United States women's national under-20 soccer team

United States U-20 Women's National Team
Nickname(s) The Yanks
The Stars and Stripes
The Red, White, and Blue
Association United States Soccer Federation
Confederation CONCACAF (North America)
Head coach Steve Swanson
Most caps Sydney Leroux (36)
Top scorer Kelly Wilson (31)
FIFA code USA
Home colours
Away colours
CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship
Appearances 5 (First in 2002)
Best result Winners (2006, 2010)
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Appearances 5 (First in 2002)
Best result Winners (2002, 2008)

The United States U-20 women's national soccer team is a youth soccer team operated under the auspices of U.S. Soccer. Its primary role is the development of players in preparation for the full Women's National Team. The team's most recent major tournament was the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, in which the United States team won 2-1 over North Korea. The team competes in a variety of competitions, including the biennial FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, which is the top competition for this age group. The current head coach is Steve Swanson.

Contents

History

Beginnings as a U-18 program

The United States U-20 team has been active since 1998; however, it was run as a U-18 team from its inception until 2001.[1] It was led by Shannon Higgins-Cirovski, the first coach in the team's history, through the middle of 1999 before she left for the Maryland Terrapins soccer team. Jay Hoffman, who served as Higgins-Cirovski's assistant, took charge of the team and led them to a gold medal for the 1999 Pan American Games, the first time the tournament was opened to women's teams. Among the U-18 women playing at the 1999 Pan American Games were future senior national team members Cat Reddick and Hope Solo.[2]

The switch to U-19

2001 through 2003

In 2001, the United States Soccer Federation decided to change the age limit from the U-18 team to U-19. The move was in preparation for FIFA's introduction of the first ever FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship (which has since changed). The new U-19 squad won the inaugural 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in Canada, where they beat the hosts on a golden goal by captain and future United States Women's National Team mainstay Lindsay Tarpley. Five other members of that same team would join Tarpley as teammates on the senior international team: Rachel Buehler, Lori Chalupny, Heather O'Reilly, Leslie Osborne, and Angie Woznuk. Other notable 2002 team members were Kelly Wilson, the all-time leading goal scorer in the history of the U-20 team, as well as two-time Hermann Trophy winner Kerri Hanks, who would go on to become one of the most decorated players in women's collegiate soccer.

2004

In 2004, the U-19 team placed third at the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in Thailand, after having been defeated by Germany in the semifinals.[3] The tournament marked the world championship debut of future senior national team members Yael Averbuch, Stephanie Lopez, Amy Rodriguez, and Megan Rapinoe. However in 2006, FIFA increased the age limit of the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship to 20. 2004 also saw the first loss to a similar-aged team in the history of the program when the squad lost to Japan.

Competing as a U-20 team

2005 & 2006

As the United States Soccer Federation did in 2001 prior to the introduction of the U-19 tournament, they raised the age of the squad from U-19 to U-20 in 2005. The move was, again, in response to FIFA's altering of the competition from U-19 to U-20. The actual team's play in 2005 was quiet due to a transition in coaches.

In 2006, the United States U-20 team played in a whopping 50 matches prior to the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship in Russia; however, the team finished in fourth place. The U.S. lost to China in penalties in the semifinal and followed up the loss with another to Brazil in the third-place match, also on penalties.[4] Seven members of that 2006 team: Lauren Cheney, Christina DiMartino, Tobin Heath, Stephanie Lopez, Casey Nogueira, Kelley O'Hara, and Amy Rodriguez, have made appearances for the Senior National Team. Lopez played in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, and, joined by Cheney, Heath, and Rodriguez, also represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Nogueira and O'Hara helped the 2008 U-20 team to qualify for the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup that same year.

2007 & 2008

2007 saw the squad sent to the 2007 Pan American Games, just as they had done prior in the 1999 Pan American Games. This time around, the United States sent along two "over-aged players" in Lauren Cheney and Brittany Taylor. The decision proved costly as the supplemented U-20 team were dismantled in the finals, 5-0, to a full-strength Brazil squad.[5]

In 2008, two years removed from the disastrous fourth-place finish at the 2006 U-20 World Championship, the United States U-20 women finally reclaimed the World Cup title at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile, with Sydney Leroux winning the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe for being named the best player of the tournament as well as scoring the most goals. To date, Alex Morgan, Sydney Leroux, Christine Nairn are the only members of the 2008 squad to be capped by the senior national team.

2009 & 2010

In 2009, Tony DiCicco handed the coaching reins back to Jillian Ellis, who had coached the 2007 Pan American Games squad. 2009 also saw the influx of players who took part in the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup into the U-20s, including Kristen Mewis, US Soccer's 2008 Young Female Player of the Year, and Vicki DiMartino, younger sister of U-20 alumni Christina (2006) and Gina (2007–2008). Two members of the 2008 squad, Sydney Leroux and Christine Nairn, returned to captain the team through the next World Cup cycle.

The team won the 2010 CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship title the next year and secured a berth to the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, to be held in Germany. Sydney Leroux was the leading scorer at the tournament with six goals.[6] In the World Cup, they won their group, but lost on penalty kicks to Nigeria in the quarterfinals. Leroux was again their leading scorer, tallying five goals in their four matches.

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Record

Year Result Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA
2002 Champions 6 6 0 0 26 2
2004 Third place 6 5 0 1 14 4
2006 Fourth place 6 4 2 0 11 3
2008 Champions 6 5 0 1 12 3
2010 Quarterfinals 4 2 2 0 8 2
Total 5/5 28 22 4 2 71 14

CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship Tournament Record

The U-20 women have won the CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship two times, in 2006 and 2010; the 2002 tournament did not have a championship final.[7] The U-20s finished as runners-up to Canada in 2004 and 2008.

Year Result Matches Wins Draws Losses GF GA
2002 No Final Held 3 3 0 0 34 1
2004 Runners-up 5 3 1 1 32 3
2006 Champions 5 5 0 0 19 3
2008 Runners-up 5 4 0 1 20 1
2010 Champions 5 5 0 0 15 2
Total 5/5 18 15 1 2 120 10

Players

Current Roster

0#0 Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Bianca Henninger December 22, 1990 (1990-12-22) (age 21) 15 0 Santa Clara
2 DF Toni Pressley February 19, 1990 (1990-02-19) (age 22) 23 2 Florida State
3 DF Rachel Quon May 21, 1991 (1991-05-21) (age 20) 5 0 Stanford
4 DF Crystal Dunn July 3, 1992 (1992-07-03) (age 19) 22 0 North Carolina
5 DF Kendall Johnson April 24, 1991 (1991-04-24) (age 20) 14 0 Portland
6 FW Vicki DiMartino September 4, 1991 (1991-09-04) (age 20) 17 1 Boston College
7 FW Courtney Verloo May 9, 1991 (1991-05-09) (age 20) 14 2 Stanford
8 MF Samantha Mewis October 9, 1992 (1992-10-09) (age 19) 16 2 UCLA
9 MF Kristen Mewis February 25, 1991 (1991-02-25) (age 21) 20 5 Boston College
10 MF Teresa Noyola April 5, 1990 (1990-04-05) (age 21) 26 5 Stanford
11 MF Christine Nairn (VC) September 25, 1990 (1990-09-25) (age 21) 28 3 Penn State
12 MF Zakiya Bywaters July 24, 1991 (1991-07-24) (age 20) 21 3 UCLA
13 DF Mollie Pathman July 1, 1992 (1992-07-01) (age 19) 4 0 Duke
14 DF Meagan Morris May 11, 1992 (1992-05-11) (age 19) 3 0 North Carolina
15 MF Jenna Richmond December 18, 1991 (1991-12-18) (age 20) 13 0 UCLA
16 FW Maya Hayes March 26, 1992 (1992-03-26) (age 19) 22 5 Penn State
17 MF Casey Short August 23, 1990 (1990-08-23) (age 21) 18 1 Florida State
18 GK Adrianna Franch November 12, 1990 (1990-11-12) (age 21) 5 0 Oklahoma State
19 FW Sydney Leroux (C) May 7, 1990 (1990-05-07) (age 21) 36 30 UCLA
20 MF Amber Brooks January 23, 1991 (1991-01-23) (age 21) 19 2 North Carolina
21 GK Bryane Heaberlin November 2, 1993 (1993-11-02) (age 18) 1 0 Clearwater Chargers

Previous Rosters

2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup squad
2007 Pan American Games squad
2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship squad
2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship squad
2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship squad

Player records

International match statistics, as of July 25, 2010. All goals scored in international matches only.

Top scorers

Rank Player Goals Years
1 Kelly Wilson 31 2001–2002
2 Sydney Leroux 30 2008–2010
3 Lindsay Tarpley 24 2001–2002
4 Kerri Hanks 22 2002–2004
5 Heather O'Reilly 18 2001–2002
6 Lauren Cheney 15 2006–2007
7 Kelley O'Hara 14 2006–2008
8 Amy Rodriguez 11 2004–2006
9 Michelle Enyeart 9 2006–2008
10 Jessica Rostedt 6 2004–2006
Players still eligible for the U-20 player pool in bold.

Most capped players

Rank Player Caps Years
1 Sydney Leroux 36 2008–2010
2 Ashlyn Harris 33 2002–2004
3 Kerri Hanks 30 2002–2004
4 Christine Nairn 28 2008–2010
5 Teresa Noyola 26 2007–2010
5 Lindsay Tarpley 26 2001–2002
7 Jessica Ballweg 25 2001–2002
8 Stephanie Lopez 24 2004–2006
8 Stephanie Logterman 24 2004–2006
8 Rachel Buehler 24 2002–2004
8 Michelle Enyeart 24 2006–2008

Notable alumnae and U-20 World Cup years

Coaches

References

  1. ^ 2009 WNT U.S. Soccer Media Guide
  2. ^ U.S. Under-18 Women Defeat Mexico 1-0, Take Home Inaugural Pan Am Championship, US Soccer, 5 August 1999.
  3. ^ U.S. Women Fall to Germany, 3-1, at U-19 World Championship, US Soccer, 24 November 2004.
  4. ^ USA Falls to Brazil in Penalties to Finish Fourth at U-20 Women's World Championship, US Soccer, 3 September 2006.
  5. ^ U-20 WNT Fall in Pan-Am Final to Full Brazilian National Team, US Soccer, 26 July 2007.
  6. ^ U.S. U-20 WNT Claim CONCACAF Crown with 1-0 Defeat of Mexico, US Soccer, 30 January 2010.
  7. ^ CONCACAF Qualifying Set for U-20 WWC in Germany and U-17 WWC in Trinidad & Tobago, US Soccer, 30 November 2009.
United States squad – 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship Champions (1st Title)
United States squad – 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship
United States squad – 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Champions (2nd Title)
United States squad – 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
  • 1 Henninger
  • 2 Pressley
  • 3 Quon
  • 4 Dunn
  • 5 Johnson
  • 6 DiMartino
  • 7 Verloo
  • 8 S Mewis
  • 9 K. Mewis
  • 10 Noyola
  • 11 Nairn
  • 12 Bywaters
  • 13 Pathman
  • 14 Morris
  • 15 Richmond
  • 16 Hayes
  • 17 Short
  • 18 Franch
  • 19 Leroux (c.)
  • 20 Brooks
  • 21 Heaberlin
  • Coach: Ellis
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