Youth: U.S. U-17s girls on a roll heading into qualifiers

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Mar 26, 2018

Sunshine Fontes  scored three goals in two U.S. wins over 2016 U-17 World Cup runner-up Japan during the USA's final camp before the U-17 World Cup qualifying tournament in Nicaragua April 19-29.

In a three-game series, the USA and Japan played to a scoreless tie in the first game before Coach Mark Carr's team pulled off 4-1 and 2-0 wins.

The Hawaii Rush's Fontes scored twice in the first victory and once in the second to give her a team-leading 11 goals in 2018. She also assisted on a goal by Payton Linnehan (FC Stars; Douglas, Mass.) in the 4-1 win.

“I am really proud of our team," said Coach Carr. "To win 4-1 against Japan is no easy feat. They are one of the top teams in the world and we performed at a very high level tonight.”

Hannah Bebar (Eclipse Select SC; Naperville, Ill.) scored the second goal in the 4-1 win and Tori Hansen (North Carolina Courage Academy) scored the fourth.

In the 2-0 win, Fontes finished a through ball from Isabella D'Aquila (So Cal Blues) and a corner kick from Hannah Bebar (Eclipse Select SC; Naperville, Ill.) deflected into the goal off a Japanese defender.

“Playing Japan over three games with minimal turnaround is very difficult, but it’s exactly what our young players need,” said Carr.

March 25 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
USA 2 Japan 0. Goals: Fontes (D’Aquila) 8, Bebar 64.
USA -- Angelina Anderson; Talia DellaPeruta (Smith Hunter, 46), Kate Wiesner, Michela Agresti (Tori Hansen, 46), Natalia Staude, Astrid Wheeler (Sophia Jones, 60), Mia Fishel (Croix Bethune, 46), Maya Doms (Hannah Bebar, 46), Samantha Meza (Kalyssa Van Zanten, 69), Sunshine Fontes (Samantha Kroeger, 46), Isabella D’Aquila (Diana Ordonez, 46).
Japan -- Chihiro Tomioka, Hana Shibuya (Amyu Hirai, 83), Ibuki Nagae, Shino Matsuda, Sara Ito, Momo Nakao, Moe Nakae (Fukina Mizuno, 46) (Tamaki Okuma, 83), Haruka Osawa (Yukino Gatto, 62), Wakaba Goto, Shiori Fukuda, Momoka Kinoshita (Marino Iwamoto, 46), Yuzuki Yamamoto (Chise Takizawa, 46).

March 23 Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
USA 4 Japan 1. Goals: Fontes 4, Linnehan (Fontes) 11, Fontes (Linnehan) 37, Hansen (Jones) 61; Osawa 20.
USA -- Lindsey Romig; Makenna Morris, Tori Hansen, Kennedy Wesley (Michela Agresti, 67), Smith Hunter, Croix Bethune (Mia Fishel, 56), Sophia Jones, Hannah Bebar, Sunshine Fontes (Kalyssa Van Zanten, 67), Diana Ordonez (Astrid Wheeler, 76), Peyton Linnehan
Japan -- Shu Ohba, Hana Shibuya, Shina Matsuda, Sara Ito, Chise Takizawa (Amyu Hirai, 46), Sakura Onuki (Chihiro Tomioka, 46), Momo Nakao, Moe Nakae (Marino Iwamoto, 79), Haruka Osawa (Fukina Mizuno, 68), Tamaki Okuma, (Wakaba Goto, 46), Momoka Kinoshita.