A confident and comprehensive bounce back display, along with another one-goal, one-assist performance from prolific midfielder Kennedy Fuller, propelled the U.S. Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team to a 3-0 win over England and a historic bronze medal at the eighth FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Four days after falling to Korea DPR in the semifinals, the resilient USA sealed its first medal — and best U-17 Women’s World Cup finish — since the inaugural event back in 2008, when it won silver. Fuller (Angel City FC) and forward Melanie Barcenas (San Diego Wave), two of the unprecedented four professionals on this U-17 squad, combined for the winning goal at the Estadio Félix Sánchez in the Dominican capital. Seattle Reign midfielder Ainsley McCammon added the second goal and Alabama forward Maddie Padelski the third, while 16-year-old goalkeeper Evan O’Steen posted her fourth shutout of the tournament.
The U-17s’ journey neatly paralleled that of their U-20 compatriots in September. Both sides kicked off their World Cup with a loss to reigning champion Spain before two impressive shutout victories secured second place in their groups. Both then fell to North Korea, 1-0, in the semis (the U-20s contested an extra knockout stage game) but rebounded to win bronze against a familiar European power (the U-20s beat the Netherlands). Both were bolstered by a record number of professional players, and both broke a long medal drought.
Throw in the senior team’s triumph at this summer’s Paris Olympics and the USA is the only country to reach the podium in each of FIFA’s three world championship events for women in 2024. It was just the third time a country had accomplished that feat in a calendar year and the second by the USA. Both Germany and the USA earned three podium finishes in 2008.
Competing in its third U-17 World Cup, England, which finished second at this year’s UEFA Women’s U-17 Championship, played well for significant stretches on Sunday and had slightly more possession. The difference between the teams was the quality in the attacking third, where the accuracy and composure of the American pros made the difference.
The USA enjoyed an early territorial advantage and set the tone with an enticing scoring chance in the 9th minute. A beautiful through ball from the consistently impactful McCammon beat five English defenders and left Fuller one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but her shot trickled just wide of the right post.
Although England eventually found its footing around the quarter-hour mark and established a bit of possession, its offense lacked precision. The USA remained far more threatening, and its ability to get numbers forward, combined with its relative comfort on the ball in the attacking third, paid off in the 24th minute.
Right back Katie Scott’s long pass over the top got the Americans started, and Fuller’s subsequent shot, a blistering effort from the right, was well-saved by England goalie Hope McSheffrey. Ascanio, the USA’s fourth pro (San Diego Wave), reached the rebound but struck the crossbar. Barcenas then smartly headed the ensuing rebound back to Fuller, whose six-yard header was her fourth goal of the World Cup.
That lifted Fuller into a tie for second-most in the tournament (with the final still to come), as well as a tie for the second-most goals ever scored by an American at the U-17 World Cup (Vicki DiMartino had five in 2008). It was also Fuller’s 13th goal in 14 career U-17 appearances. Meanwhile, Barcenas notched her second World Cup assist.
The Young Lionesses nearly equalized with their first shot on target in the 33rd, but O’Steen was able to jump and parry Leicester City right back Nelly Las’s long blast. O’Steen had posted three consecutive shutouts before North Korea broke through midway through the second half of the Oct. 30 semifinal, and she finished the bronze medal match with five saves. Fuller then forced a similar leaping save from McSheffrey with a six-yard header in the 39th.
England’s Erica Parkinson missed the target on a wide-open look in the opening moments of the second half as the Americans took a few minutes to settle in. That early pressure eventually subsided, and Micayla Johnson thought she’d doubled the USA’s lead in the 54th, but the play was correctly whistled offside.
There was no denying McCammon’s rocket in the 72nd, however. There were six England defenders in front of the Seattle Reign midfielder when Fuller laid the ball off inside the penalty arc, but McCammon’s 20-yard shot was hit so hard that McSheffrey, who did well to reach it, couldn’t keep it out. It was a deserved first World Cup goal for the dominant center midfielder on Fuller’s third assist of the competition.
Padelski, who had entered for Barcenas, added the exclamation point in second-half stoppage time with her second tally of the tournament. She ran onto a long punt from O’Steen down the left side, beat a defender one-on-one into the penalty area and slipped her shot past McSheffrey.
Spain and North Korea will contest the final later today in Santo Domingo, where one will become the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup’s first three-time champion. Meanwhile, the U.S. U-17 program will have an almost immediate opportunity to build on this fall’s success as the World Cup expands to 24 teams and transitions to an annual event in 2025.
The next five tournaments will be hosted by Morocco. The 2025 U-17 Women’s World Cup is scheduled for Oct. 17-Nov. 8, and the 12-team final round of Concacaf’s qualifying competition (including the USA) will take place March 31-April 6. Concacaf will send four nations to the expanded U-17 Women’s World Cup.
USA — Kennedy Fuller (Melanie Barcenas), 24th minute — A ball over the top from right back Katie Scott unlocked the English defense and set up a blast from Fuller that was saved by England’s Hope McSheffrey. Kimmi Ascanio smashed the rebound off the crossbar and Barcenas headed that high rebound back across the face of goal to Fuller, who was standing on the six-yard line and nodded the ball in. USA 1, ENG 0
USA — Ainsley McCammon (Kennedy Fuller), 72nd minute — U.S. substitute Jaiden Rodriguez ran down her own long header and had ample time to cross the ball from the right edge of the penalty area back toward Fuller, who was near the penalty spot. Fuller touched itbackward then laid it off for McCammon, who smashed a shot through traffic that England’s goalkeeper couldn’t keep out of the net. USA 2, ENG 0
USA — Maddie Padelski (Evan O’Steen), 90 + 2nd minute — With England pushing forward, O’Steen made an easy save and was able to send a punt over the opposition to Padelski, who raced through the left channel with the ball, rounded recovering defender Sophie Harwood and rolled the ball past the goalkeeper from about seven yards out. USA 3, ENG 0 FINAL
Match: United States Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team vs. England
Date: Nov. 3, 2024
Competition: 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup – Third Place Match
Venue: Felix Sánchez Stadium; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Attendance: 3,971
Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local)
Weather: 74 degrees, cloudy
Lineups:
USA: 21-Evan O’Steen; 15-Katie Scott (18-Daya King, 78), 3-Trinity Armstrong, 5-Kiara Gilmore, 2-Jocelyn Travers; 6-Ainsley McCammon (Capt.), 10-Kennedy Fuller, 7-Kimmi Ascanio (19-Jaiden Rodriguez, 46), 14-Leena Powell (17-Micayla Johnson, 46), 20-Mary Long (16-Scottlyn Antonucci, 87), 13-Melanie Barcenas (11-Maddie Padelski, 69)
Substitutes not used: 1-Molly Vapensky, 4-Jordyn Hardeman, 8-Y-Lan Nguyen, 9-Anna Babcock, 12-Wicki Dunlap
Head coach: Katie Schoepfer
ENG: 1-Hope McSheffrey (13-Rebekah Dowsett, 88); 2-Nelly Las (12-Sophie Harwood, 88), 5-Zara Shaw, 6-Cecily Wellesley-Smith, 3-Rachel Maltby; 7-Erica Parkinson, 4-Laila Harbert (Capt.), 8-Omotara Junaid (14-Emily Cassap, 63), 11-Lola Brown; 9-Olivia Johnson (20-Jane Oboavwoduo, 46), 10-Vera Jones (18-Izzy Fisher, 78)
Substitutes not used: 15-Niamh Peacock, 16-Simone Sherwood, 17-Lauryn Thompson, 19-Eva Gray, 21-Eva Spencer
Head coach: Natalie Henderson
Stats Summary: USA / ENG
Shots: 20 / 12
Shots on Goal: 8 / 5
Saves: 5 / 4
Corner Kicks: 8 / 6
Fouls: 10 / 4
Offside: 4 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
USA – Kennedy Fuller (Caution) 45+2nd minute
Officials:
Referee: Alejandra Quisbert (BOL)
AR1: Vera Yupanqui (PER)
AR2: Gabriela Moreno (PER)
Fourth Official: Jelena Cvetkovic (SRB)
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