USA taking on Germany in FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals

After winning three consecutive games at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup following a 1-0 loss to Spain in its opening game, the USA is now poised to face Germany in the quarterfinal match, taking place on Sunday, Sept. 15 at Estadio Pascual Guererro in Cali, Colombia.

The match kicks off at 9 p.m. ET (FS2 & Telemundo Digitals). The winner of the USA-Germany match will play the winner of Brazil-Korea DPR in one semifinal.

This is the first visit to the quarterfinal round of this tournament for the USA since the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea. In that tournament, the USA defeated also defeated Mexico in the quarterfinal before facing Korea DPR in the semifinal. This U-20 World Cup tournament is the first-ever to include a Round of 16 after the competition was expanded to 24 nations and thus necessitating an extra round of knockout play.

USA PULLS OUT DRAMATIC WIN OVER MEXICO TO EARN QUARTERFINAL BERTH: The USA took three leads against Mexico in the Round of 16 match on Sept. 11 in Bogotá, relinquished two, and held on to the third to register a dramatic 3-2 victory in overtime. The victory erased some demons originating from the 2-1 loss to Mexico in the 2023 Concacaf U-20 Women’s Championship, even through only three players who started against Mexico on Sept. 11 started that game in the Dominican Republic. The game-winner came seven minutes into the 30-minute overtime period from substitute striker Jordynn Dudley, who had missed the last two matches while in concussion protocols. Forwards Pietra Tordin (10th minute) and Ally Sentnor (27th minute) scored the other two goals, the fourth of the World Cup for Tordin and second for Sentnor, the U.S. captain. Mexico equalized in the 22nd and 39th minutes, and while the USA had several excellent changes to take the lead in regulation and overtime while out-shooting Mexico 22-13, Dudley’s goal came after midfielder Yuna McCormack stole a poor back pass from a Mexican defender and went to work, driving toward goal and pulling a couple defenders toward the left. She then found Dudley on the right side of the penalty area. Dudley dribbled at Mexico’s Natalia Colín and, from a tight angle, ripped a shot high over the goalkeeper. The USA also had a Tordin goal called back when Gisele Thompson was ruled offside by the length of her heel and the USA also saw Riley Jackson’s penalty kick saved by substitute goalkeeper Mariángela Medina, who had replaced the injured Cota in overtime.

GAME CHANGERS MAKE IMPACT: The USA’s depth made a significant impact in the overtime win against Mexico. As the Mexicans started to fatigue in the 8,400+ foot altitude of Bogotá, the USA sent on Leah Klenke for Gisele Thompson and Yuna McCormack for Taylor Suarez in the 64th minute. Klenke made a major impact a right back, shutting down the Mexico attack while also launching numerous dangerous forays in the attacking third. McCormack’s defense was also on point, and she ended up assisting on the game-winning goal in the 97th minute. Defender Elise Evans, who had not played since the first match, and midfielder Ally Lemos, both came off the bench in the 100th minute (Evans for Savy King and Lemos for Claire Hutton, who put in a major shift in the midfield) and helped locked down the game. Forward Maddie Dahlien, a 74th minute sub for Emeri Adames, was a menace on the flank and in pressuring the Mexican backs, while of course Dudley, who came on for Pietra Tordin in the 86th minute, would score the game-winner 23 minutes of game time later – the last four minutes of regulation, 12 minutes of stoppage, and seven minutes into OT.

TORDIN’S FOUR GOALS MOST IN A U-20 WCC SINCE 2012: Forward Pietra Tordin’s hat trick against Paraguay on Sept. 7 and single goal against Mexico on Sept. 11 gave her four for the tournament, the most of an American player at a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup since Maya Hayes scored four in Japan at the 2012 tournament. Sydney Leroux scored five times at the 2010 U-20 WWC in Germany (and won the Bronze Boot) and scored five at the 2008 FIFA U-20 WWC in Chile (where she won the Golden Boot). Alex Morgan scored four times at the 2008 tournament. The U.S. record for most goals in a FIFA World Cup at this age level is nine when forward Kelly Wilson scored two against England, two against Australia, three against Denmark and two against Germany in the inaugural 2002 tournament. In that same tournament, Lindsay Tarpley scored six times. Wilson and Tarpley won the Gold and Silver Boots, respectively. Tordin was also the first U.S. player to score a hat trick U-20 Women’s World Cup match since Aug. 8, 2018, when Savannah DeMelo scored three times, also against Paraguay, in a game in which Sophia Smith also had two goals.

2024 FIFA U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP ROUND QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS: The final eight teams left in the 2024 FIFA Women’s World Cup read like a who’s-who in women’s international soccer, along with host Colombia, which has played some inspired soccer in front of huge crowds. The USA is the only team left carrying the torch for Concacaf while three European teams have made it to the quarters along with two Asian teams and two South American sides. In an epic clash, Japan and Spain will meet in the quarterfinals in a rematch of the 2022 FIFA U-20 WWC Final, won by Spain, 3-1.

THE U.S. ROSTER — PROS LEAD THE WAY: Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004, are age-eligible for this World Cup, and this roster will set a record for the most professional players on a U.S. FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Team with eight. All are in their rookie years for National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) clubs with midfielder Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current) and Ally Sentnor (the #1 pick in the 2024 NWSL draft for the Utah Royals) seeing the most minutes among their peers so far this year. Defender Gisele Thompson, who joined her older sister Alyssa at Angel City FC this season, defender Savy King (the #2 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft for Bay FC), midfielder Ally Lemos (the #9 pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft by the Orlando Pride), former U.S. U-17 WYNT captain Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage) and forward Emeri Adames (Seattle Reign) have all seen action for their clubs this season. Adames, who signed last march, was the club’s first-ever U-18 signing. The now 18-year-old defender Jordan Bugg signed with Seattle on July 19. While Sentnor, King and Lemos were all high draft picks, the other five pros – Jackson, Adames, Thompson, Hutton and Bugg — all signed professional contracts as high schoolers under the NWSL Under-18 Entry Mechanism, opting out of college soccer.

2024 FIFA U.S. U-20 Women’s World Cup Roster by Position (College or Club; Hometown; U-20 Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Caroline Birkel (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; St. Louis, Mo.; 0), Mackenzie Gress (Penn State; Lyndhurst, N.J.; 5), Teagan Wy (California; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; 12)

DEFENDERS (6): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign; El Cajon, Calif.; 8/1), Elise Evans (Stanford; Redwood City, Calif.; 14/0), Heather Gilchrist (Florida State, Boulder, Colo.; 9/0), Savy King (Bay FC; West Hills, Calif.; 16/0), Leah Klenke (Notre Dame; Houston, Texas; 15/0), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; Studio City, Calif.; 11/2)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Addison Halpern (PDA; Middlesex, N.J.; 0/0), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; Bethlehem, N.Y.; 9/0), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; Roswell, Ga.; 12/1), Ally Lemos (Orlando Pride; Glendora, Calif.; 16/1), Yuna McCormack (Virginia; Mill Valley, Calif.; 6/2), Taylor Suarez (Florida State; Charlotte, N.C.; 12/1)

FORWARDS (6): Emeri Adames (Seattle Reign; Red Oak, Texas; 10/1), Maddie Dahlien (North Carolina; Edina, Minn.; 12/6), Jordynn Dudley (Florida State; Milton, Ga.; 11/4), Giana Riley (Florida State; Manteca, Calif.; 10/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; Hanson, Mass.; 20/11), Pietra Tordin (Princeton; Miami, Fla.; 11/6)

ROSTER NOTES

• When Gisele Thompson scored the USA’s third goal against Paraguay on Sept. 7 in the 29th minute, it marked the first time that two sisters had scored for the USA in a FIFA U-20 World Cup. Older sister Alyssa Thompson, who is teammates with Gisele on Angel City FC, scored for the USA against Ghana at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Samantha and Kristie Mewis both played for the USA at a FIFA U-17 WWC (together in 2008) and U-20 WWC (together in 2010, while Sam also helped the USA win the U-20 World Cup in 2012), but while Kristie scored in both of her youth World Cups, Sam did not find the net in hers.
• Gisele Thompson also scored in the U-17 WWC in 2022, making her one of three players, along with Ashley Sanchez and Kristie Mewis, to score for the USA in both a U-17 and U-20 WWC.
• Emeri Adames tied a U.S. record for most assists in a single U-20 WWC match when she set up three of the first four goals vs. Paraguay on Sept. 7. You have to go all the way back to 2002 and the first-ever FIFA tournament for this age group when Heather O’Reilly had three assists in the opening 5-1 win over England.
• Adames picked up another assist on Sept. 11 vs. Mexico and leads the team with four in the competition.
• No U.S. player has had three assists in an entire U-20 World Cup tournament since Samantha Mewis did so in 2012 in Japan. Sydney Leroux also had three assists in the 2008 U-20 WWC in Chile.
• Amanda Poach had three assists in the 2006 U-20 WWC in Russia. Stephanie Lopez had three assists in the 2004 U-20 WWC in Thailand. O’Reilly holds the U.S. record for most assists in a FIFA World Cup for this age level with seven while Lindsey Tarpley, another member of the “Triple-Edge Sword” of forwards during that tournament along with Kelly Wilson, had six assists as the USA won the inaugural FIFA youth world championship.
• Yuna McCormack and Pietra Tordin both have two assists so far in this tournament.
• McCormack also has two goals, the first two of her career, giving her two career goals in just six caps.
• The last time the USA has won three matches in a row at the FIFA U-20 WWC was in 2012 when it won all three knockouts to win the tournament, 2-1 over Korea DPR, 2-0 over Nigeria and 1-0 over Germany.
• Of the USA’s 18 field players on the roster, all but Addison Halpern, the youngest player on the roster, has seen action thus far over the first four matches.
• After the overtime game on Sept. 11 where U.S. head coach Tracey Kevins made all six allowed subs, just two players has played all 390 minutes so far: goalkeeper Teagan Wy and defender Jordyn Bugg. Savy King when she came out in the 100th minute vs. Mexico.
• Six players have played more than 300 minutes while Emeri Adames has played 279 minutes.
• Six different players have scored the USA’s 12 goals at this tournament and five also have assists.
• Forward Maddie Dahlien, who has played in all four games off the bench, has scored twice in the World Cup to up her career total to six in 12 U-20 caps.
• The USA’s World Cup roster features eight pros, one rising college freshman, two rising college sophomores, one redshirt college sophomore, seven rising college juniors and high schoolers Caroline Birkel and Addison Halpern. Florida State leads all colleges with four players on the roster.
• Defender Gisele Thompson is the only player on the roster who has seen training time with the senior U.S. Women’s National Team, that coming during the USA’s February training camp this year ahead of the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
• Forward Ally Sentnor, who is in her second U-20 cycle, is unsurprisingly the most experienced player on the roster with 20 U-20 caps and is also the USA’s leading scorer with 11 international goals.
• Earlier this NWSL season, forward Emeri Adames, a veteran of the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, became the youngest scorer in Seattle Reign history. In her final game before joining the USA in Colombia, Adames sent a header on goal that snuck into the net for the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over the North Carolina Courage on a night that club and USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe had her jersey retired. Adames then celebrated the goal by pulling out Rapinoe’s iconic celebration pose.
• Adames also played for the USA at the 2023 Pan American Games, where she scored in the 2-1 semifinal loss to the senior Chile Women’s National Team, getting the ball past one of the world’s best goalkeepers, Christiane Endler.
• Defender Jordyn Bugg, Hutton and Thompson also played in the Pan Ams, giving them excellent experience against senior National Teams.
• Five-foot-11 forward Jordynn Dudley, along with college teammate Heather Gilchrist, had a big 2023 college season, helping Florida State win the NCAA Championship. Dudley was named ACC Freshman of the Year after scoring a remarkable 14 goals with nine assists, including a goal and an assist in the NCAA Championship Game. Gilchrist, as a sophomore, started all 21 matches for the Seminoles.
• Forward Maddie Dahlien, who tied with Sentnor for leading scorer in qualifying with four goals, is a former Minnesota state track champion in the 100M and 200M.
• Forward Giana Riley, who has since transferred to Florida State, led the West Coast Conference in scoring for Gonzaga last season with 12 goals to go along with six assists.
• Tordin, a rare Ivy Leaguer on a U.S. World Cup Team, made a dramatic U-20 WYNT debut in February, scoring a late game-winner in a 1-0 victory over Colombia in Bogotá. The USA won the second game of that trip 1-0 as well, on a goal from Sentnor.
• Six players on this U-20 WWC roster played for the USA in the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Thompson, Savy King, Bugg, Adames, Leah Klenke and Jackson.

U.S. U-20 WYNT vs. GERMANY

• The USA and Germany have each won three FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup tournaments, meaning six of the 10 U-20 WWCs so far have been won by these two countries.
• The other winners have been North Korea (2006 and 2016), Japan (2018) and Spain (2022). All of the previous winners are in the quarterfinals.
• The USA and Germany are two of the four teams to have qualified for every FIFA WWC at this age level, along with Brazil and Nigeria.
• Nineteen of the 21 Germany players play for professional clubs in the German Frauen-Bundesliga, which just kicked off its 2024-2025 season. The two exceptions are defender Miriam Hils, who plays at UC Berkeley with U.S. goalkeeper Teagan Wy, and midfielder Mathilde Janzen, who plays in Sweden for top club Kristianstads DFF.
• The USA has a long history with Germany in this tournament, as would be expected for two three-time champions. The teams had met six times in this tournament, with each team winning three of those games.
• Three of the matches have taken place in the semifinal, one in the quarterfinal, one in group play, and famously in the 2012 U-20 Women’s World Cup Final, when the USA overturned a 3-0 loss in group play to win 1-0 on a goal from Kealia Ohai and assisted by Crystal Dunn.
• The two countries met in the first two semifinals of this tournament with the USA winning 4-1 in 2002 and losing 3-1 in 2004, both when the tournament was a U-19 competition before turning to U-20s in 2006.
• The teams also met in the semifinal in 2008, a 1-0 victory, meaning in all three World Cups at this level in which the USA won the tournament, it defeated Germany along the way.
• The current teams met earlier this year, on April 5, in Verl, Germany, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
  Germany outshot the USA 25-7 in that match, but only put five shots on goal, all of which were saved by Teagan Wy, who earned the shutout. The USA put two shots on goal.
• Thirteen of the 17 players who played in that match are on the USA’s World Cup roster.
• Twelve of the 16 German players who played in that match are on their World Cup roster.
• Aside from a shock 1-0 loss to Korea Republic in the third game of group play after the Germans has all but clinched first place in the group, the long-time European power has basically cruised through the tournament, defeating Venezuela, 5-2, in its first game and Nigeria, 3-1, in its second. Germany’s Round of 16 match was a 5-1 romp over Argentina. Germany has given up at least one goal in all four of its games.
• Germany quailed for this World Cup via the 2023 UEFA Women’s U-19 Championship played in Belgium, at which it finished second behind Spain. Germany finished second on goal difference in Group A behind fellow WWC quarterfinalist Netherlands, then beat France, 3-2, in overtime in the semifinal, before falling to Spain in penalty kicks in the championship game after a 0-0 draw through regulation and OT.

Germany 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Roster by Position (Club)

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Rebecca Adamczyk (SC Freiburg), 12-Kiara Beck (VFB Stuttgart), 21-Lina Von Schrader (RB Leipzig)

DEFENDERS (6): 2-Miriam Hils (UC Berkeley, USA), 4-Jella Veit (Eintracht Frankfurt), 5-Vanessa Diehm (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), 6-Sara Ritter (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), 14-Alina Axtmann (SC Frieburg), 15-Tomke Schneider (Eintracht Frankfurt)

MIDFIELDERS (7): 3-Mathilde Janzen (Kristianstads DFF, SWE), 8-Sofie Zdebel (Bayer Leverkusen), 13-Nia Szenk (SC Freiburg), 16-Paulina Platner (SGS Essen), 17-Alara Sehitler (FC Bayern Munich), 18-Sarah Ernst (FC Bayern Munich), 19-Loreen Bender (Bayer Leverkusen)

FORWARDS (5): 7-Cora Zicai (SC Freiburg), 9-Marie Steiner (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), 10-Sophie Machtigall (Eintracht Frankfurt), 11-Lisa Baum (Hamburger SV), 20-Laura Gloning (FC Bayern Munich)