U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team wins Nordic Tournament

BURTON-UPON-TRENT, England (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team drew 1-1 with England in its final game of the U-23 Women’s Nordic Tournament and the result was good enough to give the USA the tournament title on goal difference.

U.S. midfielder Andi Sullivan scored her first goal of the tourney in the 59th minute on a brilliant bending strike from distance that flew into the upper right corner of the goal from just outside the left corner of the penalty box. The USA was seconds away from winning the game outright before England equalized off a long free kick combined with some sloppy clearing from the USA in the first minute of stoppage time.

The four-team tournament took place at the St. George’s Park Football Centre, the National Training Center of the England FA in Burton-upon-Trent, located about 130 miles north of London.

The USA went into the finale against England needing a win or a tie to win the tournament which featured the unique regulation of teams’ being awarded one point for a tie at the end of regulation and then the matches went to penalty kicks, with the winner of the shootout getting an additional point.

Heading into the final match, the USA was on six points to England’s five. England won the penalty kick shootout, 4-2, and both teams finished with seven points in the competition, but the USA had a superior goals difference at plus-3 to plus-1 for England.

The USA beat Sweden 3-1 and Norway 2-1 in its first two games of the tournament.

U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team Match Report

Match: U.S. Under-23 WNT v. England U-23 WNT
Date: June 7, 2016
Competition: U-23 Nordic Tournament
Venue: St. George’s Park Football Centre; Burton-upon-Trent, United Kingdom
Weather: 68 degrees, sunny

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F          PKs
USA                            0          1          1          1
ENG                            0          1          2          3

USA – Andi Sullivan               59th minute
ENG – Beth England              90 + 1

Penalty Summary:
USA: Savannah Jordan (Save), Morgan Proffitt (Miss), Maddie Bauer (Save), Andi Sullivan (Goal)
ENG: Beth England (Goal), Millie Bright (Goal), Claudia Walker (Miss), Millie Farrow (Save), Aoife Mannion (Goal)

England wins 3-1

Lineups:
USA: 1-Jane Campbell; 20-Caroline Flynn (15-Brittany Basinger, 46), 5-Maddie Bauer, 16-Kirsten Crowley, 14-Christine Gibbons (2-Claire Falknor, 88); 17-Tyler Lussi, 6-Andi Sullivan, 9-Meggie Dougherty Howard (10-Morgan Proffitt, 71); 7-Margaret Purce, 11-Toni Payne (4-Rachel Hill, 46), 3-Savannah Jordan
Subs not used: 22-Madalyn Schiffel 13-McKenie Meehan, 18-Stephanie Ribeiro
Head coach: Janet Rayfield

ENG: 1-Elizabeth Durack; 3-Paige Williams, 4-Millie Bright, 5-Abbie McManus (15-Molly Bartrip, 79), 6-Aoife Mannion; 7-Rosella Ayane (20-Katie Zelem, 46), 8-Jade Bailey (18-Jodie Brett, 46), 9-Claudia Walker; 10-Beth England, 11-Melissa Lawley (19-Millie Farrow, 79), 16-Jessica Carter
Subs not used: 12-Taome Oliver, 13-Sophie Baggeley, 14-Millie Turner
Head coach: Lydia Bedford

Stats Summary: USA / ENG
Shots: 4 / 7
Shots on Goal: 4 / 5
Saves: 4 / 2
Corner Kicks: 7 / 3
Fouls: 4 / 8
Offside: 1 / 3

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Neil Pratt
Assistant Referee: Matthew Jackson
Assistant Referee: Antony Wingate
4th Official: Mark Thomas