Ashley Sanchez, 16, scores four for U.S. U-20 women

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Oct 29, 2015

The U.S. U-20 women’s national team beat Spanish club Rayo Vallecano, 4-1, and got all four of its goals from SoCal Blues striker Ashley Sanchez after she entered the game in the the 68th minute.

The 16-year-old Sanchez scored her first shortly after stepping on the field when she pressured goalkeeper Ana after a Rayo throw-in and struck the coughed up ball into the net.

After receiving a Mallory Pugh pass, Sanchez scooped the ball over the goalkeeper in the 75th minute for her second, got the hat trick with a header in the 82nd minute, and was assisted again by Pugh for the fourth in the 82nd minute.

Sanchez, who is age-eligible for the U.S. U-17s, has been playing with the U-20s for the last several camps.

U.S. coach Michelle French brought 21 players to the Spain camp as the team continues preparations for the 2015 Concacaf U-20 Women's Championship in December that will send three teams to the 2016 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea.

With the college season underway, all the field players on the are pre-college youth club players from five different birth years, 1996 to 2000. The age cut-off for this group is players born on or after Jan. 1, 1996.

Oct. 27 in Madrid.
Rayo Vallecano 1 USA U-20s 4. Goals: Patri (pen.) 80; Sanchez 68,
Sanchez (Pugh) 75, Sanchez 78, Sanchez (Pugh)    82.
Rayo Vallecano -- Ana, Anama, Costa, Ale, Jenni, Codo, Sarray, Estela, Silvi, Marian, Nicole.
USA -- Chandler, Doyle (Pickett, 46), Hiatt (Morse, 46), Otto, Fox, Gorzak (Harr, 46), Bosco, Pinto (Stevens, 46), Torres (6- DeMelo, 46), Redei (Sanchez, 68), Spaanstra (Pugh, 46).