U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team takes Group A lead with 6-0 win over Costa Rica in 2014 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands – The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team got off to a strong start at the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, scoring three goals in each half to open with a 6-0 victory against Costa Rica in Group A play at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.

Forward Lindsey Horan was the driving force with four goals, including three in the first half. Horan also assisted Summer Green’s second-half goal, and Savannah Jordan capped of the match with a well-deserved goal in the 86th minute.

The U.S. takes the lead in Group A as Guatemala and Jamaica played to a scoreless draw earlier in the day.

The U-20 WNT will now face Jamaica on Saturday, Jan. 11, at Truman Bodden Sports Complex. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2GO.

The USA’s early persistence in the offensive third paid off in the 13th minute when Horan capitalized on a set piece for a 1-0 lead. Andi Sullivan’s corner kick from the right was perfectly spun in and Horan out-jumped her defender to head the ball down into the lower left corner past Costa Rica goalkeeper Mariela Vasquez.

Horan notched her second goal of the match in the 24th minute when Mackenzy Doniak darted past her defender to cross the ball in from the right corner. The service was just out of the reach of Vasquez, setting Horan up nicely as she redirected the ball with her right foot into the lower left corner to give the U.S. a 2-0 advantage.

The U.S. escaped unscathed from a defensive mishap late in the half after Costa Rica countered on a botched corner and U.S. goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland plowed into Costa Rica’s Michelle Montero in the box to set up a penalty kick. Rowland briefly needed treatment for a bloodied nose and Montero had to come off the field to receive medical attention for her a knock on her leg. Rowland was shown a yellow card for the foul.

Costa Rica defender Noelle Sanz took the PK in the 43rd minute, but her attempt went just wide left of the goal. Rowland had a good read on the shot and appeared to have had it covered if Sanz’s shot was on frame.

Instead of a narrow lead, the USA kept its foot on the pedal and Horan tallied her third goal in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. The USA put together a tremendous build-up of quick passes which ended with Morgan Andrews playing the ball out of the midfield over the Costa Rican defense. Horan chested the ball down, and with two defenders in two and the ‘keeper coming out to challenge, turned lifted her shot over an Vasquez and into the net.

Green, a second-half sub Doniak, who went off with a hand injury, got into the scoring act by connecting finished a superb slip pass from Horan’s into the right corner of the six-yard box. Green calmly placed her low shot to the far left of the frame to take a 4-0 lead in the 61st minute.

In the 81st minute, Jordan scored a well-deserved goal after she pushed a number of chances just wide of the frame in both halves. She did not miss on her last attempt, beating Vasquez at the high at the near right post with a high-octane shot in the upper corner for a 4-0 lead. Green earned the assist from the right flank after the worked the ball free and fed Jordan inside the penalty area.

Horan scored her fourth goal in the 86th minute, a header off a tremendous looping cross from Jordan. Costa Rica defender Mariana Benavidez Arguedas tried to clear the ball, but instead it ricocheted into the roof of the net netting for a 5-0 U.S. lead.

Additional notes:

The USA improved to 7-0-0 all-time in CONCACAF qualifying tournament openers at this age group (U-19 in 2002, 2004 and 2006; U-20 in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014).
The USA improved to 4-0-1 all-time against Costa Rica in this tournament.
The U.S. has now outscored Costa Rica by a 26-2 margin in qualifying games.
The USA is 26-2-1 all-time in the CONCACAF U-19/U-20 Championship and holds an 11-game winning streak dating back to the opener of the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship in Guatemala.
Group B opens the tournament on Friday, with Honduras facing Trinidad & Tobago and host Cayman Islands taking on Mexico.
Midfielder Cari Roccaro, the USA’s most-capped player at this level among this group, wore the captain’s armband. She has now played in 23 games with the U-20s as she is in the midst of her second cycle with this age level.
French’s squad played in a 4-3-3 formation, with Mackenzy Doniak, Paris-Saint Germain forward Lindsey Horan and Savannah Jordan playing up front. Roccaro, Morgan Andrews and Rose Lavelle manned the midfield and Andi Sullivan, Maddie Bauer, Katie Naughton and Brittany Baysinger anchored the back line in support of goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland.
Bauer, Baysinger and Jordan each earned their first U-20 WNT caps and starts.
Rachel Hill was brought in for Bauer at the start of the second half, with Roccaro shifting from midfield to center back.
Doniak left the match early in the second half with an apparent right hand injury, and she was replaced by Summer Green in the 55th minute. Doniak will be evaluated further tomorrow.
Stephanie Amack was the USA’s final sub in the 70th minute when she entered for Lavelle.
With her four goals, Horan now has 17 at the U-20 level and eight in U-20 qualifying tournaments after scoring four in five games during the 2010 tournament.
Rowland needed to make only one save for the clean sheet as the USA dominated with a 12-1 shots on goal advantage.
The two finalists and the winner of the third-place game in the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship advance to the 2014 FIFA U-20 World Cup later this year in Canada.

-U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team Match Report-

Match: U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team vs. Costa Rica
Date: Jan. 9, 2014
Competition: CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship – Group A
Venue: Truman Bodden Sports Complex; George Town, Cayman Islands
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Attendance: 1,530
Weather: 79 degrees, humid

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 3 3 6
CRC 0 0 0

USA – Lindsey Horan (Andi Sullivan) 13th minute
USA – Lindsey Horan (Makenzy Doniak) 24
USA – Lindsey Horan (Morgan Andrews) 45+2
USA – Summer Green (Lindsey Horan) 61
USA – Savannah Jordan (Summer Green) 81
USA – Lindsey Horan (Savannah Jordan) 86

Lineups:
USA: 1-Katelyn Rowland; 19-Andi Sullivan, 2-Maddie Bauer (14-Rachel Hill, 46), 20-Katie Naughton, 4-Brittany Baysinger; 3-Cari Roccaro (capt.), 7-Morgan Andrews, 17-Rose Lavelle (16-Stephanie Amack, 70); 6-Mackenzy Doniak (5-Summer Green, 55), 9-Lindsey Horan, 13-Savannah Jordan
Subs Not Used: 8-Lauren Kaskie, 10-Laura Liedle, 11-McKenzie Meehan, 12-Mallory Weber, 15-Margaret Purce, 18-Jane Campbell.
Head Coach: Michelle French

CRC: 13-Mariela Vasquez; 3-Noelle Sanz, 2-Yesmi Rodriguez, 5-Paula Coto, 8-Mariana Benavidez Arguedas (capt.); 7-Melissa Herrera, 4-Viviana Chinchilla; 14-Raquel Matarrita (12-Kimberly Lazaro, 57), 20-Krista Chavarria Hernandez (11-Katheryn Arroyo, 76), 10-Gloriana Villalobos Vega, 9-Michelle Montero (15-Nicole Pamela Araya Munoz, 45+1)
Subs Not Used: 1-Noelia Bermudez, 6-Michelle Rodriguez, 16-Maria Brenes, 17-Jazmin Elizondo, 18-Mauren Arroyo, 19-Lauren Alpizar Mora
Head Coach: Garabet Avedissian Derdjian

Stats Summary: USA / CRC
Shots: 25 / 3
Shots on Goal: 12 / 1
Saves: 1 / 5
Corner Kicks: 9 / 0
Fouls: 13 / 9
Offside: 3 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Katelyn Rowland (caution) 40th minute
CRC – Melissa Herrera (caution) 65

Officials:
Referee: Melissa Borja (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Leonardo Milagros (DOM)
Assistant Referee 2: Wendy Fisher (CAY)
Fourth Official: Carol Anne Chenard (CAN)

ussoccer.com Woman of the Match: Lindsey Horan