Under-20 Women's World Cup: USA isn't out of woods yet despite 6-0 win
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Aug 9, 2018
The USA (3 points; 6-1 goal difference) concludes play in Group C on Monday against Spain (6 points; 5-1 goal difference) in Dinan-Lehon but needs to beat the European champion, winner of its first two games in Brittany, to be sure of advancing.
A win will jump the USA ahead of Spain on goal difference. Otherwise, a tie or loss will eliminate the USA unless Japan (3 points; 1-1 goal difference) ties or loses to Paraguay (0 points, 1-10 goal difference) and the USA doesn't do worse against Spain. (Paraguay is for all intents and purposes eliminated.)
Sophia Smith, the USA's star who turns 18 on Friday, set the tone of Thursday's game at the Stade Guy Piriou with a phenomenal individual effort to open the scoring in the 15th minute. She began her run in the U.S. half, beat four Paraguayan defenders, played a one-two with Viviana Villacorta outside the penalty area and then eluded two more defenders before beating goalkeeper Isabel Ortiz to the near post.
USC sophomore Savannah DeMelo led the USA with three goals, joining Kelly Wilson (2002), Sydney Leroux (2010) and Maya Hayes (2014) as the only Americans who have scored hat tricks in the tournament.
Smith, who will attend Stanford in the fall as a freshman, finished with two goals to give her 23 goals in 27 U-20 matches -- fourth on the all-time U-20 scoring list behind Leroux, Kelley O'Hara and Lindsey Horan. She assisted on UCLA sophomore Ashley Sanchez's goal to open the second half.
Elsewhere. After two games, only the Netherlands and France are assured of reaching the final eight.
Aug. 9 in Concarneau
USA 6 Paraguay 0. Goals: Smith 15, 63, DeMelo 39, 44, 78, A.Sanchez 63.
USA -- Ivory; Pickett, Hiatt, Girma, McKeown; Villacorta, Howell, DeMelo; Gilroy (Pinto 61), Smith (Hocking 73), A.Sanchez (Kim 61).
Paraguay -- Ortiz; Vecca, Fretes, Villasanti, Alonso; Godoy (Gonzalez, 31), Bogarin, Mino (Aguilera, 50); J.Martinez, Sandoval, J.Sanchez (Chamorro, 62).
Att.: 2,170.
Stats:
USA / PAR
Shots: 27 / 7
Shots on Goal: 14 / 1
Saves: 1 / 7
Corner Kicks: 5 / 3
Fouls: 14 / 9
Offside: 2 / 1
