U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team falls to Brazil in PKs in World Cup Round of 16

KATOWICE, Poland – The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team fell to Brazil in a penalty kick shootout in its Round of 16 match at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after Ainsley McCammon scored to equalize in regulation time.

After a scoreless 30-minute overtime period, the USA made four of its five kicks from the spot, while Brazil nailed all five. The difference was Brazilian goalkeeper Thais Lima saving forward Emeri Adames’ first attempt for the USA.

This is the fourth time in 12 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup appearances that the U.S. has been knocked out in penalty kicks, and the fifth time the USA has fallen in a shootout — 2006 in the Semifinals and again in the Third-Place Match, 2010 in the Quarterfinals, 2014 in the Quarterfinals and 2026 in the Round of 16.

McCammon was the only change U.S. head coach Vicky Jepson made from the Starting XI that routed New Zealand, 9-0, on Sept. 12 to finish group play. McCammon was inserted back into the midfield after she had recovered from a minor injury that ruled her out of the final group match. The Seattle Reign FC midfielder played an excellent match and smashed home an equalizer from outside the penalty area in the 63rd minute after Brazili had taken the lead off a corner kick in the 59th. McCammon’s shot took a wicked deflection off a Brazilian defender and stuck into the left side of the net.

The match was fairly even overall with Brazilian going direct for all 120 minutes, while the young Americans mixed up long balls with counter attacks and some excellent build up through the midfield. The USA certainly played well enough to win the match and was unfortunate not to get a game winner. Forward Alex Buck failed to convert a breakaway chance late in the second half and midfielder Linda Ullmark had a golden chance to win it on a counterattack in the 111th minute but pushed her shot wide left of the goal with only the goalkeeper to beat.

The U.S. defense was stellar in dealing with Brazil’s steady diet of long balls — Brazil put just two shots on goal over the entire 120 minutes — and the USA had a 1.54 expected goals to Brazil’s 0.94, but in a World Cup knockout match where the margins are super slim, the young Americans were not efficient enough in the final third.

In the 23rd minute, outside back Hope Munson sent in a pinpoint cross from the right side that found Ullmark in the penalty box. She took the ball down, but her prep touch left the ball bouncing and Brazil’s Sofia Crouto swung at the ball at the same time, deflecting it up and over the goal while catching Ullmark’s foot in the process.

Through the final 15 minutes of the first half Brazil and the U.S. split the attacking opportunities more evenly, and Brazil came out on the front foot in the beginning of the second half, creating several chances that could have led to an opening goal.

In the 47th minute, defender Ella Bard blocked a dangerous chance off a Brazilian corner kick, sliding in front of Brendha’s shot. Brendha shot another ball over the top in the 49th minute kicking off a period where Brazil earned numerous set piece chances through the first ten minutes of the half that were ultimately defended well by the USA.

The U.S. then conceded in the 59th minute. Off a short corner kick, the in-swinging cross from the left corner found the head of Sofia who sent it off the right post and into the bottom right corner of the goal.

The U.S. had an equalizing opportunity in the 61st when the sprinting Buck was taken down just outside the Brazilian penalty area, but Adames sent her direct kick over the goal.

The USA’s response after the Brazil goal was admirable and in the 63d minute, McCammon dramatically equalized with her well-struck shot from distance.

The U.S. saw another opportunity go wanting in the 80th minute. Munson won the ball in a hard tackle and crossed from the corner to Sealey Strawn on the near post who shot on the volley, but Lima made the block. Buck shot the rebound off the right post, and Lima was ultimately able to corral it. Buck had another chance in the 83rd when she shook two defenders to race into the penalty area, but she lost control of the ball amongst a scrambling set of defenders before she could get her shot off.

The match remained even at 1-1 through the full 90 minutes and stayed the same as tired legs carried both teams through the overtime periods.

A solo effort from Adames took her past three Brazilian defenders in the 107th minute and earned a corner for the U.S., and then another, but the USA could convert neither. Both teams earned a few more chances, but nothing particularly dangerous before the whistle blew to signal the end of overtime and send the match to penalty kicks.

After Adames saw her kicked saved, McCammon, and substitutes Y-Lan Nguyen, Lily Joseph and Aven Alvarez – all of whom played well off the bench — all cooly converted, but it was not enough against the perfect Brazil, and the journey was over for this group of U.S. U-20s.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

BRA – Sofia (Clarinha), 59th minute: A cross after a short corner was taken by Clarinha and swung in from the left side towards the six-yard box. Sofia jumped to get her head on it, redirecting towards the bottom right corner, off the post and in past a diving U.S. goalkeeper Caroline Birkel. USA 0, BRA 1

USA – Ainsley McCammon, 64th minute: The U.S. built the attacked well to earn the equalizing goal. Linda Ullmark carried the ball over the halfway line before sending it out to Emeri Adames who crossed, aiming for three U.S. players waiting in the box. A Brazilian defender got in the way of it and deflected the ball back to the penalty box line where Ullmark won it back. Ullmark was dispossessed but McCammon came running onto the poked-away ball to send a hard shot on frame which took a deflection off a Brazilian defender and flew into the the bottom left corner. USA 1, BRA 1 FINAL

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• Ainsley McCammon’s goal was her second goal of the tournament and the second goal of her career at the U-20 level.
• Kennedy Fuller ended her brilliant FIFA Youth World Cup career with seven World Cup goals, four at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and three in this tournament.
• Micayla Johnson scored two goals in the tournament while playing in her third FIFA Youth World Cup over three consecutive years and she scored in all of them, having also tallied in the 2024 and 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cups. She is the first American player to achieve that feat. Across the three World Cups, Johnson scored five goals. One in 2024, two in 2025 and two in 2026.
• Goalkeeper Caroline Birkel and defenders Ella Bard and Lizzie Boamah were the only players to play all 390 minutes of the tournament for the U.S.
• Seven different players scored goals for the USA in this tournament, three from Kennedy Fuller and Alex Buck, two from Micayla Johnson and Ainsley McCammon and one each from Linda Ullmark, Emeri Adames and Sealey Strawn, for a total of 13 goals.

-U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Under-20 Women’s National Team vs. Brazil Under-20 Women’s National Team
Date: Sept. 16, 2026
Competition: 2026 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup – Round of 16
Venue: Arena Katowice; Katowice, Poland
Attendance: 314
Kickoff: 3 p.m. local (9 a.m. ET)
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny, scattered clouds

Penalty Kicks:
USA: Adames (Saved), McCammon (Goal), Nguyen (Goal), Joseph (Goal), Alvarez (Goal)
BRA: Brendha (Goal), Gisele (Goal), Emilly Lucas (Goal), Aninha (Goal), Bianca (Goal)

Lineups:

USA: 1-Caroline Birkel; 14-Hope Munson (13-Katie Scott, 106), 5-Lizzie Boamah, 4-Ella Bard, 3-Emma Johnson (2-Aven Alvarez, 110); 8-Kennedy Fuller (Capt.) (20-Lily Joseph, 100), 6-Ainsley McCammon, 10-Linda Ullmark (18-Nyanya Touray, 113); 17-Micayla Johnson (19-Sealey Strawn, 58), 9-Alex Buck (16-Y-Lan Nguyen, 91), 11-Emeri Adames

Substitutes not used: 7-Audrey McKeen, 12-Evan O’Steen, 15-Pearl Cecil, 21-Kealey Titmuss

Head coach: Vicky Jepson

BRA: 1-Thais Lima; 2-Thaynara (6-Bianca, 66), 4-Ana Beatriz (Capt.), 3-Sofia Couto; 14-Kaylane (16-Clarinha, 46), 8-Nogueira, 10-Vitorinha (19-Tainá, 104), 7-Gisele; 11-Dudinha (17-Evelin, 95), 9-Brendha (5-Emilly Lucas, 66), 13-Dulce (20-Aninha, 75)

Substitutes not used: 12-Eluiza, 15-Gio Canali, 18-Carioca, 21-Ana Morganti

Head coach: Camilla Orlando

Stats Summary: USA / BRA
Shots: 17 / 18
Shots on Goal: 4 / 2
Saves: 1 / 3
Corner Kicks: 5 / 7
Fouls: 17 / 15
Offside: 0 / 2

Officials:
Referee: Silvia Gasperotti (ITA)
AR1: Giulia Tempestilli (ITA)
AR2: Svitlana Grushko (UKR)
Fourth Official: Alina Pesu (ROM)
VAR: Angelos Evangelou (GRE)
Asst. VAR: Salima Mukansanga (RWA)