[CONCACAF UNDER-17 WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP] Soccer can be a cruel sport. None crueler has been the fate of the USA in the Concacaf Under-17 Women’s Championship. Infour tournaments, the USA has outscored the opposition 103-3 and never lost in 19 games yet it has only qualified for the Under-17 Women’s World Cup two of four times. The latest shocker: Mexico beatthe USA 4-2 on penalty kicks on Thursday afternoon after their game ended in a 1-1 tie in Montego, Jamaica.
Like in 2010 when the USA fell to Canada in a shootout of a tournament itoutscored its opponents 38-0, the USA was eliminated because only the semifinal winners qualify for the Under-17 Women’s World Cup. The third Concacaf spot went to host Trinidad & Tobago in 2010and will go to host Costa Rica in 2014.
U.S. Concacaf U-17 Women’s Championship
YEAR GF-GA (FINISH)
2010 38-0 (lost to Canada in shootout in semifinals)
2012 26-0 (champion)
2013 18-1 (lost to Mexico in shootout in semifinals)
The USA fell behind on agoal from Briana Woodall of Texas Rush in the first half. It replied on a goal by Madison Haley — daughter of formerNFL star Charles Haley — to even the score at 1-1 in the first half.
But the USA could not get a second goal, and the game went to penalty kicksafter 90 minutes. In the shootout, goalie Emily Alvarado, also of Texas Rush, stopped shots by Taylor Racioppi and
Woodall and Alvarado were two of five Mexican-American starters on the Tri feminil, coached by Leo Cuellar, the former Mexican national team captainwho has run the Mexican women’s program since 1998.
Janae Gonzalez of the Cal Blues assisted on Woodall’s goal, while Vanessa Flores (AHFC) and Eva Gonzalez (Dallas Texans) also started in midfield.
Thursday’s win is the biggest upset in theUSA-Mexico women’s series along with Mexico’s win over the USA in qualifying for the 2011 Women’s World Cup. In that case, the USA was pushed into a series of playoffs from which it qualified forGermany 2011, where it lost to Japan in the final after a dramatic run that generated huge interest for the women’s game.
This time, there is no second chance for the U.S. U-17s. Sunday’sthird-place game will count for nothing more than a small consolation prize, leaving them as the only U.S. team to not qualify for a FIFA women’s tournament.
The USA’s eliminationfollowed the appointment of the first full-time U-17 coach. B.J. Snow left his head coaching job at powerhouse UCLA to take the U-17 post.
Nov. 7 in Montego Bay
USA 1 Mexico 1. Goals: Haley 27; Woodall 5.
USA — Rood; Jean, Morse, Jacobs, McGrady; Canales, Bailey (Racioppi,65), Redei; A.Rodriguez (Gyau, 83), Haley (Hedge, 75), Pugh.
Mexico — Alvarado; M.Garcia, Flores, Bernal, M.Rodriguez; E.Gonzalez, Woodall, Cruz,J.Gonzalez (Martinez, 72); Cuevas (Tovar, 46), Huerta (Hernandez, 80).
Att.: 1,200.
(Mexico wins 4-2 on penalty kicks.)
This game was not as lopsided as it usually is. Congrats to these girls. It seems that Mexican American Girls in USA are also showing to be a force and good for them that there’s an opportunity right across the border.
I have been calling on CONCACAF to change its world cup qualifying process for the women and underage groups For years. It’s absolutely unfair and shameful. The final deciders should not be one-game stage where everything can happen and luck plays a major role. If CONCACAF cares about getting its best teams to the world cup finals, they should adopt the CONMEBOL process which uses a round-robin games as its final qualifying stage. If they have used it here, the result would’ve been: 1-USA (4 points) 2-Canada (3 points) 3-Jamaica (3 points) 4-Mexico (1 points) with one game left for each team to play. It’s time for CONCACAF to change their system.
Sorry. I made a mistake in the above comment. the group would’ve been: the result would’ve been: 1-USA (4 points) 2-Canada (3 points) 3-Mexico (2 points) 4-Jamaica (1 point) with one game left for each.
How about the US Soccer Federation start identifying players with more technical ability rather than how fast and big they are.
where can I watch a replay of this match? I’d like to see how this team plays, not just the highlights.
Gus, If Concacaf is to change then you would have to do the same with the World Cup itself. I really dont see how this was a shameful or unfair on Concacaf’s part. On the men’s side Brazil lost to Mexico at U17’s in quarterfinals. They are at the very least a top 3-4 team and deserved at the very least to be at semi finals. Thats soccer. So by defintion, luck plays a major role at all levels. You could say that mexico senior team has been very unlucky to reach Semi’s in several World cups at Senior level. Mexico U17 girl’s had several looks at goal in this game. PK’s were 4-2. Maybe more of those USA born Mexican players should have been called up to USA team.
I agree with Charles Ritter and the problem is also present in Cal South where there remains much “UK influence” in the upper echelons of their ODP programs where the emphasis has been on big, tall, strong, fast girls (i.e. athletic) but whose touch on the ball and technical skills have been inferior to others who are available and where too much “boom ball” mentality remains. It is time for us to change as other countries in the world have caught up in the women’s game and have even surpassed us at times (Japan, France, Mexico, Sweden, etc.). Mexico has done us a great favor perhaps, such as when the 2011 Gold Cup disaster on the men’s side led to the ouster of Banal Bob Bradley and ushered in the long-delayed Juergen Klinsmann era that we currently enjoy with a revitalized player pool drawn from across the world, including Mexico, and a style of play that emphasizes possession and technical skills. Brits out!
Che Guevara, (and I can’t believe he is still alive), There is a difference between finals and qualifications. And by the way, there was a time when they used groups in the WC finals also but they shied away from it in search of more excitement and because of time limitation. But in the qualifications, there is no reason for single game elimination at all. Look at CONMEBOL. they always used the groups’ system because it’s fairer. And Europe, too. (and also, teams get to play more games which means more experience for the players). If CONCACAF want their best teams in the finals they have to change the system. the best way to insure your best teams reach the finals is by playing round-robin groups or home-and-away elimination round. FIFA doesn’t use a single game elimination in the qualification for the men WC. they used home-and-away instead which is also better. Why it’s good for men but not good for women or underage groups? CONCACAF has to change.
Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with qualifying via a group stage, just like the MNT does (and they do in the opening round of the WC). You look up at that table, something is clearly wrong with racking up that kind of GD and then losing on penalties. Partially it’s probably weakness at the bottom of the table, teams that just shouldn’t be in this round in the first place. But the PK losses read like flukes (because they are flukes).
Gus, You can’t blame CONCACAF. Several other federation use the same system. These girls had 5 games in 10 days. That’s way too many games specially for those countries that have a weak bench. CONMEBOL teams are playing 7 games. This just creates more injuries and less quality soccer.
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