U.S. U-20 women finish French rehearsal with a tie

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Mar 7, 2018

The USA tied France 2-2 in its second game with the U-20 Women's World Cup host in four days. Four months ahead of the U-20 World Cup, Coach Jitka Klimkova's team spent 12 days in France. The USA beat the French, 1-0, in the first friendly on a goal by Brianna Pinto.

Real Colorado's Sophia Smith scored both U.S. goals in the 2-2 tie, giving the USA a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute by finishing a pass from Stanford's Civana Kuhlmann. The French equalized in the ninth and 64th minute. Smith, assisted by Penelope Hocking (SoCal Blues) and Viviana Villacorta (UCLA), scored the equalizer with nine minutes left.

March 6 in Saint-Malo, France
France 2 USA 2. Goals: Katoto (Emelyne Laurent) 9, Gago  64; Smith (Civana Kuhlmann) 4, Smith (Penelope Hocking)    81.
France -- Lebastard, Dechilly (Enguehard, 46), Bacha, Galera (Thibaud, 78), Laurent (Gago, 63), Le Loc'h Zamanian (Pau, 46), Katoto (Bourdieu, 63), Gavory (Boutaleb, 63), Piga, Daoudi (Boussaha, 78), Baltimore.
USA -- Laurel, Pickett, Girma, Morse (capt.), Brewster (McKeown, 75); Howell, Pinto (Coffey, 75), DeMelo (Villacorta, 46); Kuhlmann, Kim (Hocking, 65), Smith.

March 3 in Vannes
France 0 USA 1. Goal: Pinto 58.
France -- Chavas, De Almeida, Bacha, Galera (Piga), Laurent, Le Loch’h Zamanian (Braham, 63), Katoto, Gavory, Thibaud, Bourdieu (Boussaha, 46), Gago (Baltimore, 64).
USA -- McGlynn, McKeown (Brewster, 46), K.Rodriguez, Morse, Pickett, Howell, Pinto (Sheehan, 89), Villacorta (Coffey, 74), Torres (Kim, 46), Smith (Turnbow, 74), Kuhlmann (Hocking, 89)
Att.: 450.