U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team looks to clinch World Cup berth, faces Panama on Thursday

The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team stormed through the group stage at the 2012 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship to take the top spot in Group B. Now the U.S. players focus on perhaps the most important game of their young careers so far, a match-up with Group A runner-up Panama on Thursday, May 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET in the all-important semifinal stage where a win qualifies the U.S. for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan.

A loss would relegate the team to the third-place match, where the winner of that game would earn the third and final CONCACAF berth to the World Cup. All the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship matches are being played on an artificial surface at Estadio Cementos Progreso, home to popular Guatemala professional side C.S.D. Comunicaciones. Games are broadcast live on CONCACAF.com.

GREEN, U.S. BLANK MEXICO: Mexico’s traditional jersey color is green, but it likely saw way too much Green for their liking on May 7 in the Group B finale. U.S. forward Summer Green notched her second hat trick of the tournament to account for all the goals during the team’s 3-0 victory at Estadio Cementos Progreso. Green has nine goals in the tournament through three games, already matching the U.S. record for a U-17 World Cup Qualifying stage set by forward Lindsey Horan at the 2010 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship in Costa Rica. Green will have two more games to eclipse Horan’s mark starting in the semifinal against Panama. All three Green goals on Monday came in the first half – the first on a 17th-minute penalty kick, followed by 31st- and 36th-minute strikes in the run of play.

2012 U.S. U-17 WNT CONCACAF Championship
Group B Final Standings and Results

Thursday, May 3
USA 10, Bahamas 0
Mexico 2, Trinidad & Tobago

Saturday, May 5
USA 5, Trinidad & Tobago 0
Mexico 6, Bahamas 0

Monday, May 7
Trinidad & Tobago 0, Bahamas 0
USA 3, Mexico 0

Group A Final Standings and Results

Wednesday, May 2
Canada 6, Panama 0
Jamaica 3, Guatemala 0

Friday, May 4
Canada 4, Jamaica 0
Panama 7, Guatemala

Sunday, May 6
Panama 1, Jamaica 1
Canada 6, Guatemala 1

2012 U.S. U-17 WNT CONCACAF Championship Schedule and Results

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – DetailedRoster
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Jane Campbell (Concorde Fire South; Kennesaw, Ga.), 18-Cassie Miller (Sereno FC; Cave Creek, Ariz.)
DEFENDERS (6): 3-Brittany Basinger (FC Virginia; Purcellville, Va.), 5-Maddie Bauer (Slammers FC; Newport Beach, Calif.), 16-Mandy Freeman (Lady Renegades SC; Royal Palm Beach, Fla.), 6-Gabbi Miranda (Colorado Rush; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), 2-Lizzy Raben (Colorado Rush; Greenwood, Colo.), 20-Morgan Reid (Chelsea Ladies; Cary, N.C.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): 10-Morgan Andrews (FC Stars of Mass.; Milford, N.H.), 12-Joanna Boyles (Chelsea Ladies; Raleigh, N.C), 14-Lauren Kaskie (Heat FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), 17-Sarah Robinson (MVLA Lightning; Los Altos, Calif.), 11-Morgan Stanton (Colorado Rush; Lakewood, Colo.)
FORWARDS (7): 9-Emily Bruder (Utah Avalanche; Sandy, Utah), 8-Summer Green (Michigan Hawks; Milford, Mich.), 13-Darian Jenkins (Sparta SC; Riverton, Utah), 4-Amber Munerlyn (So Cal Blues; Corona, Calif.), 19-Toni Payne (Concorde Fire; Birmingham, Ala.), 15-Margaret Purce (Freestate Soccer; Olney, Md.), 7-Andi Sullivan (Bethesda SC; Lorton, Va.)

U.S. ROSTER NOTES

• Seven different U.S. players have scored the 18 goals for the U.S. team in this tournament: Summer Green (9), Midge Purce (3), Andi Sullivan (2), Joanna Boyles, Emily Bruder, Toni Payne and Sarah Robinson.
• Nine different players have assists: Sara Robinson (3), Morgan Andrews (2), Summer Green (2), Gabbi Miranda (2), Joanna Boyles, Emily Bruder, Jane Campbell, Toni Payne and Midge Purce.
• The USA has out-shot its opponents 93-10 over the three games.
• The U.S. offense had its only scoreless half of the tournament during the team’s 3-0 win against Mexico to win Group B on Monday as neither team could find the net during the final 45 minutes. The U.S. U-17s scored a combined nine goals in the first two games’ second halves.
• U-17 goalkeeper Jane Campbell has made six saves for three shutout victories in the tournament. Opposing goalkeepers have combined for 28 saves against the USA’s sturdy offense.
• Seventeen of the USA’s 20 players have seen action so far over the first three games.
• The U.S. U-17 Women have played 12 total matches this year, compiling a 10-0-2 record while allowing just one goal. More impressively, the U-17s have played four international matches this year against countries featuring players one and two years older than the U.S. team and have a 2-0-2 record in those games.
• Summer Green is the USA’s leading scorer during this cycle at the U-17 level with 12 goals in her 17 caps. She is followed by Amber Munerlyn (5 goals, 14 caps), Andi Sullivan (5 goals, 11 caps), Emily Bruder (3 goals, 8 caps) and Margaret Purce (3 goals, 8 caps). Ten players on the roster have scored in a U-17 international.

USA VS. PANAMA SERIES

• The U.S. and Panama have never faced each other at the U-17 level in the tournament.
• Though the U.S. Women’s teams rarely meet Panama from year to year, the U.S. U-20 Women recently posted a 6-0 win against Panama to win Group B of the CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship on March 5 in Panama City. Four days later against Mexico, the U.S. U-20s clinched a spot in the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan this August and September.

BY THE NUMBERS
1: Goal allowed by the U.S. U-17 WNT in 12 matches this year
1: Game in which the USA has been shut out this year (0-0 draw with China U-20 WNT)
3: Assists by Sarah Robinson to lead the U.S. U-17 WNT in World Cup Qualifying
3: Goals per game by the U.S. U-17 WNT this year
7: Number of teams, out of 11, that the U.S. U-17 WNT has played this year that were made up of players in an older age group; the USA is 5-0-2 in those games
9: Goals by Summer Green in World Cup Qualifying matches (ties Lindsey Horan’s 2010 WCQ mark)
10: Goals by Summer Green to lead the team in 2012
18: Goals scored by the U.S. U-17 WNT in three World Cup Qualifying matches
25: Number of U.S. U-17 players to see action in a game this year
33: Goals scored by the U.S. U-17 WNT this year
780: Minutes played by Maddie Bauer this year in international competition, the most on the team

IN FOCUS: PANAMA
Panamanian Football Federation (Federación Panameña de Fútbol)
Founded: 1937 (Joined FIFA in 1938)
Head Coach: Luis Tejada

PANAMA ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Karen Chavarria, 12-Joselyn Quintero
DEFENDERS (8): 2-Yerenis De Leon, 3-Yomira Sanford, 4-Astrid Diaz, 5-Katherine Castillo, 14-Schiandra Gonzalez, 16-Astrid Gonzalez, 18-Katherine Gonzalez, 19-Nicole Medianero
MIDFIELDERS (8): 6-Laurie Batista, 7-Yaniska Garcia, 8-Yanis Sanjur, 11-Kenia Rangel, 13-Karla De La Rosa, 15-Genesis Samuels, 17-Meiby Saavedra, 20-Yassiel Franco
FORWARDS (2): 9-Karla Riley, 10-Marta Cox

PANAMA ROSTER NOTES

• Panama was the final team to qualify for the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship semifinals following a 1-1 draw against Jamaica on Sunday in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Marta Cox buried a clutch game-tying penalty kick in the 73rd minute to send her country through.
• Panama and Jamaica were tied in points in Group A, but Panama’s goal difference helped the team secure a runner-up group finish behind Canada to advance to the semifinals against Group B winner USA.
• Cox leads Panama with three goals in the tournament, followed by Laurie Batista and Kara Riley with two each and Yassiel Franco with one.
• Panama qualified for this final stage with a 4-0-0 record in Central American qualifying, getting past Nicaragua 8-1 on aggregate in the first round and Costa Rica, which has had great success at CONCACAF youth tournaments in recent years, by a 3-1 aggregate score in the final round. Riley had four goals and Cox had three to combine for seven of the team’s 11 qualifying goals.
• Panama took part in the 2010 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship but did not advance past the group stage.
• All-time, Panama’s U-17s have a 7-4-1 record; in the CONCACAF finals, Panama is 1-4-1.

LAST TIME
On the field for the USA:
May 7, 2012 – Estadio Cementos Progreso – Guatemala City, Guatemala
2012 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship – Group B

USA   3   Samantha Green 17, 31, 36
MEX   0

Lineups:
USA: 1-Jane Campbell; 3-Brittany Basinger, 5-Maddie Bauer, 16-Mandy Freeman, 6-Gabbi Miranda; 10-Morgan Andrews (capt.), 17-Sarah Robinson (19-Toni Payne, 68), 14-Lauren Kaskie (12-Joanna Boyles, 56); 4-Amber Munerlyn (11-Morgan Stanton, 83), 8-Summer Green, 15-Margaret Purce
Subs Not Used: 2-Lizzy Raben, 7-Andi Sullivan, 9-Emily Bruder, 18-Cassie Miller
Not Available: 13-Darian Jenkins, 20-Morgan Reid
Head Coach: Albertin Montoya

MEX: 1-Gabriela Paz, 2-Jaquelina Rodriguez, 3-Jessica Valadez, 5-Paulina Solis, 7-Taylor Alvarado, 8-Karla Nieto, 9-Luz Duarte (19-Jessica Morales, 78), 10-Jenny Chiu (capt.) (6-Michelle Gonzalez, 56), 11-Hallie Hernandez (15-Natalie Rivas, 81), 14-Celinna Montano, 20-Cynthia Pineda
Subs Not Used: 4-Greta Espinoza, 12-Adela Meza, 16-Mariana Cadena, 17-Vivian Vega
Not Available: 13-Fernanda Perez, 18-Cassandra Reyes,
Head Coach: Leonardo Cuellar

On the field for Panama:
May 6, 2012 – Estadio Cementos Progreso – Guatemala City, Guatemala
2012 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship – Group A

Panama   1    Marta Cox 73
Jamaica   1    Shantel Bailey 32

Lineups:
PAN: 1-Karen Chavarria; 2-Yerenis De Leon, 3-Yomira Sanford, 4-Astrid Diaz, 6-Laurie Batista, 7-Yaniska Garcia (11-Kenia Rangel, 46), 8-Yanis Sanjur, 9-Karla Riley (5-Katherine Castillo, 86), 10-Marta Cox, 16-Astrid Gonzalez, 20-Yassiel Franco (14-Schiandra Gonzalez, 90)
Head Coach: Luis Alberto Tejada
JAM: Chris-Ann Chambers; Georgia Bailey (Imanie Richards, 64), Myjnairii Perkins, Courtney Douglas, Cachet Lue, Nicole Broderick, Shantel Bailey, Jorja Hughes (Tiffany Robinson, 77), Shantell Thompson, Oshay Lawes, Kayla Gray (Khadija Shaw, 50)
Head Coach: Vinmore Blaine