USA starts U-17 Women's World Cup with a rout

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Oct 3, 2016

The USA's quest to win the U-17 Women's World Cup for the first time began with a 6-1 rout over Paraguay in which Coloradan Civana Kuhlmann  scored a hat trick.

"The biggest thing we were looking for was three points," said U.S. coach B.J. Snow, whose team faces Ghana on Tuesday (9 am ET, FS2, FOXSportsGo.com, FOXSoccer2GO.com). "That's the most important thing to start out the World Cup especially with this age group where you have no idea what the players' response is going to be with the emotions and the nerves associated with the big stage. I was proud of how they handled it and worked themselves through those emotions, which we spent a lot of time trying to deal with. From an overall performance, I can say honestly that I was very pleased."

Civana Kuhlmann (Photo courtesy U.S. Soccer).

Midfielder Frankie Tagliaferri (PDA) opened the scoring, right back Kiara Pickett (Santa Barbara Eagles) struck after Kuhlmann (Colorado Rush) scored her first two goals, and forward Ashley Sanchez (So Cal Blues) chipped home before Kulmann finished off the rout.

Video:

In the game in front of 2,078 fans at the Prince Mohammed International Stadium, 14-year-old Lia Godfrey (Jacksonville Armada) became the youngest player to play in a youth Women’s World Cup for the USA when she replaced Jaelin Howell (Real Colorado) in the 84th minute.

Kuhlmann’s hat trick was the first by a U.S. player in a U-17 Women's World Cup and upped her U-17 scoring tally to 15 goals in 18 games. Sanchez's goal was her 19th in 19 U-17 internationals.

In the other Group D opener, defending champion Japan defeated Ghana 5-0.

Oct. 1 in Zarqa
USA 6 Paraguay 1. Goals: Tagliaferri (Pinto) 11, Kuhlmann (Pickett) 14, Kuhlmann (Wiesner) 49, Pickett (Sanchez) 69, Sanchez (Wiesner) 81, Kuhlmann (Godfrey) 87; Fretes (Ojeda) 54.
USA -- Ivory; Girma, Rodriguez, Pickett, Wiesner; Spaanstra, Pinto, Howell (Godfrey, 84), Tagliaferri (3 Smith, 67); Sanchez, Kuhlmann (Richardson, 88).
Paraguay -- Salas; Vecca, Bareiro, Fretes, Cabanas; Arevalo (Martinez, 46), Sandoval, Mino (Gonzalez, 67), Ojeda (Arce, 46); Martinez, Bogarin.

• Under-17 Women's World Cup: Results & TV Schedule

Meet the U.S. U-17s

U.S. Soccer produced a fun video in which the U-17 girls pair up for 15-second “bio blasts” in which they talk favorite food, TV shows, music, provide glimpses into their families, and reveal college destinations, etc.:

Carter-Vickers and Zelalem join U.S. U-20s in England

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Gedion Zelalem are among the 22 players U.S. U-20 national team coach Tab Ramos named to his roster for the U-20 Men’s Four Nations Tournament in Manchester, England, where the USA faces Germany Wednesday, the Netherlands Friday and host England Oct. 10.

“It’s an opportunity to see some of these players play together,” Ramos said. “Some of them have never played together before, and obviously having the opportunity to play Germany, England and Holland is huge. These are the type of games that when players make plays and do well you have to take that into account because it has a lot of value.”

Derrick Jones and Toni Suddoth received their first U-20  call-ups.

U.S. U-20 Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jonathan Klinsmann (University of California), Justin Vom Steeg (Fortuna Duesseldorf/GER).
DEFENDERS (8): Hugo Arellano (LA Galaxy II), Marcello Borges (Univ. of Michigan), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham/ENG), Marlon Fossey (Fulham/ENG), Tommy Redding (Orlando City SC), Miles Robinson (Syracuse Univ.), Toni Suddoth (VfB Stuttgart/GER), Auston Trusty (Bethlehem Steel).
MIDFIELDERS (7): Danny Acosta (Real Salt Lake), Luca De La Torre (Fulham), Derrick Jones (Bethlehem Steel), Brooks Lennon (Liverpool), Weston McKinnie (Schalke 04), Jonathan Suarez (Queretaro), Gedion Zelalem (Arsenal).
FORWARDS (5): Jeremy Ebobisse (Charleston Battery), Victor Mansaray (Seattle Sounders), Emmanuel Sabbi (Las Palmas/ESP), Sebastian Saucedo (Veracruz/MEX), Isaiah Young (PDA).

U-14 and U-15 girls in California camp

Coach April Kater  is running a 26-player U.S. U-14 girls national team camp in Carson, California, Oct. 1-8. The squad is comprised of 23 players born in 2002 and three 2003s.

U.S. U-14 girls national team
GOALKEEPERS (3): Ryan Campbell (So Cal Blues; Dana Point, Calif.), Mia Justus (PDA; North Brunswick, N.J.), Alia Skinner (Jacksonville FC; Fleming Island, Fla.).
DEFENDERS (8): Baleigh Bruster (Tophat SC; Smyma, Ga.), Kayla Colbert (Arsenal FC; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Devi Dudley (Utah Celtic FC; American Fork, Utah), Samar Guidry (FC Dallas; McKinney, Texas), Emily Mason (PDA; Flemington, N.J.), Jaiden McClellan (Crossfire United; Wilsonville, Ore.), Laney Rouse (CASL; Cary, N.C.), Dasia Torbert (Tophat SC; Dacula, Ga.).
MIDFIELDERS (7): Erin Carleton (Concorde Fire; Powder Springs, Ga.), Talia DellaPeruta (Tophat SC; Cumming, Ga.), Emma Egizii (Beach FC; Downey, Calif.), Isabel Loza (Fullerton Rangers; La Mirada, Calif.), Jillian Martinez (Lonestar SC; San Antonio, Texas), Alexis Missimo (Solar Chelsea; Southlake, Texas), Avery Patterson (Florida Elite Soccer; Jacksonville, Fla.).
FORWARDS (8): Kailyn Dudukovich (Cincinnati United; West Chester, Ohio), Brooklyn Harris (Cincinnati United; New Albany, Ohio), Dilay Heredia-Beltran (Sporting Blue Valley; Overland Park, Kans.), Samantha Kroeger (Matchfit Academy; West Milford, N.J.), Aryssa Mahrt (FC Wisconsin Eclipse; Wauwatosa, Wisc.), Raigen Powell (Solar SC; Rowlett, Texas), Trinity Rodman (So Cal Blues; Newport Beach, Calif.), Michaela Rosenbaum (Santa Rosa United; Rohnert Park, Calif.).

Concurrently at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center, the U.S. U-15 girls national team, coached by Mark Carr, is holding its final training camp of this cycle before moving to U-17s in 2017.

Carr’s team won the 2016 Concacaf U-15 Girls Championship in August, winning seven games while outscoring its foes, 49-0. Twelve of the 18 players on that roster are included in 26-player squad for the Carson camp.

U.S. U-15 girls national team
GOALKEEPERS (4): Alisa Jill Crooks (Colorado Rush; Green Acres, Wash.), Julia Dohle (NYSC; Scarsdale, N.Y.), Ruthie Jones (Charlotte SA; Charlotte, N.C.), Tyler McCamey (Tophat SC; Atlanta, Ga.).
DEFENDERS (6): Jordyn Gather (So Cal Blues; Ladera Ranch, Calif.), Tori Hansen (CASL; Raleigh, N.C.), D'awncey Jones-Black (Honolulu Bulls SC; Ewa Beach, Hawaii), Makenna Morris (Bethesda SC; Germantown, Md.), Natalia Staude (Tophat SC; Marietta, Ga.), Harper White (Tennessee SC; Franklin, Tenn.).
MIDFIELDERS (9): Ainsley Ahmadian (Eclipse Select SC; Naperville, Ill.), Hannah Bebar (Eclipse Select SC; Naperville, Ill.), Maya Doms (Davis Legacy; Davis, Calif.), Eleanor Glenn (Tophat SC; Avondale Estates, Ga.), Julianne Leskauskas (PDA Storm; Farmingdale, N.J.), Madison Mercado (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.), Gabrielle Robinson (BRYC Elite Academy; Springfield, Va.), Hollyn Torres (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Astrid Wheeler (Concorde Fire; Atlanta, Ga.).
FORWARDS (7): Laney Carroll (Legends FC; Redlands, Calif.), Sunshine Fontes (Honolulu Bulls SC; Wahiawa, Hawaii), Savianna Gomez (Beach Academy; Torrance, Calif.), Payton Linnehan (Stars of Mass; Douglas, Mass.), Alexandra Russell (Albion Hurricanes; Katy, Texas), Kalyssa Van Zanten (Eclipse Select SC; Buffalo Grove, Ill.), Hannah White (Tophat SC; Franklin, Tenn.).

Ayo Akinola scores five in three U.S. U-17 wins

Ayomide Akinola  scored five goals and had three assists in three U.S. U-17 boys national team wins. The USA beat Guatemala (9-0 and 8-0) in Florida, before heading to Panama, where it defeated the host, 3-1, and lost four days later, 2-0, to Panama.

Coach John Hackworth’s team is preparing for the next year’s U-17 Concacaf Championship hosted by Panama April 21-May 7 to determine the region’s qualifiers for the 2017 U-17 World Cup.

Oct. 1 in Panama City
Panama 2 USA 0. Goals: Clement, Guerrero.

Sept. 27 in Panama City
Panama 1 USA 3. U.S. scorers: Griffith 56; Akinola 21, Acosta 36, Carleton 66.
USA lineup: Garces; Gloster (Vasquez, 61), McGann, Sands, Lindsey; Durkin (Angking, 80), Ferri (Goslin, 61), Acosta; Carleton; Sargent, Akinola (Jones, 75).

Sept. 17 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
USA 9 Guatemala 0. Goals: Akinola 2, Sargent (Ferri) 7, Jones (Sargent) 18, Sargent 19, Jones (Lindsey) 39, Durkin (Angking) 55, Jones (Akinola) 57, Akinola (Gloster) 77, Gloster (Akinola) 82.
USA lineup -- Garces; Gloster, McGann, Sands (Arteaga, 77), Lindsey (Vasquez, 57); Durkin (Booth, 57), Ferri (Goslin, 46), Acosta (Angking, 46), Akinola, Sargent, Jones (Sands, 72).

Sept. 15 in Bradenton, Fla.
USA 8 Guatemala 0. Goals: Sands (Lindsey) 4, Akinola 6, Sargent (Sands) 9, Akinola (Sargent) 21, Sargent (Akinola) 37, Jones (Angking) 55, Angking (Vaughn) 69, Angking 83.
USA lineup -- Budnik; Gloster (Cornfield-Saunders, 46), Vasquez (McGann, 46), Sands (Arteaga, 46), Lindsey (Vaughn, 46); Durkin (Goslin, 46), Ferri (Booth, 46), Acosta (Angking, 46); Sands (Zyen Jones, 46), Sargent (Pereira, 46), Akinola (Villegas, 46).