U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team draws England 2-2 in friendly

BISHAM, England (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team drew 2-2 with England in the first of two matches between the teams that kick off a new cycle for this age group.

The USA opened the scoring in the 9th minute as midfielder Alexis Missimo played a through ball to forward Allyson Sentnor, who cut to her right into the penalty area and then finished with her right foot into the left corner.

England equalized on a penalty kick in the 32nd and the match went into halftime knotted at 1-1. Midfielder Emily Mathews put the USA ahead again as she finished into the right corner from 14 yards out off a 30-yard free kick from midfielder Samantha Kroeger, but England once again equalized, this time 12 minutes from the final whistle.

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Head coach Tracey Kevins brought a 20-player squad to England. The roster is made up of 14 players born in 2002, five players born in 2003 and one in 2004 in Sentnor, who scored goals for the U.S. U-15 and U-16 GNTs over the past two years but bagged her first at the U-18 level.

The birth year for players in this U-18 cycle is 2002 while the age cut-off for the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is players born on or after Jan. 1, 2003.England’s roster features players mostly be born in 2002, the age group for this year’s UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship in Bulgaria.

– U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team Match Report –

Match: U.S. Under-18 WNT vs. England
Date: Feb. 26, 2019
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre; Bisham, England
Weather: 60 degrees, sunny

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                            1          1          2
ENG                            1          1          2

USA – Allyson Sentnor (Alexis Missimo)                   9th minute
ENG – Maya Le Tissier (penalty kick)                        32
USA – Emily Mathews (Samantha Kroeger)  58
ENG – Eleanor Dale                                                   78

USA: 12-Mia Justus, 2-Smith Hunter, 5-Sally Menti (11-Ayooluwa Oke, 46), 4-Baleigh Bruster (23-Madison Perez, 42), 8-Abby Allen (capt.), 13-Emily Mathews (21-Alexis Theoret, 72), 14-Alexis Missimo (17-Aislynn Crowder, 65), 24-Amber Nguyen (15-Samantha Kroeger, 46) 16-Trinity Rodman (6-Reilyn Turner, 46), 9-Allyson Sentnor (3-Trinity Byars, 55), 7-Michelle Cooper (10-Dilary Heredia-Beltran, 65)
Subs Not Used: Neeku Purcell
Head Coach: Tracey Kevins

ENG: 13-Emily Orman (1-Anna Pedersen, 46), 18-Sophie Qurik (2-Ella Morris, 46), 14-Lucy Johnson, 6-Maya Le Tissier (capt.), 11-Charlotte Fleming (9-Liana Yara, 60), 23-Rebecca May (17-Melisa Filis, 60), 15-Isabelle Cook (20-Ellen Jones, 60), 21-Eleanor Dale, 10-Ruby Grant, 19-Francesca Stables (3-Alisha Ware, 46)
Subs Not Used: Mia Cruickshank, Sophie Bramford, Paige Peake, Isobel Ford, Gracie Pearse, Emma Bradley, Keri Matthews
Head Coach: Gemma Grainger

Stats Summary: USA / ENG
Shots: 6 / 6
Shots on Goal: 3 / 4
Saves: 2 / 2
Corner Kicks: 4 / 2
Fouls: 9 /8
Offside: 1 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Kirsty Dowle
Assistant Referee: Robert Whittaker
Assistant Referee: Chloe Ann-Anderson