USA books ticket to 2022 U-20 Women's World Cup

USC's Simone Jackson  scored a hat trick in the USA's 7-0 semifinal win over Puerto Rico that sends Coach Tracey Kevins' team into the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship final against Mexico. The win also qualified the USA for the 2022 U-20 Women's World Cup and marked its sixth rout victory of the tournament.

Against Puerto Rico, the USA had a 4-0 lead when Jackson came on at halftime to score three, two of which were assisted by UNC's Avery Patterson. Duke's Michelle Cooper scored twice in the first half, one set up by the University of Virginia's Laney Rouse and the from the penalty spot after a foul on Trinity Byars (Univ. of Texas). Cooper assisted on the opening goal by Talia DellaPeruta (UNC). The Portland Thorns' Olivia Moultrie pounced a deflected pass from Cal's Ayo Oketo hit the net from a narrow angle for the 2-0.


All but two players on the squad of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, play for U.S. colleges or youth clubs. They include Solar SC goalkeeper Ariana Anderson, who made 14 saves as the USA took 38 shots. Puerto Rico took one shot, which didn't require s a save.

• Defender Emily Mason and midfielder Talia DellaPeruta were also on the U.S. team that lifted the 2020 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship -- both played in the 4-1 final win over Mexico -- but was denied a U-20 World Cup because of the pandemic. The USA's 2020 leading scorers were Mia Fishel, Brianna Pinto and Trinity Rodman.

March 10 in Santo Domingo
USA 7 Puerto Rico 0. Goals: DellaPeruta 19, Moultrie 22, Cooper 35, (pen.) 41, Jackson 65, 76, 81.
USA -- Purcell; Rouse (Guidry, 70), Mason (Flynn, 57), McConnell, Oke; DellaPeruta (Missimo, 57), Colton, Moultrie; Byars, Cooper (Jackson, 46), Patterson.
Puerto Rico -- Anderson; Berndt, Gonzalez Cintron (Torres, 45+1), Gonzalez (Diaz, 69), Pizarro (Hart, 46); Rivera de Jesus, Nieves-Melchor, Molina, Garner (Nieves, 46), del Valle; Hernandez
Referee: Odette Hamilton (Jamaica)

U.S. U-20 Women's World Cup history
Year U.S. finish (U.S. coach)
2002 Champion (Tracey Leone)
2004 Third place (Mark Krikorian)
2006 Fourth Place (Tim Schulz)
2008 Champion (Tony DiCicco)
2010 Quarterfinals (Jill Ellis)
2012 Champion (Steve Swanson)
2014 Quarterfinals (Michelle French)
2016 Fourth Place (Michelle French)
2018 group stage (Jitka Klimkova)
2020 canceled because of Covid (Laura Harvey)
2022 Aug 10-28 in Costa Rica (Tracey Kevins)

* * * * * * * * * *

2022 U.S. Women's Concacaf U-20 Championship Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Mia Justus (Florida State; Lakewood, Ohio), Neeku Purcell (OL Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.).
DEFENDERS (8): Lauren Flynn (Florida State; Arlington, Va.), Samar Guidry (Virginia; McKinney, Texas), Emily Mason (Rutgers; Flemington, N.J.), Aidan McConnell (Wisconsin; Dexter, Mich.), Ayo Oke (California; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Avery Patterson (UNC; Jacksonville, Fla.;), Lilly Reale (UCLA; Hingham, Mass.), Laney Rouse (Virginia, Cary, N.C.).
MIDFIELDERS (5): Emily Colton (UNC; Carlsbad, Calif.), Talia DellaPeruta (UNC; Cumming, Ga.), Sally Menti (Santa Clara; Seattle, Wash.) Alexis Missimo (Texas; Southlake, Texas), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns; Wilsonville, Ore.).
FORWARDS (5): Trinity Byars (Texas; Richardson, Texas), Michelle Cooper (Duke; Clarkston, Mich.), Simone Jackson (USC; Redondo Beach, Calif.), Andrea Kitahata (Stanford; Hillsborough, Calif.), Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy; Studio City, Calif.)

5 comments about "USA books ticket to 2022 U-20 Women's World Cup".
  1. Santiago 1314, March 11, 2022 at 6:30 a.m.

    Way to Go; USA, USA, USA.!!!
    Kind of Hard to judge much of anything for the Future of USWNT.
    Decent Athletes, Play was Easy and Pretty Much One Directional...
    Normal, considering the Quality of Opponent and Poor Field Conditions.

  2. Santiago 1314, March 11, 2022 at 6:31 a.m.

    Way to Go; USA, USA, USA.!!!
    Kind of Hard to judge much of anything for the Future of USWNT.
    Decent Athletes, Play was Easy and Pretty Much One Directional...
    Normal, considering the Quality of Opponent and Poor Field Conditions.

  3. Kevin Sims, March 11, 2022 at 1:26 p.m.

    Qualification has done nothing to test or develop the squad ... half-field attacking practice v parked buses. Talent level seems promising. 

  4. Santiago 1314 replied, March 11, 2022 at 3:17 p.m.

    Agreed...
    I wonder how the Mexican Goal Keeper Stayed on the Field, after Taking out the Canada forward, Outside the Penalty Area on a Breakaway in the 92nd Minute.???

  5. Bob Ashpole replied, March 11, 2022 at 5:33 p.m.

    You cannot really evaluate how talented a player is in mismatches. Every "average" player can look great in a mismatch. On top of that all you are seeing is play in the final third. It is really a poor situation for player development and evaluation. 

    Maybe better people than I can sort out the most talented by watching a rout, but I don't think so.

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