U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team routs Venezuela 8-0 in friendly

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Via U.S. Soccer) – Forward Sunshine Fontes scored four times as the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National bagged four goals in each half on the way to an 8-0 victory against Venezuela in a match played at Eckerd College.

The teams will meet again on January 18 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., with a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The match is open to the public and admission is free.

Fontes, who plays for the Hawaii Rush, started her four-goal outburst in just the sixth minute when midfielder Croix Bethune played her a through ball and she finished on a breakaway.

Fontes made it 2-0 in the 14^th minute on a hustle play as she slid to intercept a defender’s clear and the ball rebounded into the net.

Forward Kalysa Van Zanten added a third in the 33^rd minute as she finished a short-range tap-in off a cross from forward Jordan Canniff.

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The USA finished its first-half scoring in the 41^st minute. Midfielder Sophie Jones played a through ball to Van Zanten who dummied it, putting Bethune one-on-one with the ‘keeper and she fired it in the net.

Bethune completed her brace on the other side of halftime, finishing first-time off a cross from Fontes in the 53^rd minute.

Fontes completed her hat trick six minutes later as Bethune slipped her a ball through the two defenders. She took a couple of touches and finished smartly with her left foot. Fontes fourth came from the penalty spot in the 90^th minute after midfielder Mia Fishel was fouled in the penalty box and Canniff added the eighth goal in the third minute of second half stoppage time after she intercepted a pass in the attacking third, sped past the center back and fired a rocket into the lower left corner.

It was Canniff’s ninth international goal at the U-17 level. The four goals for Fontes gave her six in 13 U-17 caps. Bethune’s double gave her six her for U-17 career.

U.S. head coach Mark Carr called up 24 players for this camp and matches, almost all who saw extensive action with the squad during the first year of this cycle in 2017. Twenty of the players come from U.S. Soccer Girls’ Development Academy clubs. The roster consists of 20 players born in 2001 – the age cut off year for the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup — and four born in 2002.

Both the USA and Venezuela are preparing for their qualifying tournaments for the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay. The USA will participate in the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship being held in Nicaragua from April 19-29. The tournament will qualify three teams to the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay. Venezuela will participate in the 2018 South American Under-17 Women’s Football Championship to be staged early this year in Argentina.

Venezuela has had some recent success at the U-17 level, advancing to the semifinals of the last two U-17 Women’s World Cups, taking fourth place in 2016 in Jordan and in 2014 in Costa Rica.

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

Match: U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team vs. Venezuela U-17 Women’s National Team
Date: January 15, 2018
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Eckerd College; St. Petersburg, Florida
Weather: 62 degrees, sunny and clear

Scoring Summary:    1          2          F
USA                             4          4          8
VEN                             0          0          0

USA – Sunshine Fontes (Croix Bethune)                   6^th minute
USA – Sunshine Fontes                                             14 
USA – Kalysa Van Zanten (Sunshine Fontes)           33
USA – Croix Bethune (Sophia Jones)                        41
USA – Croix Bethune (Sunshine Fontes)                  53
USA – Sunshine Fontes (Croix Bethune)                   57
USA – Sunshine Fontes (penalty kick)                      90 
USA – Jordan Canniff                                                 90+2

Lineups:
USA: 22-Lindsey Romig; 14-Smith Hunter (21-Jaelyn Eisenhart, 70), 5- Tori Hansen (23-Kennedy Wesley, 59), 15-Natalia Staude, 3-Kate Weisner; 20-Sophie Jones (11-Hannah Bebar, 59), 10-Mia Fishel (capt.), 24-Croix Bethune; 9-Jordan Canniff, 18-Sunshine Fontes, 19-Kalyssa Van Zanten (7-Samantha Meza, 46)
Subs not used:1-Hailey Coll, 2-Makenna Morris, 4-Talia DellaPeruta, 6-Astrid Wheeler, 8-Maya Doms, 12-Angelina Anderson, 13-Isabella D’Aquila, 16-Payton Linnehan, 17-Enzi Broussard, 25-Mackenzee Vance
Head Coach: Mark Carr 

VEN: 1-Aranzha Aguiar; 3-Brisbely Barraza (17-Andrea Zeolla, 57), 4-Lidey Flores, 5-Adriangela Quinonez (16-Daisy Cegarra, 26), 6-Yormary Alvarez (2-Fabiola Solorzano, 57), 8-Dayana Rodriguez (capt.), 9-Virginia Mesa (19-Mariana Mazzocca, 75), 10-Barbara Olivieri, 11-Wilmary Arguelles (14-Alessia Bianchini, 75), 15-Heliamar Alvarado, 18-Enyer Higuera (7-Marianyela Jimenez, 52)
Subs not used: 12-Yorbelis Sanchez, 20-Misgley Loreto
Head Coach: Jose Catoya

Stats Summary: USA / VEN
Shots: 25 / 5
Shots on Goal: 14 / 1
Saves: 3 / 8
Corner Kicks: 9 / 0
Fouls: 5 / 7
Offside: 4 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
VEN – Dayana Rodriguez (caution)               87^th minute 

Officials:
Referee: Miguel Martes (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Osterhouse (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Steven Whalen (USA)
Fourth Official: Stephen Richardson Jr. (USA)