U.S. U-23 WNT Opens Nordic Tournament With 2-0 Victory Against Norway
Forward Hailie Mace Scores Game-Winner in the 20TH Minute; Forward Simone Charley of Portland Thorns FC Adds Clinching Goal in 85th
LOUGHBOROUGH, England (Aug. 28, 2019) – The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team opened the 2019 Nordic Tournament with a 2-0 victory against Norway as forward Hailie Mace scored in the first half and forward Simone Charley tallied late in the second.
The USA will face England on Aug. 30 and finish with Sweden on Sept. 2. All the matches are being played at Loughborough University in Loughborough, England, which is in the center of the country about 45 miles northeast of Birmingham.
The first goal came in the 20th minute as Mace, a former UCLA star who is playing in Sweden with Rosengård, ran under a cross from Houston Dash midfielder Cece Kizer that was served from the left wing and lobbed a header over the goalkeeper.
The USA outshot Norway 10-5 but didn’t put the game to bed until five minutes remained. Brooke Denesik, who came into the match in the 60th minute, received a ball in the midfield on the left side and dribbled to the end line. Denesik, who plays professionally in Kazakhstan, cut a pass back to the top of box where Charley finished with a first-time shot.
The goal was the second at the U-23 international level for Mace and first for Charley, who plays for Portland Thorns FC in the NWSL.
The timing of the tournament during the FIFA international dates meant that U.S. head coach B.J. Snow could name a roster of almost all professional players -- 16 from the NWSL and six currently playing in Europe – in addition to defender Emily Fox from the University of North Carolina.
Fox has three caps with the U.S. senior side and four other players on this roster have been called up to the Women’s National Team in the past: goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who started her pro career in France with Montpellier and now plays for Reign FC, midfielder Haley Hanson from the Houston Dash, midfielder Savannah McCaskill from the Chicago Red Stars and forward Mace. Hanson has one senior WNT cap, Mace has three and McCaskill has six.
Murphy picked up the shutout in goal for the USA.
-U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team Match Report-
Match: United States U-23 Women’s National Team vs. Norway U-23 WNT
Date: August 28, 2019
Competition: 2019 Nordic Tournament
Venue: Loughborough University; Loughborough, England
Weather: 68 degrees, Raining
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 1 2
NOR 0 0 0
USA – Hailie Mace (Cece Kizer) 20th minute
USA – Simone Charley (Brooke Denesik) 85th
USA: 1-Casey Murphy, 20-Bethany Balcer (18-Simone Charley, 60), 8-Alana Cook, 10-Jordan DiBiasi (21-Marisa Viggiano, 45), 11-Imani Dorsey (24-Brooke Denesik, 60), 6-Haley Hanson (capt.) (16-Julie James, 70), 7-Cece Kizer, 13-Hailie Mace (15-Summer Green, 75), 9-Paige Monaghan (25-Savannah McCaskill, 60), 17-Erin Simon, 5-Samantha Staab (11-Imani Dorsey, 46)
Subs Not Used: Emily Boyd, Gabby Vincent, Emily Fox, Madison Pogarch, Schuyler Debree, 19-Carlyn Baldwin
Head Coach: B.J. Snow
NOR: 1-Aurora Mikalson, 4-Camilla Huseby, 5-Marit Bratberg Lund, 7-Synne Sofie Kinden Jensen, 8-Olaug Tvedten (9-Vilde Hasund, 70), 13-Guro Bergsvand, 14-Emilie Marie Aanes Woldvik, 18-Nora Eide Lle, 20-Katrine Winnem Jorgenson (11-Ida Nordstrom, 21-Meryll Abrahamsen, 22-Rikke Bogetveit Nygard
Subs Not Used: Elise Stenevik, Therese Asland, Camila Llindberg, Noor Eckhoff, Vilde Birkeli, Katrine Jorgensen
Head Coach: Ingvild Stensland
Stats Summary: USA / NOR
Shots: 10 / 5
Shots on Goal: 6 / 1
Saves: 1 / 4
Corner Kicks: 7 / 0
Fouls: 6 / 8
Offside: 0 / 0
Misconduct Summary:
None
Officials:
Referee: Helen Conley
Assistant Referee: Joseph Larkin
Assistant Referee: Joshua Brookland
Fourth Official: Greg Rollason