U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team set to face China PR in second group match of U-20 Women’s World Cup

The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team will look to move one step closer to a quarterfinal berth at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup when it faces China PR on Thursday, Aug. 23, at Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium.

The USA is coming off a 4-0 win against Ghana on Aug. 20, earning a share of first place with Germany atop Group D. Thursday’s match against China PR will be broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN3, with coverage starting at 5:50 a.m. ET.

TV FOR JAPAN ’12: The ESPN networks have already shown four matches of 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and will carry 14 more with 13 live on ESPNU and ESPN3 and one live on ESPN2 and ESPN3, which will be the USA-Germany clash on Aug. 27 that pits the two two-time champions of this tournament against each other in group play, the first time ever the USA and Germany will meet in the first round in a FIFA Women’s World Cup.

2012 U.S. U-20 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

GROUP D STANDINGS AND SCHEDULE

Monday, Aug. 20
USA 4, Ghana 0
Germany 4, China PR 0

Thursday, Aug. 23
Germany vs. Ghana
USA vs. China PR

Monday, Aug. 27
USA vs. Germany
Ghana vs. China PR

GROUP D UPDATE

• USA 4, Ghana 0: U.S. forward Maya Hayes scored three second-half goals to lead the squad past Ghana on Monday, Aug. 20. The hat trick was the 10th for a U.S. player in a FIFA World Cup at all levels and the fifth for a female player, following Carin Gabarra and Michelle Akers (5 goals) in the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China, Kelly Wilson in the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup in Canada and Sydney Leroux in the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany. Hayes has 15 career U-20 goals. The USA also benefited from an own goal in the 20th minute.
• Germany 4, China PR 0: Defending FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup champion Germany got goals from Lena Lotzen, Anja Hegenauer and Luisa Wensing, as well as an own goal from China’s Lin Yuping, as the Germans started off the group stage with a victory to share the Group D lead with the USA. Germany dominated with a 20-6 shots advantage and a 9-1 shots on goal differential against China.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – DETAILED
GOALKEEPERS (3): Bryane Heaberlin (North Carolina; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Jami Kranich (Villanova; Hamden, Conn.), Abby Smith (Dallas Texans; Dallas, Texas)
DEFENDERS (6): Stephanie Amack (Mustang Blast; Pleasanton, Calif.), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina; Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara; Mesa, Ariz.), Kassey Kallman (Florida State; Woodbury, Minn.), Mollie Pathman (Duke; Durham, N.C.), Cari Roccaro (Albertson Fury; East Islip, N.Y.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Morgan Brian (Virginia; St. Simons Island, Ga.), Vanessa DiBernardo (Illinois; Naperville, Ill.), Sarah Killion (UCLA; Fort Wayne, Ind.), Mandy Laddish (Notre Dame; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Samantha Mewis (UCLA; Hanson, Mass.), Taylor Schram (Penn State; Canonsburg, Pa.)
FORWARDS (6): Kelly Cobb (Duke; Chugiak, Alaska), Maya Hayes (Penn State; West Orange, N.J.), Kealia Ohai (North Carolina; Draper, Utah), Katie Stengel (Wake Forest; Melbourne, Fla.), Chioma Ubogagu (Stanford; Coppell, Texas), Becca Wann (Richmond; Chesterfield, Va.)

PREPARATION SCHEDULE YIELDS SOLID RESULTS FOR U-20 WNT: The USA headed into the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with a 12-1-0 this year in international matches. The lone loss came against the Women’s World Cup hosts by a 1-0 score on a June trip to Japan. The USA won the second match against Japan 2-0 three days later. The USA was fortunate enough to play nine matches against teams that are be participating in the Women’s World Cup and compiled an 8-1-0 record in those games.

2012 U.S. U-20 INTERNATIONAL RESULTS (PRE-WORLD CUP)

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: The 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup – which is staged every two years – features 16 nations divided into four groups of four teams each. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinal stage on Aug. 30 and 31. The semifinals will take place Tuesday, Sept. 4, and the Final and third-place matches will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8, both rounds at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. Players eligible for this age group tournament must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1992.

CONSISTENT U.S. PRESENCE: The USA has competed in all five previous Women’s World Cups held for this age group, winning the inaugural tournament in 2002 in Canada when it was a U-19 event, finishing third in 2004 in Thailand, finishing fourth in 2006 in Russia when it moved to U-20s, winning in 2008 in Chile on the strength of goal scoring from current Olympic gold medalists Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux, and finished fifth in 2010 in Germany. The U-19 tournaments featured 12 teams while the last three – and Japan – feature 16.

U.S. ROSTER NOTES

• Maya Hayes is tied with Canada’s Adriana Leon, who also scored a hat trick in her game against Argentina, to lead all 2012 U-20 Women’s World Cup players with three goals.
• Sixteen of the 21 players selected by U-20 Women’s National Team head coach Steve Swanson were born in 1992, three were born in 1993 and two – defenders Stephanie Amack and Cari Roccaro – were born in 1994, meaning they are age-eligible for the 2014 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada.
• Eleven different players have scored for the USA in international matches this year, nine of whom made the World Cup roster. Hayes leads the World Cup team with nine international goals this year, followed by Chioma Ubogagu with eight goals. Hayes is the USA’s top scorer at this level with 15 career international goals.
• Midfielders Samantha Mewis and Mandy Laddish and forward Katie Stengel were the three substitutes against Ghana with Mewis and Stengel both playing a part in the second-half scoring.

BY THE NUMBERS

• 0.21: Goals allowed per international match by the U.S. U-20s this year
• 1: International game out of 14 in which the USA has been shut out in 2012 (1-0 loss to JPN on 6/17)
• 3: Goals allowed by the USA in 14 international matches this year
• 3.93: Goals scored per international match by the U.S. U-20s this year
• 5: Goals scored by Maya Hayes in CONCACAF qualifying to lead the team
• 6: Assists by Samantha Mewis this year to lead the team
• 6: U-19/U-20 Women’s World Cups that the USA has qualified for
• 25: Players to see action in a U.S. U-20 international match this year
• 38: Career U-20 caps for Hayes, the most on the Women’s World Cup roster
• 54: Goals scored by the USA in 14 international matches this year
• 1,035: Minutes played in international matches this year by Kassey Kallman to lead the team

IN FOCUS: CHINA PR
Chinese Football Association
Founded: 1924 (Joined FIFA in 1931)
Head Coach: Yin Tiesheng
Best FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Finish: Second place (2004, 2006); the 2004 event was a U-19 WWC

USA vs. CHINA PR SERIES

• The U.S. and China PR have faced each other twice during the U-20 Women’s World Cup competition, with China earning a 2-0 win in Group B play in the 2008 event and winning a 5-4 shootout in the semifinals of the 2006 tournament.
• On Nov. 26, 2008, China’s Zhang Rui and Liu Shukun each scored second-half goals to defeat the USA in group play. But the USA and France advanced through the group stage, while China and Argentina were eliminated. The U.S. would eventually win the tournament with a 2-1 victory against Korea DPR in the championship in Chile.
• On Aug. 31, 2006, China and the USA played to a scoreless draw through regulation, with the U.S. controlling the play with a 10-2 shots on goal advantage and a 29-11 shots margin. That set the stage for a tightly contested shootout in which both teams scored on their first four attempts. The fifth attempts included each team hitting the frame, with China’s Ma Xiaoxu’s shot hitting the crossbar and Brittany Bock’s hitting the post for the USA. For the sixth attempt, China’s Wei Zhu converted her attempt and the USA’s Lauren Cheney missed her shot as China PR advanced to the championship. China was the runner-up to Korea DPR in Russia.
• The USA and China met earlier this year for back-to-back international friendlies at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The U.S. earned a 4-1 victory on April 12, followed by a 3-0 shutout win on April 15. Lindsey Horan had two goals and Chioma Ubogagu and Samantha Mewis each tallied a goal during the April 12 win. Katie Stengel, Ubogagu and Mewis divvied up the scoring in the rematch on April 15.

CHINA PR ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Shen Li, 12-Cai Wenfel, 21-Xia Tingting
DEFENDERS (7): 2-Wu Haiyan, 3-Wang Yingying, 4-Luo Guiping, 5-Liu Shanshan, 6-Huang Yini, 14-Su Xin, 17-Lin Yuping
MIDFIELDERS (7): 7-Zhang Xin, 10-Song Sicheng, 13-Han Jiayuan, 15-Wang Tingting, 16-Zhao Xindi, 18-Wang Shuang, 19-Mu Yunrui
FORWARDS (4): 8-Zhang Jieli, 9-Li Ying, 11-Yao Shuangyan, 20-Shen Lili

CHINA PR ROSTER NOTES

• China PR goalkeeper Shen Li was tested early and often to open the 2012 U-20 Women’s World Cup, posting a game-high six saves as Germany scored three goals and benefited from a China PR own goal en route to a 4-0 victory on Monday, Aug. 20, in Group D play.
• After missing out on the 2010 U-20 Women’s World Cup, China fought for a third-place finish during continental qualifying in 2011. Along the way, China played 2010 U-20 Women’s World Cup semifinalist Korea Republic to a 1-1 draw and defeated Australia 3-1 to clinch a spot in the 2012 tournament.
• China PR advanced to the championship of the 2004 U-19 Women’s World Cup and the 2006 U-20 Women’s World Cup. China fell to Germany 2-0 in the 2004 title match and lost to Korea DPR 5-0 in the 2006 tournament.
• This year’s tournament marks China PR’s fourth appearance in either a U-19 or U-20 Women’s World Cup. China was not part of the 2010 U-20 Women’s World Cup and the 2002 U-19 Women’s World Cup.

LAST TIME
On the field for the USA:
Aug. 20, 2012 – Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium; Hiroshima, Japan
2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup; Group D
USA    4   Own goal 20; Hayes 50, 74, 90+2
GHA    0

Lineups:
USA: 1-Bryane Heaberlin; 4-Crystal Dunn, 15-Kassey Kallman, 8-Julie Johnston (capt.), 2-Mollie Pathman; 16-Sarah Killion (13-Samantha Mewis, 72), 10-Vanessa DiBernardo, 6-Morgan Brian (14-Mandy Laddish, 81); 7-Kealia Ohai, 5-Maya Hayes, 9-Chioma Ubogagu (12-Katie Stengel, 61)
Subs not used: 3-Cari Roccaro, 11-Becca Wann, 17-Taylor Schram, 18-Abby Smith, 19-Stephanie Amack, 20-Kelly Cobb, 21-Jami Kranich
Head Coach: Steve Swanson

GHA: 1-Patricia Mantey; 3-Grace Adams, 4-Cynthia Yiadom (14-Faustina Ampah, 90), 5-Rosemary Ampem, 7-Linda Addai, 6-Mercy Myles (capt.), 8-Elizabeth Addo, 10-Priscilla Saahene (13-Jennifer Cudjoe, 70), 9-Alice Danso (19-Candice Osei-Agyemang, 70), 18-Beatrice Sesu, 20-Florance Dadson
Subs not used: 2-Rebecca Asante, 11-Deborah Afriyie, 12-Janet Egyir, 15-Mary Essiful, 16-Nana Asantewaa, 17-Veronica Appiah, 21-Margaret Otoo
Head Coach: Robert Sackey

On the field vs. China PR:
April 15, 2012 – Glenn “Mooch” Myernick Field; Carson, Calif.
International Friendly
USA    3   Stengel 10, Ubogagu 50, Mewis 90+1
CHN    0

Lineups:
USA: 1-Jami Kranich (18-Emily Oliver, 46); 4-Crystal Dunn (capt.) (13-Caprice Dydasco, 46), 5-Kassey Kallman, 8-Julie Johnston, 19-Stephanie Amack (21-Lauren Lindstrom, 74), 16-Sarah Killion (23-Ashley Meier, 65), 10-Mandy Laddish, 15-Samantha Mewis; 9-Chioma Ubogagu (20-Maya Hayes, 65), 14-Katie Stengel, 11-Lindsey Horan (7-Kealia Ohai, 46)
Subs not used: 2-Mollie Pathman, 3-Cari Roccaro, 6-Morgan Brian, 12-Vanessa DiBernardo, 17-Olivia Brannon, 24-Emily Kruger
Head Coach: Steve Swanson

CHN: 1-Yang Yan; 2-Yu Haiyan, 17-Lin Yuping, 4-Huang Yini, 3-Wang YingYing; 6-Zhang Xin (24-Mu Yunrui, 55), 10-Song Sicheng, 5-Liu Shanshan, 7-Wang Shuang (18-Li Ying, 68); 11-Yao Shuangyan (21-Shi Aijing, 80), 13-Yang Lina
Subs Not Used: 8-Wang Tingting, 12-Cai Wenfei, 15-Luo Guiping, 16-Zhao Xindi, 22-Xia Tingting, 23-Zhang Xue, 25-Han Jiayuan,
Head Coach: Yin Tiesheng