From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center :
LEROUX SCORES AS USA OPENS 2010
FIFA U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP WITH 1-1 DRAW AGAINST GHANA
DRESDEN,
Germany (July 14, 2010) – The U.S. Under-20 Women’s
National Team opened
Group D play at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with 1-1
draw
against Ghana as forward Sydney Leroux scored in the 70th minute to
answer an
early goal from the Africans.
Leroux’s goal came after Teresa Noyola stripped a Ghana player in
midfield and sent
Maya Hayes through on a long break-away into the right side of the
penalty
area. Hayes raced at the ‘keeper and then slipped a pass square to
Leroux
who slid to knock the ball into the open net from just inside the
six-yard box.
It was Leroux’s sixth goal in her U-20 Women’s World Cup career
after scoring five during the 2008 tournament.
The USA is now tied with Ghana for second place in the group behind the
Korea Republic ,
which trounced Switzerland 4-0 in the other Group D match. The USA
continues first round play on
Saturday, July 17, at Rudolf-Harbig Stadium against the Swiss. The
USA-Switzerland match will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET and
fans
can also follow along on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. [Post-Match
Quotes]
The match was played in stifling heat that reached almost 90 degrees
despite
the 6 p.m. local kickoff. Even though seven players in the starting
lineup had
previous FIFA Women's World Cup experience at the U-17 or U-20 levels,
the
young Americans suffered from some early jitters when surrendering an
early goal
off a give-away in midfield in the seventh minute.
That change in possession led to an attack down the right wing which
was
stalled by U.S. left back Kendall Johnson, but the Americans could not
clear
their own defensive third. The ball then dropped to Elizabeth Cudjoe,
who took
a touch forward and cracked an unstoppable shot from at least 30-yards
that
struck the inside of the left post and rolled around the back of the
net.
After the Ghana goal, the
majority of the match was controlled by the USA , but the talented
Africans
showed some great skill and composure on the ball to diffuse pressure
while
also counter-attacking effectively on few occasions.
After the Ghana goal, the USA racked up five corner kicks to Ghana ’s
zero and at nine shots to Ghana ’s
one before halftime, but some tough defense kept the Americans off the
board.
The teams combined for 40 shots during the match but the U.S. put just
seven of their 25 on
goal.
U.S. midfielder Christine
Nairn had the first U.S. chance of the game in the 13th minute, but
scuffed her shot from 16 yards after
a poor Ghana clearance.
In the 22nd minute, a cross from the left wing from Johnson was almost
headed
into the Ghana net by defender Edem Atovor, but it bounced just over
the top of the goal.
One minute later, Ghana had to scramble at the top of its own six-yard
box to block point blank shots
from Vicki DiMartino and Amber Brooks before the ball was cleared out
of
danger.
The USA also had several free kicks from dangerous spots during the
first half, but
Nairn fired over from 30 yards on the half hour and Zakiya Bywaters
struck a
set play way over the goal from just outside the left corner of the
penalty box
in the 32nd minute.
Just before halftime, Ghana goalkeeper Patricia Mantey had to bat away
a blistering drive from center-back
Toni Pressley.
U.S. head coach Jill Ellis made one change at halftime, sending on the
speedy Hayes
for Vicki DiMartino, and then making another change early in the second
half,
sending on Noyola for Nairn in the 54th. Those changes would lead to
the tying
goal.
Leroux had the first chance of the second half in the 54th as she ran
onto a
nice pass slipped between Ghanaian defenders from Kristie Mewis, but
her
sliding shot from 18 yards out was well saved by Mantey.
The USA was pressing for the tying goal and looked the more likely of
the two sides to
score. Ghana ,
however, did not sit back and remained dangerous while putting together
a few
fine attacking moves.
Mewis struck a low shot from just outside the right corner of the
penalty box
in the 60th minute, but it was easily gobbled up at the near post by
Mantey.
In the 65th minute, Leroux got her head on a long free-kick service
from
Pressley, but the ball spun wide right of the goal. Five minutes later,
she
tied the match, and then the Americans launched an all-out quest for
the
winning goal which stretched the game out and led to chances for both
teams.
In the 72nd minute, Hayes ran onto another long through ball, but her
cross was
blocked up in the air at the last moment and Mantey grabbed it.
U.S. goalkeeper Bianca Henninger, playing in her first Women’s World
Cup
match, put in an excellent performance and had to knock down a
dangerous
looking Ghanaian shot in the 79th minute before pouncing on the
rebound.
Ghana almost got a break-away of its own soon after, but Pressley ran
it down and her
center-back partner Crystal Dunn, who played a fine match, swept the
ball away.
The USA had several excellent chances to win the game, one coming in
the 80th minute
after working the ball off a short corner kick to substitute Courtney
Verloo at
the top of the penalty area, but she lashed her shot over the top.
In the 82nd minute Henninger made another big save as she scooped a
dipping
shot from distance over the end line for a corner kick.
The USA had two chances to win the game in the five minutes of extra
time, most of it
given due to numerous stoppages for injured Ghanaians. First, Noyola’s
shot from the top of the penalty area flew straight into the hands of
the
goalkeeper. Then Mewis crushed a shot from distance in the last seconds
that
was seemingly headed into the upper right corner, but somehow Mantey
stuck a
hand up to deflect the ball away and seconds later the match was over.
Pressley, Johnson, Bywaters, Hayes and Noyola made their World Cup
debuts,
along with Henninger.
It was the first time the USA has tied an opening match of a U-19/U-20
FIFA Women’s World Cup after
winning four straight openers since the inaugural tournament in 2002.
U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team Match Report
Match: U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team vs. Ghana U-20 Women’s National Team