U.S. U-20 Women’s Youth National Team advances to semifinals of Concacaf Championship

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The U.S. U-20 Women’s Youth National Team advanced to the semifinals of the Concacaf U-20 Women’s Championship with a dominating 4-0 win against Jamaica.

A hat trick from forward Madeline Dahlien in her first U-20 WYNT cap and a wonder goal from defender Tessa Dellarose earned the USA a comfortable win in its second match of the group stage. (HIGHLIGHTS)

With tonight’s result, combined with a 6-0 win over Panama to open the tournament, the U.S. advances to the semifinal round and sits atop Group A with one match left to play. The USA needs a win or a draw against Canada to secure the top spot in the group when the teams meet on Tuesday, May 30 at 6 p.m. ET (FS2). The winners of the semifinals and the third-place match advance to the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The USA opened the game on the front foot, posing an immediate threat as midfielder Sofia Cook came close to scoring after collecting a rebound just outside the box and firing a low strike that pinged off the left post.

After controlling the majority of play early on, the U.S. broke through in the 10^th minute as forward Onyeka Gamero received a long ball from midfielder Jasmine Aikey on the right wing and dribbled past her defender with speed and strength before chipping a cross into the box to Dahlien who darted in front of her defender to finish with a volley from close range. Dahlien came close to doubling the lead in the 40^th minute as she fought her way past a defender, pushed past the goalkeeper and scored into the open net, but the goal was called back for a supposed foul as she beat her defender to the ball.

Reinvigorated by the halftime break, the USA wasted no time building on its lead as Dahlien scored her second of the night with a header from inside the box off another pin-point cross from Gamero following a great run of play by the Americans in the buildup.

Two minutes later, the Americans struck again, this time as Dellarose ran onto a ball that had been cleared by the Jamaica defender just outside the penalty area on the left side and fired a screamer with her preferred left foot from 26 yards out that beat the goalkeeper into the far post.

The U.S. nearly added another in the 53^rd following a shot from the top of the box courtesy of midfielder Jill Flammia. The shot was inches away from tucking into the lower left corner, but it hit the left post and bounced out.

The USA was well in control when Dahlien capped off her memorable U-20 WYNT debut in the 79^th minute as Sentnor found her with a brilliant through-ball into the box that split two defenders. Dahlien finished with a composed shot with the outside of her right foot to complete her hat trick, seal the win and give the USA an edge in goal difference over Canada at plus-10 to plus-nine.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – Madeline Dahlien (Onyeka Gamero), 10th minute: Midfielder Jasmine Aikey played a long ball from deep in midfield to forward Onyeka Gamero on the right flank, where she displayed fancy footwork to get out of pressure toward the end line and sent a cross into the box. Dahlien then finished on her first touch from five yards out to open the scoring. USA 1, JAM 0

USA – Madeline Dahlien (Onyeka Gamero), 47th minute: A great run of combination play by the USA found Gamero on the right flank. She took a touch to create space and sent a cross into the box where Dahlien finished from seven yards out with a header into the lower right corner just beyond the ‘keeper’s reach to double the lead. USA 2, JAM 0

USA – Tessa Dellarose, 49th minute: Jamaica cleared a dangerous USA cross in the heart of their box, but Dellarose ran onto the loose ball and fired a powerful, left-footed strike across the face of goal to finish inside the far post from 26 yards out. USA 3, JAM 0

USA – Madeline Dahlien (Ally Sentnor), 79th minute: Sentnor found Dahlien on a diagonal run into the box with a brilliant pass that split two defenders. Dahlien then took a touch and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper with the outside of her right foot from 13 yards out to complete her hat trick in her very first appearance for a U.S. Women’s Youth National Team. USA 4, JAM 0

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Goalkeeper Valentina Amaral got her first start of the tournament and first U-20 cap. Amaral started two matches at the 2022 U-17 Women’s World Cup in India.
• Head coach Tracey Kevins made eight changes to the USA starting lineup that faced Panama in the team’s opening match of the tournament. The only starters tonight who also started the previous match were defenders Savannah King and Ella Emri on the back line and Jasmine Aikey in the midfield.
• Midfielder Tessa Dellarose’s goal marked her first of the tournament and came in her second U-20 appearance.
• Forward Ally Sentnor now has two goals and one assist in the tournament. Sentnor drew three penalties and scored two in the team’s opening match.
• In addition to Madeline Dahlien and Amaral, Jill Flammia and Sofia Cook both earned their first U-20 caps.

-U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team vs. Jamaica
Date: May 28, 2023
Competition: Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship
Venue: Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Attendance: 50
Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET
Weather: 84 degrees, humid, partly cloudy

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F

USA                            1          3          4
JAM                            0          0          0

USA – Madeline Dahlien (Onyeka Gamero)             10^th minute
USA – Madeline Dahlien (Onyeka Gamero)             47
USA – Tessa Dellarose                                              49
USA – Madeline Dahlien (Ally Sentnor)                     79

Lineups:

USA: 12-Valentina Amaral; 3-Savannah King (Capt.) (2-Gisele Thompson, 46), 4-Ella Emri (5-Elise Evans, 66), 14-Leah Klenke, 13-Tessa Dellarose; 18-Jasmine Aikey (6-Ally Lemos, 55), 8-Lauren Martinho, 20-Sofia Cook (16-Jill Flammia, 46); 17-Onyeka Gamero (9-Ally Sentnor, 55), 19-Madeline Dahlien, 15-Maggie Cagle

Substitutes Not Used: 1-Teagan Wy, 7-Jordynn Dudley, 10-Shae Harvey, 11-Kat Rader, 21-Makenzie Gress

Head Coach: Tracey Kevins

JAM: 1-Liya Brooks, 2-Akelia Johnson, 20-Njeri Lewism, 17-Njeri Butts, 15-Davia Richards; 14-Destiny Powell (10-Una Lue, 57), 8-Avery Johnson, 11-Shanneil Buckley, 12-Maya Raghunandanan (19-Taijah Fraser, 66); 18-Amelia Van Zanten, 9-Natoya Atkinson (3-Andrene Smith, 80)

Substitutes not used: 5-Janiel Mignott, 13-Katie Oakley, 16-Liha Williams

Head Coach: Hugh Bradford 

Stats Summary: USA / JAM

Shots: 24 / 2
Shots on Goal: 7 / 1
Saves: 1 / 3
Corner Kicks: 8 / 0
Fouls: 7 / 5
Offside: 6 / 3

Misconduct Summary:

JAM — Akelia Johnson (Caution)       31^st minute
JAM — Destiny Powell (Caution)        35

Officials:

Referee: Astrid Gramajo (GUA)
1^st Assistant Referee: Mijensa Rensch (SUR)
2^nd Assistant Referee: Mayra Mora (MEX)
4^th Official: Katia Garcia (MEX)
VAR: Francia Gonzalez (MEX)
AVAR1: Selvin Brown (HON)