U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team rolls past Italy 6-0

GRADISCA, Italy (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team scored three goals in each half during a phenomenal championship game performance to defeat host Italy 6-0 and take home the title at the Torneo Femminile Delle Nazioni.

Maya Doms scored two goals, finding the net twice in a four-minute span in the first half, while Mia Fishel, Kalyssa Van Zanten, Croix Bethune and Lia Godfrey all added single goals.

The win was especially impressive against an Italy team that had allowed just two goals to win its group with a 0-0 tie with France, a 1-0 victory against Germany and a 1-1 draw with Belgium.

The first two goals were created by Van Zanten. In the 16^th minute, she ran onto a long throw-in down the left side, cut into the penalty box and played a pass back to Fishel who hit her shot first-time off the leg of the diving goalkeeper and into the lower right corner. In the 25^th minute, she got the ball on the right side, came to almost a full stop as she squared up and then exploded past the defender into the penalty area. She then cut a pass back to Doms who finished smartly with a first-time shot from around the penalty spot into the lower left corner.

+READ: U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team shuts out England 2-0

Doms made it 3-0 in the 28^th minute after she followed up a shot that had rebounded off the goalkeeper and popped to her just outside the six-yard box for an easy finish into the open net.

The match featured 40-minute halves, and the USA basically put the game away just six minutes into the second half as Van Zanten scored her first U-17 international goal to make it 4-0, beating the Italian goalkeeper to an early cross that was bent behind the defense from Payton Linnehan.

The USA then finished off the scoring with two goals in a three-minute span as Astrid Wheeler played a perfectly lofted at the defensive restraining line and Bethune took out of the air perfectly before sliding her shot into the lower left corner to make it 5-0 in the 65^th. Godfrey scored her third U-17 international goal in the 67^th minute when she picked off a throw from the goalkeeper in the center of the field and finished from 26 yards out low into the left corner to make it 6-0.

The USA had to play four matches in five days to win the tournament, and after a 1-1 draw in its opening match against Slovenia, the USA rebounded impressively to defeat Mexico 4-0, England 2-0 and then Italy 6-0.

Eight different players scored the USA’s 13 goals in the tournament, led by Doms and Godfrey with three each. Jordan Canniff scored twice while Bethune, Fishel, Linnehan, Van Zanten and Kate Wiesner added single goals. For all but Canniff, who along Wiesner, Godfrey and Kennedy Wesley were a part of the previous U-17 cycle, these were their first U-17 international goals.

In the other placement matches on April 29, Mexico defeated Belgium, 5-3, for third place, England blasted Germany 6-0 for fifth and Slovenia beat France, 1-0, for seventh.

The Torneo Delle Nazioni has been held for boys’ teams for the past 14 years (including this one), but this is just the second time it has been held for women’s teams. The year’s competition was for players born in 2001 or later. The U.S. roster featured 18 players born in 2001, which is the age cut-off year for the next FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup which will be staged in Uruguay.

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

Match: U.S. Under-17 WNT vs. Italy U-17 WNT
Date: April 29, 2017
Competition: Torneo Femminile Delle Nazioni; Championship Game
Venue: Stadio Comunale Gradisca; Gradisca, Italy
Attendance: 350
Weather: 60 degrees; sunny

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                             3          3          6
ITA                              0          0          0

USA –  Mia Fishel (Kalyssa Van Zanten)                   16th minute
USA – Maya Doms (Kalyssa Van Zanten)                25
USA – Maya Doms                                                     28
USA – Kalyssa Van Zanten (Payton Linnehan)         46
USA – Croix Bethune (Astrid Wheeler)                      65
USA – Lia Godfrey                                                      67

Lineups:
USA: 12-Lindsey Romig (1-Ruth Jones, 69), 3-Kate Wiesner (capt.), 5-Leah Scarpelli, 6-Kennedy Wesley, 5-Talia DellaPeruta (8-Astrid Wheeler, 41), 13-Sunshine Fontes (14-Lia Godfrey, 52), 15-Maya Doms (8-Croix Bethune, 54), 20-Hollyn Torres (4-Tori Hansen, 41), 10-Mia Fishel (19-Madison Mercado, 68), 18-Payton Linnehan, 16-Kalyssa Van Zanten (9-Jordan Canniff, 63)
Subs not used: 7-Samantha Meza, 2-Makenna Morris
Head Coach: Mark Carr

ITA: 12-Camilla Forcinella (1-Beatrice Beretta, 77); 3-Paola Bolgioni (2-Angela Orlando, 80), 4-Chiara Pucci (11-Francesca Imprezzabile, 77), 6-Benedetta De Biase, 9-Sara Tamborini, 10-Melissa Bellucci, 12-Camilla Forcinella, 14-Heden Corrada (19-Francesca Quazzico, 74), 15-Chiara Ripamonti, 16-Martina Tomaselli, 18-Asia Bragonzi, 20-Serena Landa
Subs not used: 8-Marta Morreale, 13-Maria Ladu, 17-Teresa Fracas
Head Coach: Massimo Migliorini

Statistical Summary: USA / ITA
Shots: 21 / 4
Shots on Goal: 15 / 3
Saves: 3 / 9
Corner Kicks: 7 / 0
Fouls: 6 / 7
Offside: 4 /2

Misconduct Summary:
ITA – Sara Tamborini (caution)                      62nd minute