USA routs Paraguay 7-0, advancing to knockout stage of FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – The high-flying U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team is moving on to the knockout stage of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup thanks to a dominating 7-0 rout of Paraguay in Saturday evening’s Group C finale. Striker Pietra Tordin notched a hat trick and winger Emeri Adames had three first-half assists as the Americans pulled away early at the Estadio El Techo in the Colombian capital.

The three points secured second place in the four-team group and sent the USA to the Round of 16, where it will face familiar foe Mexico on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at Estadio El Campin in Bogotá (9 p.m. ET on FS2 & Telemundo Digital). After heading home following the group stage in 2018 and 2022 editions of this tournament (the 2020 U-20 WWC was canceled due to the global pandemic), the U.S. is getting stronger as this competition progresses and will have momentum on its side in next Wednesday’s clash with its regional rivals.

The seven-goal margin was the largest in the USA’s U-20 Women’s World Cup history, eclipsing three previous 6-0 wins.

U.S. head coach Tracey Kevins deployed the same starting XI that began the 2-0 win over Morocco on Sept. 4, although that lineup featured three changes from the tournament-opening loss (1-0) to group winner Spain, which beat Morocco 2-0 tonight to cap an unbeaten run the first round.

The Americans took the field at El Techo knowing a draw was enough to secure 2nd in the Group C — and confirm advancement — thanks to their goal differential advantage over Paraguay. At this expanded U-20 World Cup, which grew from 16 to 24 teams, the top two finishers in each of the six groups advance along with the four best third-place sides.

One point would’ve been sufficient, but from the opening whistle, the U.S. attacked from and nearly scored through overlapping right back Gisele Thompson in just the first minute. Tordin then hit the right post with a long-range blast in the sixth. The Princeton junior, who scored twice during the build-up to the tournament, was primed to open her World Cup account.

Competing at the U-20 Women’s World Cup for the third time, Paraguay couldn’t match the USA’s speed on the break (especially Thompson’s) or Tordin’s knack for making the right run. She opened the floodgates in the 10th minute after a curling run toward left her wide open for Adames’ corner kick from the right side. Tordin’s ensuing header was unstoppable and flew inside the near post.

Two minutes and 33 seconds later, the USA scored again. This time Thompson tore through Paraguay on another foray down the right before hitting a cross that was knocked off the left post and into Tordin’s path. Tordin’s hard run had set her up for an easy finish.

At that point, Paraguay needed three goals to secure advancement, and the match was basically in the bag, but the U.S. continued its pursuit of goals. The USA put the game out of reach in the 29th as Thompson, the Angel City FC rookie, scored a deserved goal off a perfect left-wing cross from Adames. Playmaker Yuna McCormack then tallied her second of the tournament with a deft redirection of another precise Adames corner. That gave Adames, the Seattle Reign rookie, a hat trick of assists in the first half.

It was Tordin’s turn to set the table early in 52nd minute as some skillful dribbling on the left of the penalty area drew the defense toward her and away from captain Ally Sentnor. One of two players on the current team who played at the 2022 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica, Sentnor notched her first goal of this tournament (and 10th of her U-20 career) with a composed first-time finish off Tordin’s pass.

The only tension remaining surrounded Tordin’s hat trick pursuit. She ended the suspense in the 67th minute.Again, her movement off the ball was perfect and she was first to reach a perfect pass from McCormack that split three Paraguayan defenders into the penalty area. Tordin touched it past the ‘keeper from about 10 yards out to earn the fifth hat trick by a U.S. player in FIFA U-20 WWC history.

U.S. netminder Teagan Wy, the other 2022 U-20 veteran, didn’t have to make a save. Paraguay’s Fátima Acosta, who scored both her team’s goals at this World Cup and tallied seven in South American qualifying, managed two shots. She sent Paraguay’s best chance just over Wy’s crossbar in the 82nd. Seconds later, U.S. substitute Maddie Dahlien tallied her second of the tournament after running onto a through ball down the left wing from fellow reserve Giana Riley.

The USA will remain in the Colombian capital for Wednesday’s Round of 16 tilt with Mexico although it’ll move about 5 miles across town to the much larger Estadio El Campín — the site of the World Cup Final. The U.S. fell to El Tri, 2-1, in the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship final in June 2023. In a pair of July 2024 friendlies between the teams in Athens, Ga., the Americans earned a 1-1 draw thanks to a goal from Tordin before defeating Mexico, 3-0, three days later with goals by Sentnor (2) and Riley Jackson.

Mexico went 1W-1L-1D during Group A play at the World Cup, drawing Cameroon, 2-2, before beating Australia, 2-0, and losing to host Colombia, 1-0.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

USA – Pietra Tordin (Emeri Adames) 10th minute: The USA broke through on its third corner kick in the opening 10 minutes. Tordin made a curling run from the top of the penalty area toward the right post and headed home Adames’ perfect delivery. USA 1, PAR 0

USA – Pietra Tordin, 12th minute: Another dangerous break through the right channel by defender Gisele Thompson unlocked the Paraguayan defense and her cross was touched off the post by defender Milagros Rolón. Torbin had made the far post run and was there to tap in the loose ball. USA 2, PAR 0

USA – Gisele Thompson (Emeri Adames), 29th minute: Thomson had been torturing Paraguay with her runs on the right but this time she raced forward without the ball. Adames did the damage on the left, rounding a defender and whipping in a cross that beat three more Paraguayans before Thompson was able to meet it at the far post for a tap in from close range. USA 3, PAR 0

USA – Yuna McCormack (Emeri Adames), 44th minute: Another precise corner kick from Adames led to another U.S. goal. This time it was McCormack who stepped in front of her marker at the six-yard line and volleyed the ball past the goalkeeper. USA 4, PAR 0

USA – Ally Sentnor (Pietra Tordin), 52nd minute: Tordin turned provider early in the second half, running onto a throw-in and drawing the attention of four defenders with some smart dribbling in traffic. She then slipped the ball to Sentnor, who was unmarked and scored with a one-time, right-footed shot. USA 5, PAR 0

USA – Pietra Tordin (Yuna McCormack), 67th minute: Tordin secured her hat trick as McCormack slipped a deft through ball past three Paraguayan defenders into the penalty area and the striker was first to the ball. Tordin then lifted the ball past onrushing ‘keeper Araceli Legüizamón. USA 6, PAR 0

USA – Maddie Dahlien (Giana Riley), 83rd minute: The substitutes connected for the USA’s seventh as Riley, with time and space near the left sideline, sent a pass behind the Paraguayan defense. The speedy Dahlien was free and clear to take a touch and then guide a low shot inside the right post. USA 7, PAR 0
FINAL

Additional Notes:

• Forward Pietra Tordin’s three goals upped her career total to five in 10 U-20 caps.
• She is the first U.S. player to score a hat trick U-20 Women’s World Cup match since Aug. 8, 2018, when Sophia Smith scored twice and Savannah DeMelo scored three, also against Paraguay.
• She is the fifth player in U-20 USWYNT history to bag a hat trick in U-20 WWC play. The others were: Savannah DeMelo: 2018 vs. Paraguay; Maya Hayes: 2012 vs. Ghana; Sydney Leroux: 2010 vs. Switzerland and Kelly Wilson: 2002 vs. Denmark
• Defender Gisele Thompson’s goal was her second for the U-20 WYNT. Her sister Alyssa scored last night for Angel City against the Seattle Reign in NWSL play, making it two goals in two nights for the Thompson sisters.
• Yuna McCormack’s goal, in just her fifth cap, was her second of the World Cup and second of her U-20 career.
• Central defenders Heather Gilchrist and Jordyn Bugg when all 90 next to each other for the second straight match.
• Forward Maddie Dahlien’s goal was her sixth at the U-20 level in her 11th cap and second score off the bench at this tournament.
• U.S. goalkeeper Teagan Wy picked up her second shutout of the World Cup for the USA, but did not have to make a save.

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

Match: United States Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team vs. Paraguay
Date: Sept. 7, 2024
Competition: 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup – Group C
Venue: Estadio El Techo; Bogotá, Colombia
Attendance: 2,577
Kickoff: 6 p.m. local (7 p.m. ET)
Weather: 64 degrees, breezy, cool

Lineups:
USA: 1-Teagan Wy; 2-Gisele Thompson (3-Leah Klenke, 46), 4-Jordyn Bugg, 15-Heather Gilchrist, 3-Savy King; 6-Claire Hutton, 16-Riley Jackson (10-Ally Lemos, 46), 18-Yuna McCormack; 9-Ally Sentnor (Capt.) (7-Giana Riley, 64), 19-Pietra Tordin (17-Maddie Dahlien, 76), 11-Emeri Adames (14-Taylor Suarez, 46)

Substitutes not used: 5-Elise Evans, 8-Jordynn Dudley, 12-Mackenzie Gress, 20-Addison Halpern, 21-Caroline Birkel
Head coach: Tracey Kevins

PAR: 1-Araceli Leguizamon; 2-Milagros Rolon, 3-Sofia Almiron, 4-Naomi De Leon, 16-Nayelli Torres (6-Gabriela Valdez, 53); 5-Danna Garcete, 8-Adriana Martinez (Capt.) (14-Vanessa Arnaboldi, 53), 11-Agustina Varela (20-Pamela Villalba, 64), 7-Fiorella Fernadez (15-Belen Talavera, 53), 18-Claudia Martinez (21-Luz Cardozo, 82); 10-Fatima Acosta

Substitutes not used: 9-Lujan Tamay, 12-Luana Rodriguez, 13-Kamila Benitez, 17-Jorgelina Gonzalez, 19-Zunilda Coronel
Head coach: Fabio Fukumoto

Stats Summary: USA / PAR
Shots: 18 / 4
Shots on Goal: 10 / 0Saves: 0 / 3
Corner Kicks: 8 / 1
Fouls: 5 / 3
Offside: 1 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Ivana Projkovska (MKD)
AR1: Linda Schmid (SUI)
AR2: Camille Soriano (FRA)
4th Official: Susana Corella (ECU)