boyles, 79); 8-Summer Green, 7-Andi Sullivan (13-Darian Jenkins, 66), 9-Emily Bruder
Subs not used: 14-Lauren Kaskie, 15-Margaret Purce, 18-Cassie Miller, 19-Toni Payne
Not Available: 2-Lizzy Raben, 4-Amber Munerlyn
Head Coach: Albertin Montoya
TRI: 1-Lebrisca Phillip, 4-Liana Hinds (2-Dennecia Prince, 77), 5-Adeka Spence, 6-Khadisha Debesette (15-Nikkia Billouin, 60), 7-Diarra Simmons, 10-Marlique Asson, 11-Khadidra Debesette, 14-Emma Abdul, 16-Donika Murray, 17-Jonelle Warrick, 19-Anique Walker (capt.)
Subs Not Used: 8-Victoria Swift, 9-Zoe Swift, 12-Rhonda Guiseppi, 13-Shanisa Camejo, 18-Naomie Guerra, 20-Khadijah de Freitas, 21-Shantelle Christian
Head Coach: Even Pellerud
Stats Summary: USA / TRI
Shots: 20 / 5
Shots on Goal: 11/ 2
Saves: 2 / 6
Corner Kicks: 8 / 4
Fouls: 9 / 4
Offside: 3 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
Referee: Alicia Villatoro (GUA)
Assistant Referee: Marisol Salazar (GUA)
Assistant Referee: Milagros Leonardo (DOM)
Fourth Official: Irasema Aguilera (CUB)
ussoccer.com Woman of the Match: Sarah Robinson
