[CONCACAF UNDER-17 WOMEN”S CHAMPIONSHIP] The USA will look to clinch a berth in the 2014 Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica with a win over Mexico onThursday in the semifinals of the Concacaf U-17 Women’s Championship in Montego, Bay Jamaica. It will face a Mexican team with eight American-based players.
The USA outscored its firstthree opponents, 17-0, to bring its scoring total to 73-0 over the last two-plus U-17 qualifying tournaments, but that doesn’t mean qualification is assured. It outscored the opposition 38-0 in 2010only to fail to qualify when it fell to Canada in a shootout at the same hurdle.
On Monday, goals from Zoe Redei, her fifth of the tournament, andMallory Pugh, her third, gave the USA first place in Group B with a 2-0 win over Canada after easy wins over Trinidad & Tobago (8-0) and Guatemala (7-0) inMontego Bay.
The USA has beaten Mexico twice previously in Concacaf qualifying (1-0 and 3-0). The current teams played earlier in the year during a tournament in Costa Rica that served asa U-17 Women’s World Cup test run for the hosts. The USA prevailed 3-0 with goals from Pugh, Madison Haley and KacieTillman, who did not make the qualifying roster.
Mexico’s squad includes five players from Texas — goalie Emily Alvarado, and midfieldersEva Gonzalez, Aylin Villalobos, Briana Woodall and Vanessa Flores — and three from California — defender Jessica Moreno, midfielder