[USA-GERMANY] Defending champion Germany showed that it is still the team to beat at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup with a 3-0 win over the United States onThursday in Miyagi.
Lena Lotzen scored the first two goals and Melanie Leupolz added a third as Germany wonGroup D with three straight shutouts.
The USA went into the game with an eight-goal cushion on goal difference and finished ahead of China, a 1-0 winner over Ghana in Thursday’s othergame, to claim second place and a date with North Korea on Friday in Saitama.
The loss was just the third the USA has suffered at the U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The Americansfell to Germany, 3-1, in the 2004 semifinals and lost to China, 2-0, in their final group game in the 2008 tournament, which they went on to win. (The USA exited the 2006 and 2010 tournaments withshootout losses.)
They had beaten Germany, 1-0, earlier in the year at the La Manga Tournament in Spain. Paris St. Germain signing Lindsey Horan,who had the game’s lone goal for the USA, is injured and did not travel to Japan.
North Korea was perfect in Group C, winning its three games by a margin of 15-4.
Aug. 27 inMiyagi
Germany 3 USA 0. Goals: Lotzen 35, 53, Leupolz 55.
Germany — Benkarth, Maier, Cramer,Wensing, Jaeger, Petzelberger (Hendrich 46), Lotzen (Rosler 69), Marozsan, Heinze (Leupolz 46), Chojnowski, Magull.
USA — Heaberlin; Dunn, Johnston(Roccaro 59), Kallman, Pathman; Killion, DiBernardo (Mewis 74), Brian; Ubogagu (Ohai 54), Stengel, Hayes.