Preview: U-20 WYNT Set For Quarterfinal Clash Vs. Haiti At World Cup Qualifying

U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team

2022 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship - Quarterfinal

Estadio Panamericano; San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic

3 p.m. ET (FS2, TUDN Digital)

March 8, 2022

 

SEMIFINAL SPOT AT STAKE:

After a rollicking Round of 16 rout of Suriname, the U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team will face Haiti in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship on Tuesday, March 8. The winner will advance to the pivotal semifinal match, which will send its victor to the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica. Les Grenadières are the only Caribbean nation to ever qualify for the FIFA U-20 WWC and are aiming for their third-straight semifinal appearance at CWU20 after topping Guyana 2-1 in the Round of 16.

 

Tuesday’s match will be broadcast live on FS2 and TUDN Digital. Follow the U-20 WYNT throughout the tournament on ussoccer.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

USA VS. HAITI

 

●      Tuesday marks just the fourth meeting between the USA and Haiti at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. The U.S. holds a 2-0-1 advantage, outscoring Haiti 12-1.

 

●      The most recent meeting between the teams came in the semifinals of the 2018 tournament, a 1-1 draw that went straight to penalty kicks after Haiti scored in second-half stoppage time. Goalkeeper Amanda McGlynn made two clutch saves to set up a 3-0 victory for the U.S.

 

●      The other two meetings came in the group stages of the 2002 and 2015 tournaments, 5-0 and 6-0 wins, respectively. Heather O’Reilly bagged a brace in the inaugural competition, while current USWNT forward Mallory Pugh scored twice in the 2015 game.

 

●      This year is Haiti’s sixth appearance at the tournament. Les Grenadières have reached the semis of the last two tournaments, finishing third in 2018 to qualify for the U-20 WWC and also finishing third by points in 2020.

 

●      In 2020, Haiti once again fell in penalties in the semifinals. After drawing Mexico 1-1 through added extra time, the Haitians fell 4-2 in the shoot-out.

 

●      As the fourth-place team in the Concacaf Women’s U-20 rankings, Haiti was seeded as the first team in Group H.

 

●      Haiti finished second in Group H, topping Cuba 2-1 in its opener before drawing Guatemala 1-1 and Jamaica 0-0.

 

●      In the Round of 16, Haiti came from behind to top Guyana 2-1 on two second-half goals.

 

●      Three players have scored for Haiti, led by two goals each from Rose-Alya Marcellus and Valentina Ornis.

 

●      Six players from this U-20 roster were called up to Haiti’s senior National Team during the February international window: goalkeepers Nahomie Ambroise and Madeline Fleuriot, defender Maudeline Moryl plus forwards Not Ganthier, Milan Pierre and Meghane St-Cyr.

 

●      Seventeen of 20 players are based in Haiti, with 10 at the Academie Camp Nou. Two currently play in the USA at Miami’s Weston FC (Ganthier) and the University of Maryland (Pierre).

 

●      Haiti called up two players born in 2002, 17 born in 2003 and one born in 2005.

 

ROUND OF 16 ROUT:

After flying through the group stage, the U-20 WYNT rolled Suriname 14-0 to kick off the CWU20 knockout bracket. Forwards Andrea Kitahata and Michelle Cooper both netted hat tricks, while midfielder Emily Cooper and forward Alyssa Thompson also bagged braces. After going into the break up 3-0, the U.S. exploded for 11 more goals in the second half. In all, the U.S. outshot Suriname 66-0, including 28 shots on goal, and enters the quarterfinal round outscoring its opponents 34-0. The 14 goals vs. Suriname were the second-most ever scored by the U.S. at this tourney and also tied its second-largest margin of victory.

 

HAITI AIMS FOR SEMIFINAL RETURN:

Haiti is one of three non-North American nations to participate in the last four Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championships and is looking to play in its third-straight semifinal. In the group stage, Les Grenadières went 1-0-2 to finish second, beating Cuba 2-1 in its opener before coming back to draw Guatemala 1-1 and Jamaica 0-0. In the Round of 16, Guyana struck first with a goal just before the half, but Haiti rallied after the break as Maudeline Moryl equalized in the 58th and Valentina Ornis netted the game-winner in the 88th.

 

2022 CONCACAF WOMEN’S U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER BY POSITION (COLLEGE OR CLUB; HOMETOWN; U-20 CAPS/GOALS)

 

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Mia Justus (Florida State; Lakewood, Ohio; 3/0), 12-Neeku Purcell (OL Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.; 2/0)

 

DEFENDERS (7): 14-Lauren Flynn (Florida State; Arlington, Va.; 3/0), 13-Samar Guidry (Virginia; McKinney, Texas; 7/0), 4-Emily Mason (Rutgers; Flemington, N.J.; 10/2), 15-Aidan McConnell (Wisconsin; Dexter, Mich.; 3/1), 3-Ayo Oke (California; Lawrenceville, Ga.; 4/0), 5-Lilly Reale (UCLA; Hingham, Mass.; 3/1), 2-Laney Rouse (Virginia, Cary, N.C.; 4/0)

 

MIDFIELDERS (5): 6-Emily Colton (UNC; Carlsbad, Calif.; 4/3), 20-Talia DellaPeruta (UNC; Cumming, Ga.; 14/2), 17-Sally Menti (Santa Clara; Seattle, Wash.; 3/0), 10-Alexis Missimo (Texas; Southlake, Texas; 4/3), 8-Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; Wilsonville, Ore.; 2/1)

 

FORWARDS (6): 18-Trinity Byars (Texas; Richardson, Texas; 4/0), 9-Michelle Cooper (Duke; Clarkston, Mich.; 3/4), 7-Simone Jackson (USC; Redondo Beach, Calif.; 2/2), 19-Andrea Kitahata (Stanford; Hillsborough, Calif.; 4/7), 16-Avery Patterson (UNC; Jacksonville, Fla.; 3/5), 11-Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy; Studio City, Calif.; 3/2)

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

 

●      Forward Andrea Kitahata has scored a team-leading seven goals and is tied for the tournament’s scoring lead with Canada’s Olivia Smith.

 

●      The hat tricks scored by Kitahata and forward Michelle Cooper vs. Suriname marked the 19th and 20th time in tournament history that a U.S. player has scored three or more goals in a match, which includes 10 previous three-goal games by a single player, seven previous four-goal games (including one from forward Avery Patterson in the second match of the tournament) and one five-goal game.

 

●      Right back Laney Rouse made her fourth consecutive start in the tournament, the only player to start all four matches. Nine players have appeared in all four matches.

 

●      Twelve players have scored so far for the USA at CWU20: Kitahata (7), Patterson (5), Michelle Cooper (4), Emily Colton (3), Alexis Missimo (3), Talia DellaPeruta (2), Simone Jackson (2), Emily Mason (2), Alyssa Thompson (2), Aidan McConnell, Olivia Moultrie and Lilly Reale.

 

●      Colton’s five assists lead the team, as 12 U.S. players have recorded assists at the tournament.

 

●      Defender Samar Guidry has played 292 minutes through four games, most on the team.

 

●      Midfielder Sally Menti was ruled out of the tournament due to a broken wrist suffered in the first game, leaving the USA with a 19-player roster for the remainder of the tournament.

 

●      Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2002, are age-eligible for the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. U.S. head coach Tracey Kevins’ roster consists of eight players born in 2002, nine born in 2003, one born in 2004 and one born in 2005.

 

●      The squad is made up of 16 collegiate players, two youth club players and one professional.

HAITI ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB):

GOALKEEPERS (2): 12-Nahomie Ambroise (Anacaona SC), 1-Madelina Fleuriot (Exafoot FC)

DEFENDERS (4): 2-Estericove Joseph (Academie Camp Nou), 7-Rose Alya Marcellus (Exafoot FC), 13-Maudeline Moryl (Exafoot FC), 11-Valentina Ornis (Academie Camp Nou)

MIDFIELDERS (7): 14-Gaelle Dumas (Academie Camp Nou), 20-Chloe Joseph (Unattached), 9-Florsie Joseph (Academie Camp Nou), 6-Tabita Joseph (Academie Camp Nou), 17-Betina Petit Frere (Academie Camp Nou), 15-Rose-Bertude Rosinvil (Academie Camp Nou), 8-Alcide Whithmila Pierre (AS Tigresses),

FORWARDS (7): 4-Jenny Flore Desmarattes (Exafoot FC), 19-Mirlene Dorce (Academie Camp Nou), 18-Noa Ganthier (Weston FC/USA), 16-Mariline Guerrier (Academie Camp Nou), 10-Dayana Pierre (Academie Camp Nou), 3-Milan Pierre (Maryland/USA), 5-Meghane St-Cyr (Aigles Ahuntsic/CAN)

 

TOURNAMENT FORMAT:

This year marks the 11th edition of the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. The tournament began in 2002 as the CONCACAF Women’s U-19 Championship, qualifying two teams to the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup.

 

The 2020 competition introduced a new 20-team tournament format after all previous iterations were comprised of eight teams split into two groups of four. Now, sixteen countries are drawn into four groups of four, while four countries advance directly to the Round of 16 via a pre-qualifying tournament.

 

The top three finishers in each group qualify to the Round of 16, where they will be joined by the four teams from pre-qualifying. From there, it’s a knockout bracket to the tournament final. The two winners of the semifinal matches, plus the winner of the third-place game, will qualify to the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.

 

The three teams that earn World Cup berths in the Dominican Republic will join Costa Rica as representatives of Concacaf at this summer’s world championship tournament. Costa Rica qualified automatically as host.

RETURN TO ACTION:

The sporting world shut down due to the global COVID-19 pandemic shortly after the 2020 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship wrapped up on March 8, 2020, canceling the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and all Youth National Team programming for the rest of the year. The U-20 WYNT finally returned to the field for its first traditional training camp in October 2021 with a roster of top youth club players, while a squad of standout collegiate players was assembled in December 2021 ahead of World Cup qualifying. Only four players on the WCQ roster had U-20 WYNT international match experience prior to the tournament kicking off, led by midfielder Talia DellaPeruta’s 10 caps.